Infosys picks Purdue University to train 10,000 American employees

India’s second largest IT services firm Infosys  has signed a five-year agreement with Indiana-based Purdue University to provide classes and training for many of the 10,000 American employees that Infosys proposed to hire over the next two years.

Of the total American employees the company planned to hire, 2000 will be based out of Indiana.

In a statement, Infosys said a large portion of this training would be for new employees and conducted on the West Lafayette campus of the university, while the partnership also includes lifelong-learning opportunities through specialised online courses for existing Infosys employees.

Infosys said it would conduct research jointly with Purdue University and develop course materials in areas such as digital agriculture, cyber security, biopharma analytics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

“The strategic alliance with Infosys will marry Purdue’s talent and expertise in innovation with cutting-edge research and learning opportunities, and bring about an innovation-to-industrialization ecosystem,” said Suresh Garimella, Purdue’s executive vice president for research and partnerships and the Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Infosys also said the strategic alliance might translate to millions of dollars in joint research and a sizable physical presence at Purdue. The company’s initiatives would be anchored in Purdue's Discovery Park, allowing the company to establish a prominent physical and intellectual presence on campus.

Stating that the five-year agreement reflects Infosys’ commitment to the Purdue community and reinforces the company’s philosophy and strength in providing lifelong learning to its employees, Ravi Kumar S, deputy chief operating officer, Infosys, said, “Today’s announcement represents another step forward in our commitment to boosting American innovation and in doing our part to shrink the IT skills gap through investments in training and education. This strategic alliance with Purdue will enhance Infosys’ ability to attract and recruit top local talent, enable us to further develop a culture of lifelong learning and entrepreneurship.”

As part of the agreement, the company would also establish Infosys Solutions Centers at Purdue to address select business challenges presented by the company’s clients and investigate “interdisciplinary solutions”.