Infosys to design Stanford course for grooming executives

Global software major Infosys Ltd. is partnering with the US-based Stanford Graduate School of Business to develop a tailor-made course for grooming its next-generation executives in the global technology space.

"Our senior executives will team up with Stanford B-school to design a customised strategic leadership development course for training our executives, clients and partners," the IT bellwether said in a statement here Thursday.

The course will have business management skills and corporate innovation process to help the outsourcing major balance business discipline and entrepreneurial spirit.

"We want to empower our people to help clients explore opportunities and unfold new solutions. The novel initiative mandates a step change in our thinking," Infosys chief executive Vishal Sikka said in the statement.

Sikka is a product of Stanford University in California from where he did doctorate (Ph.D.) in artificial intelligence after Master's in computer science from Syracuse University in New York.

"We are privileged to work with Stanford to build a workforce that is equipped to deliver the next-generation services our clients are looking for," Sikka added.

The B-school's executive education office will deliver the leadership programme online and offline and live sessions, which will be enabled by distance-learning technology.

About 200 company executives will participate in the part-time or year-long course in batches of 40 over the next three years.

"Our executives will be able to test and apply their learning to real business challenges in parallel," the statement noted.

Stanford B-school has leveraged Infosys' hi-tech facilities in this tech hub for its "Ignite programme" to participants across the country.

The certificate programme teaches innovators to formulate, develop and commercialise their ideas.

The part-time programme is delivered in-person or live, using high-definition video conference technology, which connects Stanford's B-school with participants in seven global markets.