New Delhi – Esri India, the market leader in Geographic Information System (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping solutions in India, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Delhi Technological University (DTU) to establish a Centre of Excellence (‘CoE’) in Geospatial Technologies with a focused thrust on GeoAI. The partnership marks a significant step in bridging the gap between industry’s expectations for geospatial skills and academic programs, equipping the next generation of engineers, researchers and data scientists with cutting-edge GIS and GeoAI capabilities through world leading Esri technology.
Under the MoU, Esri India will support DTU’s Department of Geospatial Science & Technology in establishing the ‘CoE’ with globally renowned ArcGIS software. The Center will have access to learning resources and geospatial content through ArcGIS Living Atlas. The company aims to enable applied GeoAI solutions, conduct Faculty Development Programs (FDPs), and facilitate merit-based internships for the students.
DTU, one of India’s premier technological universities, has a strong foundation in Geospatial Sciences and Technologies, Computer Science, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Civil Engineering and Space Applications etc. With the collaboration with Esri India, DTU aims to develop new curricula, particularly for its new upcoming UG, PG and Executive programs and enhancement of existing courses using the Indo ArcGIS platform.
Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India, said, “Geospatial intelligence and AI are converging rapidly, and India needs a skilled workforce that can harness this power for real-world impact. Our partnership with DTU through this Centre of Excellence reflects Esri India’s commitment to embedding GeoAI thinking into the mainstream academia. We look forward to working alongside DTU’s faculty and students to build capabilities that will shape how India plans its cities, manages its resources, and prepares for the future.”
Prof. Prateek Sharma, Vice Chancellor, DTU expressed his happiness on the signing of an MoU between DTU and Esri India. He expressed hope that this MoU will turn out to be a millstone in the saga of industry-academia collaboration and will get emulated by many others in the coming years. He laid the vision for the Department of Geospatial Science and Technology (DGST) at DTU. He mentioned that DGST, DTU aspires to be a global leader in Geospatial Education, Research and Consultancy. DGST intends to launch not only executive Master’s Programs in Geoinformatics but also UG programs in Geospatial Science and Geoinformatics. DTU believes that the Geospatial segment not only needs to develop a technology vertical but also focus on Geospatial and Space Sciences. DTU aims to be a leader in the county in establishing Geospatial Science and Technology as an independent discipline.
With Esri’s ArcGIS at the heart of the ‘CoE’, DTU students and researchers will gain hands-on exposure to technologies that are new and upcoming, but also to the technologies which are actively being used by government agencies, urban planners, defence establishments and environmental organizations across the country.
