Octave, VIT-AP sign MoU to promote industry-driven AI innovation

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VIT-AP Vice Chancellor P. Arulmozhivarman and representatives of the technology company Octave after signing an MoU, on Thursday. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

Technology company Octave and Vellore Institute of Technology–Andhra Pradesh (VIT-AP University) signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen industry-academia collaboration in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Software Engineering.

A statement on Thursday (August 27, 2026) said the partnership is aimed at giving students and faculty hands-on exposure to real-world technology challenges while creating opportunities for industry mentorship, research, internships, and potential career opportunities.

As part of the collaboration, Octave will provide industry-defined problem statements, primarily focused on AI/ML applications, along with selected software engineering challenges. Student teams will work on these problems under the guidance of Octave professionals, developing and presenting solutions for assessment and review.

The programme will follow a structured project model, with each team comprising one professor, four students and two Octave mentors. Projects are expected to be completed within a quarter, allowing the programme to run through multiple cycles of problem-solving, experimentation, mentoring and evaluation during the year.

Octave Chief Technology Officer Vivek Mokashi said the initiative was designed to give students the opportunity to tackle genuine industry problems and develop the confidence to apply technology to complex challenges. He said the company viewed collaboration with academic institutions as an important part of building future talent and innovation ecosystems.

VIT-AP Vice Chancellor P. Arulmozhivarman said the partnership would expose students and faculty to contemporary AI/ML and software engineering applications and strengthen practical learning and problem-solving capabilities. He added that the initiative would also help create stronger pathways towards internships and future employment.

The collaboration will include cross-campus presentations involving Octave mentors and VIT-AP faculty, providing opportunities for knowledge sharing and showcasing project outcomes. Octave will also review and offer suggestions on VIT-AP’s AI/ML curriculum to help align academic content with changing industry requirements.

Vice President–Software Development, Octave, Raj Sekhara Rao Sakhamuri said working on industry-defined challenges would help students develop skills in understanding problems, testing ideas, collaborating and translating concepts into practical solutions.

Head of Talent Acquisition, India and APAC, Octave Manoj Patloori said the partnership would connect academic learning with employability through hands-on projects, hackathons, internships and potential career opportunities.

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