PRESS RELEASE: Sambalpur University and OKCL Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance AI, Digital Education, and Skill Development

Sambalpur | 30th July 2026: In a significant step towards strengthening higher education through digital innovation, Sambalpur University and Odisha Knowledge Corporation Limited (OKCL) formalized a strategic partnership today through the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital education, skill development, research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration.
The MoU was exchanged between Prof. P. K. Naik, Registrar, Sambalpur University, and Dr. Manoranjan Puthal, Managing Director, OKCL, in the august presence of Prof. Bidhu Bhusan Mishra, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Sambalpur University. The ceremony was attended by senior university officials and Mr. Niladri Bihari Ray, Senior Manager, OKCL.
The partnership aims to build a future-ready academic ecosystem aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by integrating digital technologies, AI, innovation, and industry-relevant skills into higher education.
Under the MoU, both institutions will jointly undertake AI awareness and capacity-building programmes, faculty development initiatives, digital learning and certification programmes, research and innovation projects, internships, apprenticeship opportunities, hackathons, entrepreneurship development, and AI-enabled academic and administrative solutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Bidhu Bhusan Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, emphasized the importance of technology-driven education in preparing students for the future and expressed confidence that the partnership would enhance academic excellence and employability.
Dr. Manoranjan Puthal, Managing Director, OKCL, stated that the collaboration reinforces OKCL’s commitment to supporting higher education institutions through digital transformation, AI, and technology-enabled learning.
Prof. P. K. Naik, Registrar, appreciated the initiative and expressed optimism that the collaboration would strengthen academic engagement and institutional capacity building.
The collaboration was facilitated through sustained institutional engagement coordinated by Mr. Niladri Bihari Ray, Senior Manager, OKCL, who has been actively fostering partnerships between OKCL and higher education institutions across Odisha.
The partnership is expected to create new opportunities for collaborative research, innovation, skill development, and digital transformation, contributing to a more future-ready and globally competitive higher education ecosystem in Odisha.