The Indian Institute of Management Jammu and Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jalandhar, two premier Institutes of National Importance under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 21, 2026, to establish a long-term strategic partnership aimed at promoting multidisciplinary education, collaborative research, executive education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and institutional capacity building in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The Memorandum of Understanding was formally signed by Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, Indian Institute of Management Jammu, and Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, Director, Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, in the presence of Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty & Research, Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics; Prof. Raman Bedi, Dean Academics, NIT Jalandhar; Brigadier (Retd.) Bhupinder Singh Kang, Chief Administrative Officer; and Shri Arup Bhattacharya, Chief Program Officer, IIM Jammu, along other officials from both institutions.

The partnership establishes a comprehensive framework for collaboration by leveraging IIM Jammu's strengths in management education, strategy, entrepreneurship, finance, and executive education together with NIT Jalandhar's expertise in engineering, technology, applied sciences, and innovation. As envisaged in the MoU, both institutions will collaborate in academics, research, consultancy, faculty and student exchange, joint teaching, collaborative research centers, and academic credit mobility under the framework of NEP 2020. The institutions will also jointly deliver Executive Education and Management Development Programmes (MDPs) for industry, government departments, and public sector undertakings, while exploring integrated and jointly conferred academic programmes in the future, subject to statutory approvals.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, reiterated that the partnership marks a significant milestone in strengthening multidisciplinary education and creating a vibrant ecosystem where management education and technological innovation converge. He stated that the collaboration reflects the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020 by fostering interdisciplinary learning, impactful academic programmes, research excellence, executive education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He further emphasized that the partnership would contribute significantly to nation-building and the socio-economic development of the region and the country at large through impactful academic programmes, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, Director, NIT Jalandhar, described the collaboration as the beginning of a transformative partnership between two leading Institutions of National Importance. He noted that the MoU would create new opportunities for interdisciplinary research, technology-driven innovation, industry engagement, and academic excellence while enabling both institutions to jointly address emerging societal and industrial challenges through knowledge creation and collaborative action.

Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty & Research, IIM Jammu, mentioned that the partnership provides a strong platform for collaborative and interdisciplinary research by integrating management with engineering and technology. He highlighted that the collaboration would facilitate joint research projects, consultancy assignments, publications, policy research, and innovation initiatives addressing regional and national priorities.

Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics, IIM Jammu, mentioned that the MoU aligns closely with the vision of NEP 2020 by promoting multidisciplinary learning, student mobility, academic credit transfer, faculty collaboration, and the exploration of integrated and dual-degree programmes that prepare students for the evolving global knowledge economy.

Prof. Raman Bedi, Dean Academics, NIT Jalandhar, remarked that the collaboration would strengthen academic integration between the two institutions through collaborative curriculum development, faculty exchange, experiential learning, and joint academic initiatives, thereby enriching learning opportunities for students and faculty alike.

The MoU provides an extensive roadmap for collaboration across multiple domains. Both institutions will jointly undertake interdisciplinary research in areas such as technology management, sustainable development, public policy, regional economy, horticulture and agribusiness, tourism and hospitality management, disaster management, digital governance, and healthcare management. The partnership also envisages joint submission of research proposals to national and international funding agencies, co-authored publications, development of case studies, establishment of joint research centres and chairs, and sharing of research infrastructure and datasets. Faculty exchanges, Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs), guest lectures, doctoral opportunities, and academic credit sharing will further strengthen institutional capacity.

In addition, both institutions have agreed to share academic infrastructure and institutional resources, jointly organize seminars, conferences, workshops, training programmes, boot camps, and immersion programmes, and build a coordinated startup and incubation ecosystem by leveraging their complementary strengths in management, entrepreneurship, engineering, and technology. The MoU also envisages exploring jointly conferred academic degree programmes and integrated pathways in accordance with the provisions of NEP 2020 and applicable regulatory frameworks.

The visiting delegation from NIT Jalandhar was also taken on a comprehensive tour of the IIM Jammu campus, where they visited the state-of-the-art academic infrastructure, smart classrooms, Nalanda Library, and other world-class amenities that support the institute's commitment to excellence in management education, research, and holistic student development.

The Memorandum of Understanding reflects the shared commitment of IIM Jammu and NIT Jalandhar to fostering academic excellence, research-driven innovation, entrepreneurship, and institutional collaboration. By combining their complementary strengths, the two Institutes of National Importance aim to create meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, researchers, industry, and society while contributing to India's vision of becoming a global knowledge and innovation hub.