New partnerships with upGrad and Tata Consultancy Services advance Canada–India talent development and executive AI leadership
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and economies, the University of Waterloo is deepening its engagement in India to strengthen the leadership, research, and talent systems needed to compete responsibly in a global AI economy.
During a high-level executive breakfast on February 20, convened in collaboration with the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC), the University signed two strategic Memoranda of Understanding with upGrad and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to strengthen Canada–India cooperation in responsible AI leadership and next-generation talent development.
The agreements reinforce Waterloo’s long-term global engagement strategy by connecting academic excellence, industry leadership, and international education platforms to accelerate responsible AI adoption.
“AI is reshaping not only how organizations operate, but how economies grow and societies function,” says Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor, University of Waterloo. “This moment requires leaders who can translate technological advancement into responsible strategy and sustainable growth. Through these global partnerships, we are strengthening executive capability and the connections needed to guide transformation with confidence and integrity.”
Timed to coincide with the AI Impact Summit, the invitation-only breakfast brought together approximately 60 C-suite leaders from Indian industry and members of the University for dialogue focused on AI, workforce transformation, talent development, and Canada–India collaboration.
The engagement underscores Waterloo’s role as a catalyst for cross-border innovation, connecting Canadian academic and research excellence with international industry networks. The presence of the Honourable Evan Solomon, Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation as well as Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, reinforced the strategic importance of Canada–India collaboration at a pivotal moment for AI-driven economic transformation.
“Canada’s strength in AI has always been rooted in research excellence and trusted institutions,” says Solomon. “By deepening partnerships in India, we are expanding the global networks that turn discovery into real economic opportunity. This collaboration between Waterloo, upGrad, and TCS reflects the kind of practical, forward-looking cooperation that will define the next chapter of the Canada–India innovation relationship.”
Waterloo delegation members Vivek Goel, Mary Wells, and Sanjeev Gill pose with the Honourable Evan Solomon at the AI Impact Summit following the MOU signings.
The partnerships reflect Waterloo’s commitment to advancing technology and economic systems through interdisciplinary, globally connected collaboration. By integrating research excellence, applied innovation, and executive capability-building, the University is working to ensure AI advancement is matched by responsible governance and long-term economic resilience.
The agreements bring together Waterloo’s research and academic expertise — mobilized
through its professional and executive education arm, WatSPEED — alongside upGrad’s
international higher education platform and TCS’s global industry network. Waterloo’s
longstanding integration of co-operative education, research excellence, and industry
collaboration provides a distinctive foundation for this model of international talent
development.
“Enterprises need leaders and teams who can integrate emerging technologies into strategy,
operations, and customer experience,” says Soumen Roy, executive director and country
head, TCS Canada. “Through this partnership, we are strengthening the capabilities
required to modernize industries and build future-ready organizations across global
markets.”
Under the agreements, the partners will deliver immersive executive learning experiences,
co-design modular workshops and masterclasses in areas such as AI governance and digital
transformation, and establish graduate mobility pathways that enable eligible learners
to be considered for Waterloo graduate programs, subject to admissions criteria.
"upGrad is proud to partner with the University of Waterloo at a time when AI has
become the core operating layer of global industry,” says Myleeta Aga Williams, CEO,
upGrad International. “This collaboration to deliver executive education in AI capability
building creates a high-capacity bridge between India’s tech talent and world-class
Canadian innovation. This is a critical step in building the global workforce for
a digital-first economy."
As AI becomes foundational to economic growth worldwide, Waterloo’s partnership with upGrad and TCS strengthens the systems that develop talent, deepen industry integration and enable responsible AI innovation at scale.