The MoU was exchanged at the Indian High Commission in London in the presence of the High Commissioner, Deputy High Commissioner and Economic Minister.
The collaboration marks the beginning of a plan to establish a Deemed University for Design in Tamil Nadu. The partnership will connect Italian design experience with Indian innovation. It aims to create a structured pathway for creative education and skill development in India.
In a conversation with the Industrial Economist, earlier this month, Rafiq Ahmed, executive chairman of KICL, said that the company was expanding its skill development efforts through international collaborations. “I am going to Italy, France and the UK to sign with universities for skill development. I want to bring their international expertise here. I will personally visit and see how international skill schools function and adapt those models for India,” he said.
He said that the company’s larger objective was to build the Kothari Skill School at Perambalur, which would train one lakh students, particularly from Tier-II and Tier-III cities such as Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and other southern districts. “We want to train and guide youth who are bright but lack exposure and confidence. The Kothari Skill School will focus on real skilling, not paper certification,” he said. As part of this initiative by KICL, the first MoU was signed with Italian design school.
Mr Rafiq Ahmed has requested government support in providing land and basic facilities. The infrastructure will be built by KICL. “This school will be 100 per cent owned by Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd.. It will have collaborations with experts from Italy, France, Germany and the UK who will train our youth in India,” he said to the Industrial Economist.
IUAD Academy has campuses in Milan and Naples, and will now extend its presence to India through this collaboration with KICL.
The proposed programmes under this initiative include fashion design, communication design, interior design and cinema & advertising. The academic model will follow 30 per cent theory and 70 per cent practical training through workshops, projects and field practice.
A release from KICL said that this collaboration was part of its plan to position Tamil Nadu as a global centre for design education and a hub for the non-leather footwear industry, where design training played a key role.
