Walmart launches centre for tech excellence at IIT Madras

The centre will work towards building an open-sourced, domain-agnostic platform that will develop engineering analytics solutions, making them widely accessible.

Walmart Global Tech (WGT) has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to establish the Walmart Center for Tech Excellence dedicated to empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the manufacturing and retail sectors.

The centre will work towards developing cutting-edge solutions that will help MSMEs adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) along with digitisation to drive operational efficiency and profitability, IIT Madras said in a statement.

The centre will work towards building an open-sourced, domain-agnostic platform that will develop engineering analytics solutions, making them widely accessible.

Additionally, the centre will build a repository of case studies to accelerate AI adoption in the manufacturing and retail industries. These case studies will also be leveraged to deliver skilling programs focused on the basics of AI and its application in the sectors, the statement added.

“As a people-led, tech-powered organization, we believe in using technology to serve people—and not the other way round. The Walmart Center for Tech Excellence reiterates our commitment to communities and purpose to help people live better. As an IIT-M alumnus, I am especially proud of our ongoing partnership. I’m both excited and confident about the potential of our centre to drive innovation in AI and make a positive impact in the MSME community in India,” said Suresh Kumar, Global CTO and CDO of Walmart Inc.

“The growth of MSMEs is very crucial for economic prosperity. IIT Madras has initiated many projects in this direction including the one that helps MSMEs in reducing energy consumption. The research carried out through the Walmart Center will be of immense value to the MSMEs,” said Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras.