Walmart Launches Center For Tech Excellence At IISc

Walmart Global Tech (WGT) has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to launch the Walmart Center for Tech Excellence—designed to strengthen the research ecosystem in India. The center will focus on driving research excellence in the field of Computer Science and empowering talent with opportunities for future growth. In February 2024, Walmart launched a Center for Tech Excellence at IIT Madras. Walmart’s partnerships with the academia reinforce its commitment towards serving communities and helping them live better.

The center will operate within IISc’s Department of Computer Science and Automation (CSA) and will focus on solving foundational problems in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Computer Systems and Theoretical Computer Science. To inspire top researchers in India, this initiative will onboard and grant fellowships to highly skilled Pre-doc, Ph.D. and Post-doc candidates. Additionally, the center will focus on nurturing a new generation of talent by mentoring students from tier 2 and tier 3 institutes in India through internships, workshops and Pre-doc opportunities. It will also foster collaboration with leading international universities and help contribute to the global research community.

The center was launched at an inaugural event in the presence of Hari Vasudev, EVP, Global Tech Platforms, Walmart Global Tech, Balu Chaturvedula, SVP & Country Head, Walmart Global Tech along with G Rangarajan, Director, IISc and Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean, Division of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Sciences (EECS), IISc. Key leaders from Walmart and senior faculty members of CSA, IISc were also present at the event.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Hari Vasudev, EVP, Global Tech Platforms, Walmart Global Tech, said, “I’m truly proud to witness the launch of the Walmart Center for Tech Excellence and excited about the contributions it will make to the field of research. As a people-led, tech-powered organization, we believe in the power of technology to serve people and communities to live better lives. Our partnership with the academia helps us bring this vision to life and our collaboration with IISc is another milestone in this journey.”

Sharing his thoughts at the inauguration, Balu Chaturvedula, SVP & Country Head, Walmart Global Tech, said, “Serving communities has always been central to our values at Walmart. Our partnership with IISc is another step forward in this direction. The Walmart Center for Tech Excellence is positioned to make a significant contribution to the research community—not just in India but even at a global scale. I am excited to see the center’s vision come to life and the opportunities that it will unfold.”

“We are very grateful for the support from Walmart Global Tech in advancing research on critical areas related to Computer Science," said G Rangarajan, Director, IISc. “With its focus on problem-solving as well as research mentorship and collaborations, the Walmart Center for Tech Excellence at IISc will become a leading research hub in the coming years.”

“IISc has a strong history of cutting-edge research contributions in Computer Science. In partnership with Walmart Global Tech, we seek to leverage this legacy to carry out transformational research at the frontiers of algorithms, Machine Learning and edge computing,” said Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean, Division of EECS, IISc. “We look forward to many exciting research and innovation outcomes from this collaboration.”