Odisha varsity signs MoU with fintech company to foster academia-industry collaboration

Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Broadbridge Financial Solutions, a global fintech leader with a strong presence in India’s innovation and financial technology ecosystem, to foster deeper collaboration between academia and industry.

The MoU was signed between SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof Pradipta Kumar Nanda and Broadbridge India’s HR Head Ritu Rakhra in the presence of senior leadership of both institutions.

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The event also included interactive sessions with students during which representatives from Broadbridge shared insights on emerging trends in financial technologies, evolving career opportunities, and the changing skills landscape.

Broadbridge nurtures early career talent through campus programs, innovation challenges, mentorship, and skilling initiatives. The collaboration with SOA aligns with Broadbridge’s vision of empowering future professionals with relevant, real-world exposure.

This partnership also marks a significant milestone in SOA’s ongoing efforts to align academic learning with real-world applications. Through this collaboration, both institutions aimed to bridge the gap between academic education and industry expectations by providing experiential learning, exposure to cutting-edge technologies, and domain-specific training.

SOA and Broadbridge will collaborate on enhancing industry-relevant training programs by integrating current tools and trends, organising guest lectures, industry-led workshops, and expert mentoring sessions while providing students with internship opportunities and potential career pathways, according to the MOU.

“This collaboration reflects SOA’s sustained commitment to engaging meaningfully with industry partners and preparing our students to be future-ready through practical learning,” Prof Nanda said after the signing of the MoU.

Ms Rakhra said Broadbridge was delighted to partner with SOA as this collaboration underscored the company’s commitment to nurture talent and drive innovation by working closely with academic institutions.

SOA has actively pursued partnerships like this across IT and core sectors to ensure the students could gain relevant, hands-on skills, said Mr Ripti Ranjan Dash, SOA’s Director, Corporate Relations and Industry Engagement.

“The MoU reinforces our commitment to developing industry-ready professionals through beyond-the-curriculum exposure,” Mr Dash said.

This partnership, Prof Nanda said, was expected to significantly enhance student employability, encourage applied research, and drive innovation-led learning, setting a benchmark for impactful industry-academia collaboration in the region.

“Our intention is to combine SOA’s academic excellence with Broadbridge’s global expertise in financial technology so that we can cultivate a future-ready talent pipeline, equipped with industry-relevant skills, real-world exposure and an innovative mindset,” he said.