Sambalpur, May 9: Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur, one of India’s premier management institutions, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in a landmark move towards digital transformation to train 500 officers from diverse disciplines on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The initiative aims to improve and innovate the core business of coal, along with strengthening business development, operations and process management through AI-driven interventions.

The MoU was signed by Keshav Rao and Mahadeo Jaiswal.

During the signing ceremony, Uday Anant Kaole, Shikha Bhardwaj and senior leadership officials of MCL were also present.

The collaboration has been described as a significant milestone towards creating future-ready and technology-savvy leadership in the era of digital transformation.

Speaking on the collaboration, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director of IIM Sambalpur, said the institute is committed to innovation-led management education and leadership development for the AI era.

“IIM Sambalpur is committed to driving innovation-led management education and building future-ready leaders for the AI era. This partnership with MCL reflects our shared vision of leveraging AI and Machine Learning to transform organisations through knowledge, technology-driven growth, and strategic capability building,” he said.

IIM Sambalpur also stated that it is the first institute in the world to implement AI education for its entire batch of students across all functional areas of management.

The collaboration marks a significant leap for MCL, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, as the company seeks to integrate cutting-edge technology into its operational and administrative frameworks.