Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited Partners with Accademia IUAD to Strengthen Design & Innovation Talent in the Era of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement
Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited (KICL) today announced a strategic Industry–Academia partnership with Accademia IUAD, Italy’s prestigious fashion and design institution recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education.
This collaboration
aims to build world-class talent in design, creativity, and innovation that
will directly support India’s manufacturing and creative industries as they
enter a new phase of global engagement under the recently concluded
India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Dr. Rafique Ahmed, Chairman of KICL; Dr. N. Muthu Mohan, CEO and Director of KICL
The India–EU FTA,
finalized at the 16th India–EU Summit and widely described as the “mother of
all deals,” is a transformative milestone in India’s trade strategy, removing
or reducing tariffs on the vast majority of goods and significantly enhancing
market access for Indian exporters to the 27-nation EU bloc — one of the
world’s largest economic partnerships.
As Indian industries prepare to compete and collaborate more intensively on the global stage, the demand for highly skilled, visionary designers and innovators has never been greater. Through this partnership, KICL and IUAD will co-develop industry-aligned education and training pathways, combining IUAD’s heritage of creativity and practise-led learning with KICL’s deep industrial experience.
These programs will equip students with cutting-edge capabilities in fashion,
footwear, and lifestyle design — skills critical for enhancing India’s creative
exports and competitiveness in the EU and beyond.
The
collaboration will deliver:
ü Curriculum co-design
with global industry inputs
ü Hands-on projects and real-world
industrial exposure
ü Masterclasses and
mentorship by international experts
ü Pathways to global
industry placements and mobility
By fostering a new
generation of talent skilled in design thinking, technical excellence, and
innovation, the partnership supports India’s ambition to integrate into global
value chains and leverage the opportunities created by the India–EU FTA. It
aligns with national priorities to strengthen India’s manufacturing, create
high-value employment, and position the country as a leading hub for
design-driven industry growth.
Together, Kothari
Industrial Corporation Limited and Accademia IUAD are committed to nurturing
the creative and innovative talent that will power India’s future in an
increasingly interconnected global economy.
