In a landmark move set to reshape quality management education in India, XLRI – Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, and the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster industry-academia collaboration, research, and advanced learning in quality systems and performance excellence. The partnership aims to bridge the gap between academic concepts and practical applications by integrating real-world methodologies, industry case studies, and practitioner-led sessions into the curriculum.
Starting from the upcoming academic session in June 2025, postgraduate management students at XLRI will benefit from newly designed electives in quality management. These courses will feature live projects, industrial visits, and collaborative teaching by XLRI faculty and experts from IFQM and its member organizations. The initiative particularly aims to equip future professionals with the tools needed to drive sustainable quality transformation, especially within India’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony held on XLRI’s Jamshedpur campus, Director Dr. (Fr.) Sebastian George, S.J. stressed the importance of outcome-oriented partnerships. “Signing an MoU is not even the first step—it’s the zero step. What really matters are the measurable and meaningful results that emerge from such collaborations,” he remarked, highlighting the need for implementation and tangible impact.
The event began with a welcome address by Dr. Dipankar Bose, Associate Professor, Production, Operations and Decision Sciences at XLRI. It was attended by several key dignitaries including IFQM CEO and Director Soumitra Bhattacharya, along with senior executives R.K. Shenoy, Jayakumar M, Nagabhushan M, Samir Banerjee, Sampath Krishnabhat, Ankur Gandotra, and Counsellor Dr. Pankaj Kumar. Representing Tata Steel were Peeyush Gupta, Vice President – TQM, GSP & Supply Chain, and Tripti Srivastava, Chief – TQM and CQA. XLRI’s academic leadership was represented by Dr. Sanjay Patro (Dean – Academics), Dr. J. Ajith Kumar (Associate Dean – Fellow Programmes), and Dr. Abhishek Chakraborty (Chairperson – PODS).