UPES Collaborates with Salesforce to Build India’s Next Generation of AI Talent

–          First-of-its-kind collaboration to co-create a B.Tech Computer Science Engineering program with specialisation in Data Science, and a dedicated Salesforce Academia Centre of Excellence

–      Students will gain access to Trailhead-powered learning, industry-recognized certifications, and hands-on access to enterprise technologies from day one

New Delhi, India – June 22, 2026: UPES, a multidisciplinary university and one of India’s leading institutions for future-focused education, today announced a collaboration with Salesforce, the world’s #1 AI CRM*. As part of the collaboration, the university will launch an industry-first B.Tech Computer Science Engineering (CSE) program with a specialization in Data Science, developed jointly with Salesforce to equip students with in-demand AI, data, and enterprise technology skills.

Central to the collaboration is the establishment of a Salesforce Academia Centre of Excellence (CoE) at UPES, which will serve as a hub for AI skilling, developer certifications, applied research, faculty development, innovation projects, and industry engagement on Trailhead, the digital learning platform from Salesforce. The CoE will feature specialised labs and operate on a Train-the-Trainer model, enabling faculty development to keep pace with the rapidly evolving AI and enterprise technology landscape. Students will gain hands-on experience with enterprise-grade platforms from the first year of the program, strengthening their readiness for the workplace.

Built on a Triple-C model — Co-create, Co-deliver and Co-certify — which goes beyond a traditional industry partnership. UPES and Salesforce have jointly developed a curriculum that integrates enterprise CRM technologies, AI applications, data platforms, analytics, and intelligent automation directly into the academic experience by enabling access to real-world enterprise platforms, including Agentforce Sales, Agentforce Service, Data 360, Tableau, and Agentforce, as integral components of the program. Students will graduate not only with a B.Tech degree but also with industry-recognised Salesforce certifications, equipping them with practical skills required to drive digital transformation in an AI-powered economy.

Students will have access to Salesforce’s Education Cloud and Agentforce technologies from the first year of the program, enabling hands-on learning on enterprise-grade platforms. Students will also benefit from global certification opportunities, live industry projects, internship exposure, and participation in Salesforce learning communities. These experiences will provide practical exposure to real-world business and technology challenges while strengthening employability and industry readiness.

The collaboration builds on UPES’ vision of being the ‘University of Tomorrow’ and its transition into an ‘AI-First University’, where emerging technologies are embedded across curriculum, research, innovation, and industry engagement to prepare students for the future of work.

Comments on the news:

Prof. (Dr.) Abhishek Sinha, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Success), UPES, said, “At UPES, we believe that education must evolve as fast as the industries our graduates will enter. Our collaboration with Salesforce is rooted in a shared commitment to producing professionals who are genuinely ready to lead in an AI-driven economy, not just theoretically, but with certified, hands-on capability. What we are building with the Triple-C model and the Centre of Excellence is a foundation for the future—one that will expand across disciplines and set a national benchmark for university-industry co-creation.”

Mankiran Chowhan, Managing Director at Salesforce India, said, “AI is fundamentally reshaping how we work, create, and innovate, making AI fluency a core capability for the workforce of the future. As India advances its ambition to become a global AI powerhouse, the focus must shift from simply adopting technology to building the talent that can harness it responsibly and at scale. Through our collaboration with UPES, we are reimagining how industry and academia can work together to prepare students for this new reality—combining foundational engineering education with hands-on experience in AI, data, and enterprise technologies. The Salesforce Academia Centre of Excellence will help create future-ready talent equipped to drive innovation, productivity, and growth across industries.”

Together, UPES and Salesforce are creating a blueprint for how academia and industry can collaborate to build the AI-ready workforce that India’s digital future demands.

For more information, please visit: www.upes.ac.in