MUMBAI: Design solutions major Autodesk has partnered National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) to enhance access of engineering students to professional 3D design tools, industry-relevant curricula, multimedia and web technology.

NPTEL, a joint initiative by the seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), provides eLearning through online web and video courses in engineering, science and humanities streams.

The U.S.-based design, engineering and entertainment software firm signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NPTEL, which aims to increase the number of skilled and industry-ready engineering graduates nationwide.

Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Autodesk Director Field Engagement Don Carlson told PTI: "India does not lack in supply of graduates, but that of qualified ones with the requisite technical skills and knowledge of industry workflows and best practices to hit the ground running."

This MoU enables NPTEL to offer technical, faculty and industry support to develop industry-relevant educational programmes and certification, he added.

NPTEL Coordinator (IIT Chennai) Mangala Sunder Krishnan said the issue is not with opening more institutions, but with finding qualified faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

"This initiative will help in making available top learning and skill building material to the students. It is the first time that NPTEL is partnering with a multinational to jointly develop curricula around design education that closely reflects industry demands and complements the existing national curricula," Krishnan said.

It helps NPTEL to offer technical, faculty and industry support to develop relevant programmes and certification in science, engineering, humanities, arts, social sciences, law, agriculture and management via ICT tools, he added.

This collaboration builds on the free access that all secondary and post-secondary academic institutions in India have to professional 3D design software from Autodesk via the Autodesk Academic Resource Center, including Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk 3ds Max, and Autodesk Maya.

NPTEL reaches 12 million users globally, 80 per cent of whom are from India, 6 per cent are from the US and the rest are spread out around the world. Within India, students form around 65 per cent of users while teachers form around 15 per cent.