In a significant step towards strengthening academic excellence, research collaboration, innovation, and industry engagement, Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) during the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of IIP held in Mumbai on 14 May 2026.
The MoU was exchanged between Shri Vivek Sharma, IRS, Managing Director, FDDI, and Shri R. K. Mishra, IRS, Director, Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) and Additional DGFT, Mumbai, in the esteemed presence of the Hon’ble Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Jitin Prasada Ji.
The occasion marked an important milestone in the journey of both institutions and reflected their shared commitment towards advancing knowledge, innovation, and industry-oriented education.
The collaboration brings together two premier institutions under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, with a shared vision of fostering excellence in education, research, innovation, training, and capacity building.
During the celebrations, senior officials of FDDI and IIP deliberated on various avenues of collaboration in the esteemed presence of the Hon’ble Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Jitin Prasada Ji. The partnership aims to promote interdisciplinary learning, strengthen industry-academia linkages, and develop future-ready talent equipped to address the evolving needs of industry and society.
The MoU envisages cooperation in a wide range of areas, including joint research projects, innovation and product development, skill development programmes, faculty and student exchange initiatives, industry-oriented training, expert lectures, workshops, seminars, and collaborative academic activities. Both institutions will also explore opportunities for knowledge sharing, consultancy, testing, incubation support, and the development of specialized programmes aligned with emerging industry requirements.
The collaboration assumes particular significance for sectors such as footwear, leather, fashion, retail, packaging, lifestyle products, and allied industries, where design, sustainability, product innovation, supply chains, consumer experience, and packaging technologies are increasingly becoming interconnected. By leveraging their respective strengths, FDDI and IIP aim to create a robust platform that bridges academia and industry while fostering innovation-led growth.
The partnership is expected to provide students, researchers, faculty members, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals with enhanced opportunities for learning, research, experimentation, and professional development. It will also facilitate the exchange of best practices and promote collaborative solutions to address contemporary challenges relating to product design, packaging, sustainability, technology adoption, and market competitiveness.
Prior to the formal exchange of the MoU, an FDDI delegation led by Dr. Renu Sharma, Academic Head, along with Mr. Anoop Singh Rana, Head of School – LGAD, and Mr. Neeraj Sharma, Head of School – FDP, visited the Indian Institute of Packaging, New Delhi, on 08 May 2026 to explore opportunities for academic, research, and industry collaboration.
During the visit, the delegation toured key facilities including the Design Studio, AI Lab, Library, R&D Centre, and advanced testing laboratories covering chemical, physical, food packaging, and logistics testing. The visit offered valuable insights into IIP’s robust ecosystem for research, innovation, testing, and technical advancement.
The FDDI delegation also held extensive discussions with Dr. Tanweer Alam, Campus Director, to identify potential avenues for collaboration. The deliberations focused on joint research projects and publications, Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs), certificate and short-term courses, expert-led online sessions, workshops, and industry-oriented collaborative initiatives. The institutions also explored the possibility of developing joint Ph.D. programmes in product packaging and allied interdisciplinary domains.
