Gandhinagar/Vadodara, May 30 (IANS) Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), India’s first and only Central university dedicated to transportation and logistics education, is expanding its academic, research and industry-linked programmes as Vadodara prepares to host the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for the Central Gujarat region.

Established on December 6, 2022, under the guidance of the Central government and with the support of the state government, the university has emerged as a specialised institution focused on developing skilled manpower for the country’s transport, logistics and infrastructure sectors.

The development comes as Gujarat seeks to attract further investment and promote technology-driven growth through regional conferences under the Vibrant Gujarat initiative.

Officials expect the upcoming VGRC in Vadodara to serve as a platform to showcase the city’s industrial, educational and infrastructure capabilities while encouraging investment and innovation in the region.

Located in the Lalbaug area of Vadodara, GSV offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in transportation and logistics-related disciplines.

More than 1,000 students from over 23 states are currently enrolled in various B.Tech, M.Tech, MBA and PhD programmes. The university is also in the process of establishing a second campus at Waghodia in Vadodara.

Academic programmes at the university are aligned with the Centre’s PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and the National Logistics Policy.

Courses are offered in areas, including railway systems, aviation, maritime engineering, roads and highways, metro rail, supply chain management, artificial intelligence and data science.

The campus includes classrooms, laboratories, research centres and residential facilities, while additional industry-integrated training infrastructure is under development.

Apart from degree programmes, the university conducts executive training programmes for more than 1,100 officers annually from Indian Railways, the armed forces and friendly foreign countries.

The institution places significant emphasis on practical training through internships, live projects, hands-on learning and access to Indian Railways’ centralised training institutes.

It has established partnerships with a range of academic and industry organisations, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

Among its research initiatives, the Airbus Centre of Excellence is undertaking work related to sustainable aviation fuel research and development, artificial intelligence-based transport systems, smart mobility and logistics.

The university said its research activities have also led to patent filings and the creation of start-ups.

The university highlighted that Associate Professor Venkata Chintala received recognition from the President for contributions towards the development of sustainability-related technologies.

It also noted that a recent memorandum of understanding with Transport for Australia’s New South Wales has strengthened opportunities for research and technology collaboration in transportation and logistics.

According to the university, it has established an incubation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to support innovation, applied research and start-up development.

The university reported that more than 60 organisations have participated in campus recruitment drives.

These include Siemens, Alstom, Tata Consulting Engineers, L&T, Kinet, Hitachi, Maersk, NYK Group, Jindal Stainless Limited (JSL), JSW, Indicold, Arcela, DFCCIL, Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and Hindustan Unilever.

GSV reported placement rates of 91 per cent in 2025 and 89 per cent in 2026.

The institution has also conducted three convocation ceremonies since its establishment.

University officials said the institution continues to focus on industry-academia collaboration aimed at preparing skilled professionals for the transport and logistics sectors, which are expected to play a significant role in India’s infrastructure expansion and long-term economic development.

–IANS

mys/khz