Pega partners with SmartBridge to power AI, Automation talent in India and Middle East

Hyderabad: Pegasystems Inc, the Enterprise Transformation Company™, on Friday announced a strategic talent development partnership with SmartBridge Educational Services Pvt. Ltd., a Hyderabad-based talent accelerator, equipping students with in-demand tech skills.

For emerging tech markets in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East

The partnership is aimed at delivering Pega’s industry-ready University Academic Program (UAP) that empowers students by unlocking their potential through hands-on access to cutting-edge technology. The partnership offerings will be implemented across India and emerging tech markets in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Creating top-tier employment

Under this collaboration, SmartBridge will offer Pega’s industry-aligned credit courses and global certification tracks in low-code, AI and digital automation to top-tier universities and engineering colleges in the regions. This will help Pega develop a robust pipeline of employees with desirable digital skills trained on real-world platforms for globally renowned companies with minimal onboarding time needed.

The initiative will offer 90-hours of Credit Courses (capstone and hands-on) along with 120 hours of the Global Certification Course. With qualifications like Pega Certified System Architect & Senior System Architect, and Business Architect (PCSA, PCSSA, PCBA). The courses will facilitate a blended learning format with mentor-led sessions, mock interviews, and App Studio-based exercises.

Self-funded model

The curated programs will be delivered under a self-funded model, ensuring accessibility while Pega offers discounted certification vouchers and world-class training material. Together, the partners are targeting institutions in East, West, and North India, with APAC and the Middle East expansion on the horizon.

The program enhances academic innovation by aligning university curriculum with in-demand enterprise skills, thereby strengthening institutional branding and promoting greater curriculum relevance. This collaboration creates a high-impact skilling model that benefits students, educators and employers across the digital ecosystem.

“This partnership is about moving from intent to impact at scale,” said Deepak Visweswaraiah, senior vice president and managing director, Pegasystems India. “Together with SmartBridge, we are building a distributed model to rapidly train and certify tech talent that the industry can deploy from day one. This collaboration addresses the needs of a market where speed, scale and skill are non-negotiable, and where there is a need to accelerate the workforce readiness and solve the digital talent crunch head-on.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Pegasystems to build a robust talent factory for the India market,” said Amarendar Katkam, chief executive officer, SmartBridge. “This partnership will enable thousands of students to graduate with globally recognised credentials and industry-ready skills.”