upGrad, IIIT-Bangalore Launch PG Programme in Forward Deployed AI Engineering

Online higher education company upGrad has partnered with the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-Bangalore) to launch an Executive Post Graduate Programme in Forward Deployed AI Engineering. The programme is designed for experienced engineers seeking to develop enterprise-ready AI skills through hands-on training and earn a recognised academic credential from IIIT-Bangalore.

The initiative comes at a time when companies are moving their AI projects beyond pilot stages towards full-scale enterprise deployment. This shift is driving demand for professionals who can combine technical expertise with business understanding and deliver AI solutions tailored to client requirements.

Bridging the Gap Between AI Development and Enterprise Deployment

The programme aims to address the growing gap between building AI systems and deploying them at an enterprise scale. Its curriculum covers the complete range of responsibilities handled by a Forward Deployed Engineer, from understanding client requirements and designing solutions to enterprise deployment and final delivery.

Structured across five courses and an end-to-end capstone project, the curriculum covers production engineering, Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, Agentic AI and AI security.

Six-Month Programme Combines Live Learning and Practical Training

The six-month programme will be delivered through live online sessions, offering 120 hours of instructor-led learning, guided labs and practical exercises. As part of the capstone project, participants will build and deploy an AI solution through a live client project, providing practical exposure to real-world enterprise requirements.

The programme will also include a one-day campus immersion at IIIT-Bangalore, giving participants an opportunity for on-campus academic engagement.

Participants who successfully complete the programme will receive a Postgraduate Programme Certificate from IIIT-Bangalore.

Who Can Apply for the Programme?

The programme is open to software engineers, AI and Machine Learning (AI/ML) engineers, as well as technical professionals working in pre-sales and solutions-related roles. Applicants are required to have proficiency in Python and prior experience in building either a data pipeline or a REST API.

Industry Leaders Highlight Growing Demand for AI Engineers

Commenting on the programme, Prof. V Sridhar, Head of Continuing Professional Education at IIIT-Bangalore and Anuj Vishwakarma, CEO, Higher Education at upGrad, highlighted the increasing industry demand for engineers who can combine strong technical expertise with business understanding.

The programme aims to prepare professionals to take AI solutions from development to real-world enterprise implementation, addressing the evolving talent requirements of the AI industry.