IIT Kharagpur is launching online executive programmes for the first time as part of its Platinum Jubilee Year celebration. The programmes form part of a broader online education initiative from India’s oldest IIT and include four advanced executive programmes — Executive Post Graduate Certificate in Generative AI & Agentic AI and Executive Post Graduate Certificate in AI-Native Software Engineering, both offered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Executive Post Graduate Certificate in Applied AI & Machine Learning, launched by the Department of AI; and Executive Programme in Technology and AI Leadership, launched by the Partha Ghosh School of Leadership, IIT Kharagpur.
The certifications draw insights from real workforce needs and target engineers and technology professionals seeking practical, job-relevant skills in Generative AI, LLMs, and agent-based systems, with a clear emphasis on real-world applications rather than purely theoretical learning. The programmes are delivered entirely through live online classes by IIT Kharagpur faculty, expanding access to the institute’s cutting-edge, AI-led technology curriculum.
Commenting on the launch, Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director, IIT Kharagpur, said: “Innovations are happening at an unmatched pace, and the scale at which fields like artificial intelligence are advancing require us to reach experienced professionals beyond the physical campus. This initiative reflects IIT Kharagpur’s long-standing emphasis on engineering discipline, building systems that work at scale, under real constraints, for real users. It is designed for practitioners who seek true capability, not just exposure, and who want to take AI systems all the way from idea to dependable deployment.”
This program is part of a phased expansion of advanced online offerings from IIT Kharagpur with upGrad and additional programs are expected to launch over the next 3–6 months.
Ranked 5th nationally in the NIRF 2025 Engineering category, IIT Kharagpur brings its legacy of rigorous engineering education and AI research to the program. The curriculum draws directly from the institute’s active research ecosystem, with faculty publishing in leading global conferences such as ICML, NeurIPS, ACL, ICCV, and IEEE journals.
The applications are open to software engineers, ML practitioners, and technical leaders with prior experience in AI or digital systems, as well as mid-to-senior and above professionals in business, strategy, and technology-adjacent roles who are looking to build leadership capability in AI-driven transformation. More details and applications are available at: https://online.iitkgp.ac.in/
