Last Updated:November 10, 2026, 12:30 IST

IIT Hyderabad’s Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) Practitioner Programme is designed for software engineers, AI and machine learning engineers, data engineers, among others.

The programme will begin on December 5, 2026, and continue until March 14, 2027, IIT Hyderabad stated. (Image: people.iith.ac.in)

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, through its AI Launchpad initiative, is offering a Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) Practitioner Programme to train software and AI professionals in developing and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) systems for real-world applications. The programme will begin on December 5, 2026, and continue until March 14, 2027.

According to the official programme website, the course will be conducted primarily online, with three optional campus immersion sessions at IIT Hyderabad. These are scheduled for December 5, January 9 and March 13–14, 2027. The final session will include capstone project presentations and convocation.

The programme is designed for working professionals, including software engineers, AI and machine learning engineers, data engineers, and professionals working in platform engineering, DevOps and analytics. Candidates are expected to have around two to three years or more of relevant experience, along with a working knowledge of Python, APIs, databases, Git, Linux and basic software testing.

The curriculum will cover large language models (LLMs), AI agents, retrieval systems, enterprise data integration, workflow automation, AI security, model evaluation and deployment. Participants will work on a capstone project involving an enterprise AI workflow, taking it from problem identification and development to testing, deployment and handover.

The programme will be led by Dr Praveen Tammana, faculty lead from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Hyderabad. Dr Ashish Mishra and Dr Anupam Sanghi from the department will also be part of the teaching team. N. V. S. S. Koundinya will serve as the industry lead.

The programme website lists the standard fee as Rs 1 lakh, excluding taxes. An early-bird fee of Rs 90,000, plus taxes, is available for the first 20 registrations. Corporate groups may also enquire about additional discounts.

Interested candidates can register through the official website at ailaunchpad.cse.iith.ac.in. The programme team can also be contacted through the email address ailaunchpad@cse.iith.ac.in.

Participants who meet the prescribed requirements will be eligible for an IIT Hyderabad certificate. The institute has stated that the final certificate details and completion requirements will be announced separately.

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What are the key dates and schedule for the IIT Hyderabad Forward Deployed Engineering Course?

The Forward Deployed Engineering Practitioner Programme runs from December 5, 2026, to March 14, 2027. It is conducted primarily online with three optional campus immersion sessions scheduled for December 5, January 9, and March 13–14, 2027, with the final session featuring capstone project presentations and a convocation.

Who is eligible to apply for the IIT Hyderabad Forward Deployed Engineering Programme?

The programme is designed for working software engineers, AI and machine learning engineers, data engineers, and professionals in platform engineering, DevOps, and analytics. Candidates should have around two to three years or more of relevant experience along with working knowledge of Python, APIs, databases, Git, Linux, and basic software testing.

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What is the fee structure and registration process for the FDE Practitioner Programme?

The standard fee is Rs 1 lakh excluding taxes, while an early-bird fee of Rs 90,000 plus taxes is available for the first 20 registrations. Corporate groups can enquire about additional discounts, and interested candidates can register through the official website at ailaunchpad.cse.iith.ac.in.

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