AI push spurs 1K seats at elite Gujarat institutes | Ahmedabad News – The Times of India

Ahmedabad: IIT Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn) recently announced the launch of three residential short-term courses in AI, focusing on agentic AI (autonomous systems compared to prompt-based systems) and AI-powered software engineering, among others.

MICA has also launched courses in GenAI and prompt engineering, agentic AI, and branding across sectors in the AI world (BASAI).While IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is offering a blended MBA in Business Analytics and AI, Dhirubhai Ambani University (DAU) has two BTech programmes and one MSc programme lined up for the next academic year specialising in AI. Experts indicate that by the start of the next academic year, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar alone will have more than 1,000 seats in full and short-term courses related to AI.As AI in the post-ChatGPT world becomes ubiquitous, state-based premier educational institutes have joined the growing academia across the globe to prepare the next-gen workforce to be well-versed in the ecosystem. While some institutes already offered some components of AI and machine learning (ML) by 2025 — in the form of full-fledged courses or self-contained modules — several other institutes have announced bachelor’s and master’s degrees with AI as the primary focus.

Prof Anindya Chakrabarti, chairperson of BPGP (BA & AI) at IIM-A, said that the course is the need of the hour when more and more businesses are blending the power of AI for analytics. Chakrabarti said the power is used across key domains such as marketing, finance, operations research, organisational behaviour, and human resources. Prof Bharat Bhasker, IIM-A director, said at the time of the launch of the course that it was in response to industry demand and rapid transformation brought about by AI.The premier B-school is also offering electives related to AI such as AI, Business and Society; AI, ML in Financial Services; GenAI and Marketing; and Managerial Machine Learning with Python for its PGP and PGPX courses. Prof Rajat Moona, IIT-Gn director, said that AI will be changing the way the world carries out business, and all aspects of life will be touched by it. “The future engineers need to be AI-aware, AI-tech implementors, and users of these technologies,” he said.

IIT-Gn will see the first batch of students enrolled in the MTech (AI) programme in 2026 with a batch strength of 20. It was a highly competitive admission round in July 2024 due to AI already becoming a buzzword, officials said.“The programme on AI equips students with modules on natural language processing, computer vision, human-computer interaction, and theoretical machine learning to name a few,” said Prof Shanmuganathan Raman, head of the department of computer science & engineering at IIT-Gn.

Raman said, “All students are required to complete core courses in machine learning, deep learning, and the ethics of AI.”Siddharth Swaminarayan, the DAU Registrar, said that the institution is launching three new programmes – BTech (computer science & AI), BTech (electronics & AI), and integrated MSc in data science and AI — with 300 seats from the academic year 2026-27. “Across our UG and PG programmes, students get a wide range of AI-focused elective courses including ML, deep learning, quantum machine learning, and natural language processing,” said Prof Bhaskar Chaudhury, the Dean of Academic Programmes at DAU.Experts pointed out that from the time when the instructors were wary of students turning in AI-generated assignments, a big leap has been made in embracing AI. Rapid advancements in other spheres of technology ranging from quantum computing to chip manufacturing, and biotechnology to human-computer interface have pushed applications further, they added. “The demand is increasing from students and industry primarily due to the need for skilled professionals,” said Dr Himanshu Soni, director of the school of technology, Nirma University.

Soni said, “AI-ML is reshaping every major industry and academia has to keep up.”While Nirma University launched BTech (computer science with specialisation in AI-ML) in 2024-25 with 60 seats, one more course — MTech (electronics and instrumentation with specialisation in robotics and AI) — with 18 seats will be launched from the next academic year. It is, however, not just the technical aspect of AI. Jaya Deshmukh, director and CEO of MICA, said that components such as the philosophy of AI offer a social science view of the technology.

“It should be seen through the lens of 5Cs of creativity, culture, communication, commerce, and community,” she said.Prof Santosh Kumar Patra from MICA said, “Students should be taught to be thoughtful architects of AI integration instead of being passive adopters.” Patra said, “They must understand how algorithms influence cultural narratives, how automation reshapes commerce, how AI mediates communication, and ultimately, how these technologies serve community needs.”While Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) — like several other premier institutes — has not launched a specialised course, it has several electives for budding legal eagles such as ‘New-Age Technologies and Law.’ Prof Girish R, head of academic affairs at GNLU, said that students undergo training in understanding the regulatory framework around AI, the legal status of AI including accountability, the ownership of AI-generated work, and evolving interactions between AI, IP, and innovation.

“The elective also covers aspects such as cybercrime linked to AI including deepfakes and AI in legal practice among others,” he added.