Frequently Asked Questions

Before the pandemic, many organizations weren't racing to understand the role AI could play in driving innovation, boosting the productivity and profitability of the business. This was evident from a McKinsey (2019) survey that stated, only 58% of companies had incorporated AI into at least one process or product.

Since the pandemic struck, investment in AI platforms has skyrocketed, shifting from a "nice-to-have" initiative to a full-blown business imperative. In India alone, the AI adoption rate has been rising, and by 2023 at least 50% of enterprise applications will have embedded AI functionality built within the system. And by 2025, AI will have become integral to businesses.

With the pandemic pushing businesses to adopt automation, there is a demand for professionals with AI expertise who can help contribute and strengthen the organization's digital initiatives. Therefore, going forward, professionals honing AI expertise will only become valuable.

Companies that are at the forefront of AI and other emerging technologies will thrive in the post-COVID world. AI has remained in high demand despite the pandemic, with hiring growth for these jobs increasing by 32% since 2019. Another World Economic Forum report states that over 133 million new roles will surface due to AI/ML and create nearly 58 million new jobs by 2022.

The top job search sites like LinkedIn report that vacancies in the realm of AI and Machine Learning are growing endlessly. AI opportunities are aplenty and will continue to be so even in the future. Looking at the present scenario, building AI/ML expertise is crucial for the future and for your professional development.

To benefit from this opportunity, IIIT Hyderabad and TalentSprint offer PG Certification Program in AI/ML, a 9 months in-depth and comprehensive program designed for working professionals to equip with AI/ML expertise. The program is delivered jointly by India's #1 ML Lab at IIIT Hyderabad and TalentSprint.

According to LinkedIn, AI Specialist is ranked as the #2 top emerging job in India and #1 in the US. A closer look at the top 10 AI-based tech jobs includes

• Machine Learning Engineer
• Deep Learning Engineer
• Sr. Data Scientist
• Computer Vision Engineer
• Algorithm Developer
• Director of Data Science
• Lead Data Scientist and more...

The year 2021 will be the year of transition. Barring any unexpected circumstances, we have started looking forward to shaping the future rather than just grinding through the present.

The next normal is going to be different. We will need to work on bringing a balance between safety and flexibility in everything we do.

At IIIT Hyderabad and TalentSprint, we are fully committed to safety, flexibility, excellence, and timeliness with regard to all our programs.

In line with this, we have introduced the following:

1. Attend live interactive online classes by top Faculty from the safety and comfort of your home
2. Practitioner's curriculum with Industry projects and Hackathons
3. High-quality peer-learning, mentored group labs, and hackathons on digital platform
4. Long term interest-free EMI options

If you choose to enroll in the program, these measures will allow you to continue your focus on long-term goals and career objectives while retaining maximum flexibility.

Our state-of-the-art, direct-to-device digital learning platform, preferred by top institutions, provides the following rich features:

Currently, the platform is being used by leading academic institutions, including IISc, IIM Calcutta, IISc, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, and IIIT Hyderabad. In addition, the platform is tested for scale, with over 30,000 participants using this platform for their learning.

Our digital platform enables participants to

1. Attend all lecture classes online from any location on any device (computer, tablet, or smartphone)
2. Interact with faculty, through audio and chat, during the online session
3. Interact with your peers through chat during the online session

Our digital platform supports mentored online labs for necessary hands-on learning.

1. All practical labs are available online on the platform
2. You will have the option to interact with a mentor during the lab sessions
3. You will also be able to set up one-on-one mentoring sessions during weekdays
4. You can also work with your peer group on the platform for group projects

Yes, all our online sessions are highly interactive and enable audio and chat interaction. Participants can interact and ask questions to faculty through audio. In addition, the chat window is common to all participants and faculty and allows interaction among participants.

The classes will have enough interaction to get your doubts cleared. You will also have the additional options:

• A discussion forum is open in every course, wherein you can post your queries to be answered by peers in the class as well as mentors
• Review session scheduled periodically where you can ask the professors and get your doubts clarified
• 1:1 sessions with mentors can be scheduled anytime during the program.

You will need the following infrastructure to access our platform:

• Device: A Desktop/Laptop/Tablet/Smartphone with camera and mic.
• Internet: A regular broadband/wifi connection or a mobile 4G connection.

However, you will need a computer with the necessary configuration to do the online lab sessions.

Yes, program mentors will be available to provide you with the required assistance during your online lab exercises schedule.

Participants can interact with their group members for the projects conveniently using Zoom or Skype calls. TalentSprint's platform will also provide group-specific discussion forums for asynchronous discussion among the group members.

The PG Certification Program in AI/ML by IIIT Hyderabad and TalentSprint enables tech professionals to build relevant AI expertise and tap into promising career opportunities. It will help you Understand, enable you to Apply, Analyse and Evaluate your learnings, thereby building deep expertise in the field.

• Global Recognition: Designed by IIIT Hyderabad, Asia's top-ranked Research Institution in AI and Robotics and TalentSprint, an NSE Group Company
• Expert Faculty: Delivered by Top Faculty at IIITH, redefining AI Research in India
• Executive-friendly Format: Immersive Learning experience with LIVE Classes, Lab Sessions, Campus Visits, Capstone Projects, and Hackathons for fast-track learning. Participants can attend weekend classes from the comfort of their homes while continuing their jobs.
• Exceptional Peer Group: A diverse and exceptional peer group of 2500+ professionals with an average of 7 years of experience, working with 750+ leading companies have participated in this program
• Real-World Curriculum: Perfected for experienced tech professionals
• Most-preferred Learning Platform: Learn on TalentSprint's Pracademic Platform, the best-in-class interactive AI-powered digital delivery platform
• IIITH Executive Alumni Network: Get recognized as the alumnus of IIIT Hyderabad Executive Education

Tech professionals keen to develop AI expertise, with the objective of

• Enhancing effectiveness in their current role
• Transitioning to AI roles in their organization
• Seeking to advance their career in the industry
• Giving shape to entrepreneurial aspirations

The program will be delivered in an interactive online format, retaining effectiveness while maintaining safety. The format uniquely combines the benefits of an in-class program with the flexibility and safety of online learning.

• Synchronous program delivery by expert faculty
• Interact and get doubts answered by faculty
• Peer learning through working in groups with other participants
• Support from mentors for projects
• Re-attend classes through recorded archives
• Access videos easily with searchable and indexed video archives
• Learn from the comfort and safety of your home
• Office hours with one-on-one mentor support

The program will be delivered on TalentSprint's patent-pending iPearl.ai, a leading digital learning platform of choice used for programs delivered by the likes of Google, IIM Calcutta, IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IISc, and IIT Kanpur, to name a few.

Your peer group reflects an outstanding group of professionals in Leaders, Managers, Analysts, and Developers roles across diverse industries.

Since its launch in January 2018, the program has witnessed the participation of over 2500+ tech professionals from 750+ globally leading organizations.

In recent years, the need for understanding AI and exploiting its potential has expanded far beyond the techies sitting in the research lab and developers trying to show PoC on a miniature data set. It is now the need of the hour for professionals to have a working knowledge of AI and use this disruptive technology in their area of work effectively.

If you are a Business Leader and CXO of an organization, large or small, MNC or a startup, you need to use the disruptive power of AI to make your product/service valuable to your customers. When you understand how AI can be used as a competitive advantage and a decision-making tool, you will build a strong organization.

One can argue that a business leader can recruit professionals with AI knowledge. However, as always, everything starts at the top. To adopt this disruptive technology, you need to build a culture of data-based decision-making, which is possible only when the top management is part of the process.

If you are a Product/Project Manager, your responsibility will likely include a good proportion of AI. If not today, you will soon see the type of problems you manage change completely. To be intelligent in your discussion with your customer/team, you need to get the right perspective on AI.

If you are a Developer or an Analyst, building expertise in AI will enable you to stay ahead of the competition. It is clear that AI is evolving faster than ever, and one needs to keep up with the trends to cope with the career challenges ahead. As a developer, you need to be at the forefront of building AI applications and keep yourself updated with the latest techniques and toolchains.

As one of the premier institutions in the country, IIIT Hyderabad enjoys considerable autonomy. The certificate program offered here is fully governed and approved by the IIIT Outreach Division. The program complies with all the relevant regulations applicable.

Participants have termed this a 'Transformational Program'. The NPS (Net Promoter Score) has been exceptional (83) with a 96% Completion Rate.

Here is the feedback from some of the participants in their own words.

Participant Reviews

AI and Machine Learning is a deep technology and it requires an effective learning format. For a professional, after about 40 hours of work every week, generating the intensity and energy required for gaining expertise in such technology needs a structured approach.

The PG Certification Program in AI/ML is designed to enable immersive learning in an intense interactive format that comprises

• 120 Hours of LIVE Classes
• 250 Hours of Lab Sessions
• 144 Hours of Hands-on Projects
• 2 Campus Visits*
• 4 Hackathons
• 40+ Tools and 35+ Data Sets

*Note:*Exact dates for Campus Visits to be announced based on safety guidance.

The program is hands-on with a balanced mix of lectures and labs. You get assistance from mentors throughout the program. The hackathons, group labs, and workshops also enable you to work in teams of exceptional peers.

It is this structure that has enabled over 96% completion rate among the 2500+ participants over the last 17 cohorts.

The program brings an impressive faculty group of accomplished Academicians and Industry Practitioners redefining AI Research in India.

Meet the Faculty

• Ability to build and deploy AI/ML and Deep Learning applications at the workplace.
• Reinforce learning by applying concepts in industry-relevant assignments and projects.
• You get to leverage TalentSprint's Career Accelerator and explore career advancement opportunities.
• Network and associate with early adopters of DeepTech

This is an expertise building program for working professionals. You obtain a globally recognized certification from IIIT Hyderabad that houses India's #1 ML Lab. Expertise built in this program will prepare you to explore opportunities in the area of AI/ML. However, we do get requests from various companies seeking certified talent. Such opportunities will be shared with you as and when received, which you can explore directly.

A certificate of successful completion is provided upon completion of all requirements of the program. All examinations and evaluations related to the certification are carried out by IIIT Hyderabad.

Yes, participants of this program get an Executive Alumni status of IIIT Hyderabad, which is Asia's top-ranked research institution for AI and Robotics.

The program incorporates industry lectures to understand the latest industry trends. In addition, you will be invited to DeepTalk, an interactive series on Deep Tech where leaders, experts, and trendsetters at the forefront of technological change, discuss and share their unique perspectives and knowledge in disruptive technologies like AI, ML, Blockchain, FinTech, IoT and more. As a participant/alumni, you will get special voice interaction access with these leaders.

Your co-participants work at top global organizations, have an average experience of 7 years, and play different roles in their organizations. The program format with masterclass lectures, labs, hackathons, and workshops enables a conducive environment to network with your peers in the cohort. Most participants continue to network even after the cohort using the alumni portal. Some of our programs have even resulted in startups and thought-leadership associations, co-founded by participants of the program.

Candidates will be selected based on the details of education, work experience, and a statement of purpose submitted along with the application.

A Relationship Manager will be assigned to the applicant, who will gather all the necessary information and represent his/her candidature to the selection committee for review. The profiles will be sent to IIIT Hyderabad for selection.

• Education: B.E./M.E./B.Tech/M.Tech or an equivalent degree
• Professional Background: Tech professionals with at least 1 year of work experience and coding background

To know more about the program prerequisites, watch this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRU0GCSk3OM&authuser=0

Join in these easy steps:

1. Share your details and apply for the program
2. The program selection committee will evaluate your candidature
3. Upon selection, enroll in the program
4. Start your AI/ML expertise building journey
5. Get Certified by IIIT Hyderabad
6. Become part of the Alumni Network

Unit 0 :Bridge Module

Proficiency in Python

• Basics of Python
• Data Types and Data Structures
• Defining and Calling Functions
• Python Library Packages

Calculus and Linear Algebra

• Vectors
• Norms
• Matrices
• Matrix Operations
• Linear Dependence and Independence
• Linear Transformations
• Least Square Error
• Derivatives
• Chain Rule
• Integration
• Gradients

Probability and Statistics

• Continuous and Discrete Random Variables
• Mutually Exclusive/Non-exclusive Events
• Independent and Dependent Events
• Probability Distribution Functions
• Cumulative Distribution Functions
• Measures of Centre and Spread
• Normalization and Standardization

Basic CS Theory

• Basic understanding of Algorithm Design Paradigms, Python Classes, Objects, Methods

Unit 1: Programming, Math Foundations and Classical Algorithms
Learn Python fundamentals and understand simple machine learning algorithms

• Key Python Library
  1. Numpy
  2. Scipy
  3. Pandas
  4. Matplotlib
• Overview of AI and ML Concepts
• Principles of ML and Deeper Look at ML
• Data Processing and Visualization
• Features Selection and Extraction
• Intuitive and Simple Algorithms
• Classification and Regression problems
• Dimensionality Reduction
• Representing Text and Language
• Sampling Methods
  1. Bootstrapping
  2. Bagging

Unit 2: Problem Formulation and Neural Networks Learn to translate real-world problems in terms of AI/ML abstractions

• Intro to Natural Language Processing (NLP)
  1. Representing text
  2. Exploring Word Embeddings
  3. NLP Problem Formulation
• Perceptron, Neural Network and Training
  1. Non-Linear solutions and Multi-Layer Perceptron
  2. Gradient Descent and Backpropagation
  3. Features for Perception (Image and Speech)
• Performance Matrix and Generalization of Models
  1. Overfitting and Generalization
  2. Performance Metrics
• Manifold learning and Unsupervised Learning
• PCA with EigenFaces
• Support vector machines and Kernels
• Ensemble Methods
  1. Random Forest
  2. Boosting and XG-Boost
• Human in the Loop systems

Unit 3: Deep Learning Learn about and apply standard AI/ML algorithms to create AI/ML applications

• Deep Learning and CNN
  1. Introduction to Deep Learning
  2. Pytorch, TensorFlow & Keras
  3. Convolutional Neural Networks
  4. Autoencoders
  5. Appreciating CNNs
• Time Series
• RNN and its application
  1. Recurrent Neural Networks
  2. Time Series and Application of RNN
  3. RNN, LSTM and GRU
• Recommendation Systems

Unit 4: Advanced Topics Implement practical solutions using Deep Learning to create AI/ML applications

• Beyond AlexNet and Transfer Learning
• Deployment and Practical Issues
  1. Overfitting and Generalization
  2. Fast API
  3. Model Compression
  4. Cloud Deployment
• Siamese Networks and GANs
• Computer Vision
• ML in Speech
• Advanced NLP
  1. Attention and Transformers: BERT, GPT, T5
  2. Hugging Face Platform & Transformer Library
  3. Fine Tuning of BERT & GPT
  4. LLMs - OpenAI API – ChatGPT, Llama
  5. RAG, LangChain
• Industry Lectures and talks

Industry Hackathons

• AI Chatbot
• Voice-based Product Ordering System
• Anti Face Spoofing
• Fraud Detection

Languages and Tools
Python Basics, Data structures, Data Frames, Google Colaboratory, Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Sklearn, SciPy, NLTK, SymPy Pickle, Regex, Gensim, Google Text-to-Speech, Newspaper3k, Librosa, Imageio, Mlxtend, Torchvision, Glove, Gensim, OpenCV, BeautifulSoup, Tarfile, Skimage, Statsmodels, Pyplot, Pillow, Wavio, tqdm, MoviePy, Pytorch, Keras, Amazon Alexa, Amazon S3, Tensorflow, Fast API, Microsoft Azure platform, spaCy, Django (Deployments), Kaggle (Competitions)

Hands-on Projects

• Literacy Rate Prediction
• Aptitude Questions Classification
• Author Identification
• Customer Segmentation
• Image Classification
• Identification of Plant Disease from Leaf Images
• Retail Sales Forecasting
• Image Processing and Transfer Learning

3 months Hands-on Projects for participants who enroll for 9 months PG Certification Program. There is also flexibility to go for the 6 months Advanced Certification Program in AI/ML without these projects.

The PG Certification includes projects around

• Machine Translation
• Information Retrieval Challenges with Documents
• Object Detection Among Moving Objects
• Recognizing Graphs from Images
• Text summarization from a given type of documents
• Traffic Violation Detection
• English to Hindi Speech Translation

Industry Data Sets
NSE Data Room, AT&T, Walmart, Stanford, Netflix, Monie.io, ResearchGate, Wikipedia, Clara, GloVe, Twenty, Newsgroups, Bitcoin, MNIST, Fashion, Credit Card, Movie Rating, Wisconsin, Breast Cancer, Cifar, Swiss Roll, IMFDB Aptitude Classification, Human Brain Weight and Head Size, Bank Notes, Alphabet Recognition Air Passengers, PM2.5 Data, Cats and Dogs, Expressions, Face Recognition, Ants and Bees, Fingerprint

Batch 23 starts in March 2024. For more information, contact us at aiml@talentsprint.com

The PG Certification Program in AI/ML is a 9 months program comprising LIVE Classes, Lab Sessions, Campus Visits*, Capstone Projects, and Hackathons for fast-track learning.

There is an option for applicants to exit the program after 6 months with Advanced Certification. The PG Certificate, however, gives access to 3 month's project-oriented modules. In these 3 months, participants get to work on AI-specific projects with guided mentorship.

Building expertise in AI/ML requires a hands-on approach. Therefore, to benefit from a real-time learning experience, applicants are recommended to opt for a 9 months program.

*Exact dates for Campus Visits to be announced based on safety guidance.

You can pay the fee for the PG Certificate and upgrade anytime before the PG Program begins.

The PG Certificate is recommended for all tech professionals looking for career growth. Ideally, young professionals with 1 to 5 years of experience must explore this program as it gives them an opportunity to work on AI-specific projects with guided mentorship.

Yes, if you are an alumni of the Advanced Certification Program and would like to join the PG Certification, please get in touch with the RM to discuss the details.

The program will be delivered through faculty-led interactive live sessions on TalentSprint's ipearl.ai. These online sessions will be held at a schedule convenient for working professionals. Participants will be able to interact with the faculty through video, audio, and chat. They will also be able to chat with fellow participants of the program during online sessions.

As per the program norms, participants have to maintain at least 75% of attendance during the program's tenure. Going by the curriculum, it is recommended that participants maintain attendance for enriched learning. In the event of unavoidable circumstances, if any, one can access the recorded lectures on our platform to cover up for the missed sessions.

The program includes continuous formative and summative assessments. The final scores will be determined based on the sum of scores of various assessments.

Yes, participants are required to have their laptops. Lab Exercises will be conducted on a cloud-based platform provided by TalentSprint.

There will not be any facilitated lab sessions after the program is over. However, you can seek support from mentors with a prior request based on availability.

Reading material (pre/post session) will be shared regularly through the Online Learning Management System. The access will be available for 1 year from the date of the commencement of the program.

A certificate of successful completion is provided upon completion of all requirements of the program. All examinations and evaluations related to the certification are carried out by IIITH.

All sessions are conducted by the TalentSprint and IIITH Faculty. Industry experts may be invited to share their valuable experiences.

The classes are scheduled between 9 am and 6 pm.

To ensure a productive yet engaging weekend for participants of the program, we have designed this hands-on learning approach where:

• You get to attend insightful interactive sessions with some of the finest research experts in the country
• You will put your capabilities to test through assessments, projects and capstones
• You will team-up with top notch industry peers and work on group projects, presentation, and participate in hackathon challenges
• You will be able to to network with your professionals from top companies
• You might even meet your future colleagues or your startup co-founder!

The time invested in these months will lay down a strong foundation for building your career.

The 96% completion rate for the program stands as a testimony to the design and high-engaging nature of the program.

For program fee-related details, please visit Fee page

A participant not holding an Indian Passport or not residing in India will be considered an International Participant.

Yes, flexible EMI options are available that enable you to pay the program fee in installments. Please reach out to your RM to know about the details of the schemes available.

Special scholarships are available for Academia, Startup, Women, Youth, and participants joining in a Group.

No, the application fee is non-refundable.

No. The program fee is non-refundable and non-transferable under any circumstances.

Yes, late payment charges are applicable as follows: :

• Delay of up to 5 days - ₹3,000
• Delay of 5-10 days - ₹5,000
• Delay beyond 10 days would lead to cancellation of enrollment and the fee paid will be forfeited

Building deep-tech expertise is an absolute necessity for professionals in this fast-changing world constantly disrupted by technology.

Professionals have multiple options for funding.

1. Sponsored by employer
2. Self-funded: Based on our experience of enabling 3000+ professionals who have participated in our executive programs, self-funding is the most preferred option with over 80% choosing this.
   Three key reasons why professionals opt for it:
   1. Freedom: To opt for a program of their choice, at a time of their choice, with an institution of their choice and not be restrained by the organization's policy.
   2. Flexibility: To pursue greater career opportunities well even beyond their current employer or to nurture their entrepreneurial ambitions.
   3. Funding: Access to flexible EMI schemes (paying as low as Rs. 5,550 per lac per month).
      We have also observed that the commitment levels were higher among self-funding participants.

iPearl.ai (Interactive Platform for Experiential and Remote Learning) is created by TalentSprint's engineering team led by our Chief Technology Officer, an IIT Kanpur alumni. The platform integrates best-in-class open source technologies and SaaS services and perfected them over the last seven years.

When this platform was built, we intended to offer it to our partners and customers for digital learning and delivery. Since 2013, the platform has been extensively used by IIM Calcutta, IIT Kanpur, IIIT Hyderabad and IIT Hyderabad, and many more of our customers and partners. To date, more than 300,000 students have used this platform, which is reputed for user experience, quality, and scale.

This feature-rich platform has become so popular that some of our partners are now using it for their academic needs.

The tried and tested direct-to-device platform enables 24 x 7 learning for its users. Some key benefits of the platform are:

1. Intuitive student experience through a user-friendly LMS
2. Seamless faculty experience through state-of-the-art Studios
3. Highly Interactive Online Classes
4. Effective group/peer learning/projects through Breakout Rooms
5. Proctored Online Assessments with detailed analysis
6. Insightful Reports on student engagement and performance
7. Flexible integration with other components, as needed

A comparative study of iPearl.ai against Canvas, Impartus, Moodle, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom was conducted. Features in the following categories were compared:

1. Instructor-led Learning
2. Self-paced Learning
3. Assessments/Evaluations
4. User Experience
5. Customer Support
6. Scalability and Performance
7. Integration and Customization
8. Others

Do not worry. In case you miss a session, you will be given access to view the recorded version of the session soon.

1. An internet-connected device, Computer/Laptop/Tablet/Smartphone, is enough to access the platform.
2. Web-camera and Mic with necessary power backup will be needed for proctored online assessments.

All participants are required to execute, before the start of the program, an agreement that consists of the standard program Terms and Conditions. It has the following components:

1. Part A: Etiquette and Platform Rights
   1. Classroom Etiquette & General Policy Guidelines
   2. Tools and Platforms in Use
   3. Tools and Platforms: Terms of Use
2. Part B: Honor Code
3. Part C: Certification
4. Part D: Program Fee, Refund, and Termination Policy

• Largest CS Research Group in India
• #1 in AI Research in India
• #2 in Robotics Research in Asia

Kohli Center on Intelligent Systems (KCIS) at IIIT-H was established in 2015 to give a fillip to research, teaching, and entrepreneurship in the Broad Intelligent Systems Area. The Machine Learning Lab acts as an umbrella organization at the institute to both strengthen the existing groups and facilitate new activities in related areas. It also acts as a force multiplier in attracting projects and funding from the government and industry sectors, coordinating research in related domains across different IIITH centers, as well as in the institute's research collaboration with other academic institutions in the country. For more information please visit www.iiit.ac.in

•  10 Years of Excellence
•  200K Empowered Professionals
•  95% Completion Rate
•  85 Net Promoter Score
• ‘Winner’ - Indian Achievers Award 2022 

Established in 2010, TalentSprint is a part of the NSE group and a global edtech company that brings transformational high-end and deep-tech learning programs to young and experienced professionals. The company’s digital learning platform ipearl.ai offers a hybrid onsite/online experience to seekers of deep technology expertise. TalentSprint partners with top academic institutions and global corporations to create and deliver world-class programs, certifications, and outcomes. Its programs have consistently seen a high engagement rate and customer delight. It is a leading Innovation Partner for the National Skill Development Corporation, an arm of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. A recipient of various prestigious accolades, TalentSprint was recently honoured with the Indian Achievers Award 2022, constituted by the Indian Achievers Forum for its excellence in building deeptech talent in India. For more information about TalentSprint, visit our website.