India’s Education Ministry Drops 5 Free AI Courses—No Cost, Just Code!

The Ministry of Education has launched five free Artificial Intelligence courses on the SWAYAM portal to empower students and professionals with future-ready AI skills.

Course Offerings:

Course Title	Focus Area	Duration	Designed By
AI/ML Using Python	Basics of Python, data visualization, machine learning, statistics, and optimization	36 hrs	IIT Madras
Cricket Analytics with AI	Sports analytics using Python and data science, with cricket as the case study	25 hrs	IIT Madras Pravartak
AI in Physics	Applying ML and neural networks to solve physics problems	45 hrs	IIT Madras
AI in Chemistry	Drug design, reaction modeling, molecular prediction using AI tools	45 hrs	IIT Madras
AI in Accounting	Automation and smart analysis in accounting	45 hrs	IIT Madras

🎓 Who Can Enroll?

• School and college students
• Commerce, science, and management stream learners
• Professionals seeking AI upskilling

Registration & Certification

• Visit swayam-plus.swayam2.ac.in
• No fees required
• Certificate awarded upon successful completion

Top Skills Needed to Succeed in Artificial Intelligence Careers

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionise various industries, the demand for skilled professionals in this field is growing rapidly. To succeed in an AI career, individuals must develop a combination of technical and soft skills. This article explores the essential skills needed for a career in AI and how educational programs can help aspiring professionals acquire these competencies.

Technical Skills

1. Programming Languages

Proficiency in programming languages is fundamental for AI professionals. Python is particularly popular due to its simplicity and extensive libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn. Other important languages include R, Java, and C++. Mastery of these languages enables professionals to develop algorithms, manipulate data, and implement machine learning models.

2. Mathematics and Statistics

A strong understanding of mathematics and statistics is crucial for developing AI algorithms. Key areas include linear algebra, calculus, probability, and statistical methods. These concepts form the foundation of machine learning, enabling professionals to create accurate models and interpret data. Many educational programs, such as an MIT AI course, cover these topics comprehensively, helping students build a solid mathematical foundation.

3. Machine Learning and Deep Learning

Machine learning (ML) and deep learning are at the core of AI. Understanding various ML algorithms, such as decision trees, support vector machines, and neural networks, is essential. Deep learning, a subset of ML, involves working with neural networks to solve complex problems. Professionals must be familiar with frameworks like Keras and PyTorch to implement these models effectively.

4. Data Science and Data Engineering

Data science skills, including data cleaning, preprocessing, and analysis, are vital for AI professionals. Data engineering involves building and maintaining data pipelines, ensuring that data is accessible and reliable. These skills are crucial for handling large datasets and extracting meaningful insights. Artificial intelligence course offers comprehensive training in data science and engineering.

5. Natural Language Processing (NLP)

NLP is a specialised area within AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and human language. It involves tasks such as speech recognition, language translation, and sentiment analysis. Proficiency in NLP tools and techniques is essential for developing applications like chatbots and virtual assistants.

Soft Skills

1. Problem-Solving and Analytical Thinking

AI professionals must possess strong problem-solving skills to tackle complex challenges. Analytical thinking enables them to break down problems, analyse data, and develop innovative solutions. These skills are critical in designing algorithms and models that address specific business needs.

2. Communication Skills

Effective communication is vital for AI professionals, especially when working in cross-functional teams. They must be able to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. Good communication skills also help in presenting findings and making data-driven recommendations.
Continuous Learning and Adaptability

The field of AI is constantly evolving, with new technologies and methodologies emerging regularly. AI professionals must be committed to continuous learning and staying updated with the latest advancements. Adaptability is crucial for navigating the dynamic nature of the industry and embracing new tools and techniques.

Conclusion

A successful career in artificial intelligence requires a diverse set of technical and soft skills. Educational programs, including various artificial intelligence courses, provide comprehensive training, equipping students with the knowledge and experience needed to excel in the field. By developing these essential skills, aspiring AI professionals can position themselves for success in a rapidly growing and exciting industry.

NVIDIA Inks Agreement with Thapar Institute to Launch Advanced Al & Data Science School

NVIDIA has partnered with Patiala, Punjab-based Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (TIET) to establish the Thapar School of Advanced AI & Data Science (TSAAI). This collaboration aims to empower students and faculty with essential AI skills and knowledge.

The new TSAAI will be located at TIET's Patiala campus and offer a comprehensive range of academic programs in AI. It's exciting to see educational institutions and industry leaders coming together to promote AI expertise and research.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between TIET and NVIDIA marked a significant milestone in our journey towards advancing AI education and research. Through its technical collaboration with NVIDIA, TIET offers a formidable infrastructure, currently 227 Petaflops of Al performance to be expanded to over 500 Petaflops, tailored for the most demanding Al and Deep Learning tasks.

Mr. Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director of Asia South NVIDIA, shares his insights on the groundbreaking collaboration of Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology and NVIDIA for Thapar School of Advanced AI and Data Science.

Together, we're revolutionizing AI and Data Science… pic.twitter.com/gg6GJ6DPjR

— Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (@TIETofficial) July 7, 2024

With NVIDIA's state-of-the-art technology, TIET is poised to create a dynamic environment for innovation, research, and professional development.

TIET will set up state-of-the-art AI infrastructure leveraging NVIDIA DGX systems with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs, and the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform for the development and deployment of generative AI. This dedicated data centre will offer 227 petaflops of AI performance with nearly 8 terabytes of GPU memory. Apart from core accelerated computing infrastructure, TIET is setting up edge computing infrastructure with 500 Jetson Nano developer kits to build up the startup ecosystem, taking leaps forward to turn graduates into job creators rather than job seekers.

This AI university program aims to offer a comprehensive range of courses, labs, research opportunities and innovation projects to empower both students and faculty with essential AI skills and knowledge.

The Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (TIET), formerly known as Thapar University, is a private Deemed-to-be University established in 1956 in Patiala, Punjab. It has a rich history and is one of India's oldest and finest educational institutions. TIET provides a steady source of highly skilled talent to the nation as well as overseas. With a 300-acre campus, it is top-ranked and accredited with an 'A+' Grade by NAAC. The institute offers excellent placements, international collaborations, and over 300 scholarships. If you're interested in engineering education, TIET is definitely worth exploring.

Wipro Ties with IISc To Offer Eligible Employees a Higher Education Program in AI, ML and Data Analytics

Wipro Limited, a leading technology services and consulting company, has recently announced a collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). This collaboration aims to offer eligible Wipro employees a higher education program in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The online Master’s in Technology (MTech) course will focus on key areas such as AI, Foundations of Machine Learning (ML)/AI, Data Science, and Business Analytics, addressing the growing demand for skilled professionals in these domains.

As part of this collaboration, selected Wipro employees will have full access to IISc faculty members, online lectures, libraries, and alumni networks. They will also benefit from mentorship by seasoned professionals from the Data, Analytics, and AI practice at Wipro.

The acceptance to the program will be subject to rigorous entrance tests and evaluations designed by IISc.

This initiative underscores Wipro's commitment to cultivating a future-ready workforce and advancing its leadership position in the dynamic realm of AI. It's exciting to see companies like Wipro investing in skill-building and up-skilling by engaging with premier universities like IISc.

As part of this collaboration, selected Wipro employees will have full access to IISc faculty members, online lectures, libraries, and alumni networks. They will also benefit from mentorship by seasoned professionals from the Data, Analytics, and AI practice at Wipro.The acceptance to the program will be subject to rigorous entrance tests and evaluations designed by IISc.

“We are thrilled that Wipro stands among the pioneers in the industry, offering a Master’s degree program to our top-performing employees, under our WILP (Work Integrated Learning Programs),” said Sanjeev Jain, Senior Vice President and Global Head, Business Operations, Wipro Limited. “GenAI is evolving at a rapid pace, and we are confident that selected employees will gain immensely from the knowledge at IISc and develop capabilities for the opportunities ahead delivering strong business outcomes.”

“We are happy to support Wipro in providing higher education opportunities for their employees, especially in emerging areas like data science, GenAI and next-gen communications, through the highly successful MTech (Online) program offered by IISc for the past few years,” said Prof Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean, Division of EECS, IISc. “The program curriculum for working professionals has been designed with the same high standards as our full-time programs, with our faculty members delivering content online to train students on foundational concepts and real-world applications.”

‘Samsung Innovation Campus’ Program Commences AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding & Programming Courses in 8 Cities to Upskill 3,000 Youth

• Students to be trained at centers situated in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka
• Youth to undergo classroom training and complete their hands-on capstone project work in their selected tech domains
• Soft skills training and job placements to be provided to enhance their employability

Samsung India has started its CSR program ‘Samsung Innovation Campus’ at eight campuses across the country with the aim of upskilling 3,000 less-privileged youth in future tech domains such as AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding & Programming and helping them get relevant job placements.

With this, Samsung is reiterating its commitment to being a strong partner of India and is working alongside the Government in its mission to empower the country’s youth and #PoweringDigitalIndia.

ESSCI, which is a National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) approved entity, is executing the program through its nationwide network of approved training and education partners. Samsung India signed a MoU with ESSCI in September, 2022.

Courses under the ‘Samsung Innovation Campus’ program have started at the University of Lucknow, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) in New Delhi and Hyderabad, Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekananda Technical University in Bhilai, SRR College of Arts & Sciences in Karimnagar, Central Tool Room & Training Center in Bhubaneswar, Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic College in Bengaluru and Dr Lankapalli Bullayya College in Visakhapatnam.

“Our global citizenship initiative, Samsung Innovation Campus, is closely tied with India’s development agenda. Through this initiative, we want to empower the youth and create opportunities for them in future tech domains, further boosting India’s growth story and strengthening our commitment to Powering Digital India,” said
Mr. Partha Ghosh, Head, CSR and Communications, Samsung Southwest Asia.

Samsung Innovation Campus aims to upskill youth aged 18-25 years in future technologies and enhance their employability. These are key technology skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Students who have enrolled for the courses have undergone a pre-course assessment and are undergoing classroom training by professors at the eight institutes. The courses have been divided into small batches of 30 students on an average to ensure focused training for student individually and to provide exhaustive learning opportunities in advanced technology.

They have also been provided the right tools to understand the practical applications of each of the technologies they are working on. For instance, students undergoing the IoT course have got Galaxy Upcycling kits, which consists of a Samsung Galaxy S9 or Note 9 smartphone, an ESP32 Dev board, a micro 5p cable, 2 resistors, 1 led, 1 tactile switch, 1 breadboard, 1 jumper cable M-M, 1 USB Type-C adapter & cable, and 1 micro 5p USB adapter that enable them to get hands-on experience of how the technology works.

Youth enrolled in the program will undergo classroom training and complete their hands-on capstone project work in their selected technology areas from AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding & Programming. The mandatory project phase for certification is devised to help students gain hands-on experience in the respective courses.

Those opting for the AI course will undergo 270 hours of theory training and complete 80 hours of project work, while those doing the IoT or the Big Data course will undergo 160 hours of training and complete 80 hours of project work.

Participants opting for the Coding & Programming course will complete 80 hours of training and participate in a 4-day Hackathon to conclude the course.

They will also be imparted soft skills training to enhance their employability and provided job placements in relevant organizations

After completing their courses, students will attend job fairs and will be supported in the process of searching for the right job for their skills.

Newsroom: ‘Samsung Innovation Campus’ Program Commences AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding & Programming Courses in 8 cities to Upskill 3,000 youth; Reaffirms Samsung’s Commitment to Powering Digital India

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry, and LED solutions. For the latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter at @SamsungNewsIN

IIIT Hyderabad, TalentSprint Announce Pan-India Roll Out of Popular Execs Programs in AI/ML, Blockchain and DLT

The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-Hyderabad) and TalentSprint announced today the All India roll out of their popular executive programs on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) as well as Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies. Since their launch in 2018 in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, these hybrid executive programs, with their innovative onsite/online format, have attracted industry professionals in large numbers and achieved a high completion rate.

With eleven successful cohorts already completed or underway, the programs’ pracademic design (deep academic knowledge combined with industry best practices) have been warmly embraced by working professionals. A collaborative faculty model where renowned professors work in partnership with industry practitioners, and a unique 5-step pedagogy of Masterclass Lectures, Hands-on Labs, Guided Mentorship, Immersive Hackathons and Industry Workshops have differentiated these programs.

The All India rollout is in response to an explosive demand for deep-tech expertise currently sweeping through knowledge professionals in all major technology hubs of the country. In particular, the demand for competencies such as AI, Machine Learning and Blockchain have been climbing rapidly over the last twelve months, with signs of further acceleration. The leading analyst firm Gartner has forecasted that AI business value will reach $3.9T by 2022 and Blockchain business value will reach $3.1T by 2030.

According to Prof. P. J. Narayanan, Director of IIIT-Hyderabad said: “As a major research-led institution, we are gratified to see this kind of interest in our deep-tech executive education programs. Our top-ranked AI research group at the Kohli Centre for Intelligent Systems, and our emerging Blockchain Centre of Excellence, through these programs, have been able to convey the recent research advancements to the industry. In return, our researchers are benefitting from insights into challenging industry problems. By extending these executive programs across the nation, we believe the give and take between our institution and industry will reach a whole new level.”

Commenting on the occasion, Dr Santanu Paul, CEO and MD of TalentSprint said: “2018 was the launch year for the cities Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and we used that opportunity to perfect these deep-tech programs. We successfully combined theory with practice, academic rigour with industry experience, onsite with online. The substantial popularity of these programs has encouraged us to launch this updated nationwide format. The click and mortar model of select campus visits and ongoing online engagement makes it very convenient for busy tech professionals, irrespective of their location.”

The All India Program will be delivered over 18 weeks in a hybrid format. There will be 3 campus visits of 3 days each to IIIT Hyderabad, and live interactive online classes in other weeks. The program is priced at Rs 2 lacs + applicable taxes with special scholarships for women.

For more information about the programs, please visit: https://iiit-h.talentsprint.com/aiml/ or https://iiit-h.talentsprint.com/blockchain/

The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through interdisciplinary research that has a greater social impact. 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. It has the #1 rated Machine Learning Lab in India and 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 IIIT-H centers, as well as in the institute's research collaboration with other academic institutions in the country.

TalentSprint brings high-end and deep-tech education to aspiring and experienced professionals. It partners with world-class academic institutions and global corporations to develop and offer disruptive programs. TalentSprint's hybrid platform delivers unique onsite and online experiences that help build cutting-edge expertise, for today and tomorrow.

~ Published unedited except the headline, from Business Wire India feed.

IIIT-Hyderabad TalentSprint Program Produces 1000 AI/ML Experts; To Create 10,000 ML Experts by 2020

International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) and TalentSprint have completed the first anniversary of their AI/ML Executive Program. With 10,000+ applicants and 1000+ graduates in 2018 alone, the program has made its mark as one of the most aspirational and impactful deep tech executive programs in the country in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The Hybrid Format has attracted Working Professionals with a Wide Range of Experience

IIIT-Hyderabad and TalentSprint have completed the first anniversary of their AI/ML Executive Program. With 10,000+ applicants and 1000+ graduates in 2018 alone, the program has made its mark as one of the most aspirational and impactful deep tech executive programs in the country in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The program’s hybrid structure designed by the IIIT-H Machine Learning Lab, with its judicious blend of research and practice-based modules, created a strong appeal among working professionals. The intense nature of the program with lectures by globally renowned AI and ML faculty, case studies by industry practitioners, hands-on lab exercises, high-energy hackathons and ongoing mentorship offered a unique environment and design where learning-by-doing became the norm.

Program participants had work experience in the range of 3-25 years, with an average of 7 years. Acceptance of the program among professionals in senior leadership roles was sizeable at 18% of participants. In addition, 20% of participants came from management ranks, 26% were analysts, and 36% were developers.

An analysis of Industry-wise adoption revealed that 55% of the participants were from IT sector, followed by 18% from BFSI sector, 10% from Consulting, and remaining from Telecom, Services and Manufacturing sectors. 44% of the participants came from startups and 56% from larger enterprises.

To improve adoption of deep tech among women and young professionals, the program offered special scholarships to these categories. This diversity initiative resulted in 18% participation by women and 39% participation by young professionals.

Speaking on the Anniversary, Prof. P. J. Narayanan, Director of IIIT-Hyderabad said: “We are very impressed with the mix of participants across industries and range of roles. This diversity has enabled us to bring the best out of the program. We realize the immense shortage of talent in this field and are committed to enable 10,000 tech professionals with our globally renowned expertise and reputation in the field of AI and ML. We are therefore preparing ourselves to take this program to professionals beyond Bengaluru and Hyderabad in 2019.”

Commenting on the occasion, Dr Santanu Paul, CEO and MD of TalentSprint said: "We were delighted with the rapid adoption of AI/ML among working professionals in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. We are constantly investing in making the program more comprehensive, more compelling, and more cutting-edge. We believe this is already the biggest source of high-end AI/ML talent in the country today and we intend to make it a national phenomenon in 2019."

Recently, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad become the first Indian Educational Institution to offer such a full-fledged B.Tech. programme in AI. Its full-fledged Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programme in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been launched from the current Academic Year (2019-2020).

Published Via Business Wire India