Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is all set to make students global leaders in the field of Artificial Intelligence through its B.Tech in AI Program. The Institute will admit the second batch of students in the upcoming academic year of 2025-26.

This undergraduate degree, being offered by the NIRF #1-ranked Institute in the country, has been carefully crafted to equip students with key skills and knowledge.

Designed from the ground up to focus on both the fundamentals of AI and how to build applications, the BTech also has a strong industry connect in terms of internships and UG Research Opportunities. Students will have career opportunities in diverse areas ranging from fundamental research in global tech companies to applied sectors such as manufacturing and healthcare.

The B.Tech in AI course is being offered through the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, which aims to be among the top AI-focused schools worldwide and also advise the Government and policymakers on Data Science and AI-related policy areas.

Students who have cleared the JEE (Advanced) can choose this program in the upcoming JOSSA Counselling. It will have a student strength of 50 admitted through JEE. The course code for the B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics at IIT Madras is 412L: Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics.

Highlighting this B.Tech. Program, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “AI and Data Analytics is an emerging area. This BTech course has a carefully evolved curriculum that is perfectly aligned with both the industry and research community needs. Many interesting challenges are in front of us and I am sure students shall immensely benefit by pursuing this course and shape their prosperous future.”

This B.Tech. Program will offer a lot of academic flexibility, allowing students to tailor their learning journey through a wide range of electives from within the department and outside. From delving into the intricacies of Speech and Language Technology and Computer Vision to exploring Applications in Control and Detection and Time-Series Analysis, students can delve deeper into areas of personal passion and interest.

Highlighting the aspects that make this program unique, Prof. B. Ravindran, Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras, said, “Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology. It is going to be the defining technological development, perhaps for another generation to come. WSAI allows us to synergize all the different AI and Data Science activities. We are making sure the students know enough about the fundamentals of AI so that they can pick up things on their own if they want to get into a research career.”

The Program aims to cultivate expertise in diverse aspects of AI and data analytics, offering a panoramic view of its applications across industries. There will be a strong emphasis on Math Fundamentals, Data Science /AI/ML Foundations, Application Development and Responsible Design, besides a distinct interdisciplinary flavour.

This B.Tech in AI Program will ensure that students look seriously at the application aspect of AI as they have to take courses from one of the two core baskets, comprising traditional applications with the other basket being on system-oriented applications of Data Science and AI. There are also courses on introducing the principles of responsible design in AI.

Key areas of this BTech program include focusing on application to real-world problems and Fair and Responsible AI. This includes how to apply data analytics and AI techniques to tackle real-world challenges across diverse domains, fostering innovation and impact, besides embracing the principles of fairness and responsibility in AI development, and ensuring ethical and equitable deployment of technology.

The core curriculum has been designed to provide a comprehensive foundation in AI and data analytics, covering a diverse array of subjects essential for success in this field. From foundational courses in linear algebra and calculus to specialised modules in machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, foundation models and reinforcement learning, students are equipped with a robust toolkit to tackle the varied challenges in this discipline.

ABOUT WSAI

The Data Science and Artificial Intelligence ecosystem in IIT Madras have made excellent research contributions in the past year and were featured in top DSAI conferences worldwide. Under Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI Umbrella, we have the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI), Centre for Integrative Biology and Systems mEdicine (IBSE), AI4 Bharat, Walmart Centre of Tech Excellence, MInT Collaborative and Alpha Grep Quantitative Research Lab. The Researchers from these Centres and labs have done groundbreaking research and made significant contributions to the DSAI ecosystem.