₹49,999
+18% GST
Forward DeployedAI Product Management
with Agentic AI and Loop Engineering
For the ones who don't just stay ahead but build the curve.
4 Months
90 Live hours
Weekends, online
The next role to beforward deployed isthe Product Manager.
A specialized product leader embedded directly within the customer's environment, closing the gap between what the roadmap promised and what the real world actually needs.
They drive adoption on the ground, troubleshoot where the product meets reality, and route every hard-won insight straight back to engineering turning field friction into the next release.
The Forward-Deployed Expert: How AI Is Reinventing Product Management
The PM's job shifts, too. They will spend less time documenting manually and more time on the judgment calls AI cannot make: reading organizational dynamics, distinguishing habit from real pain and deciding which patterns are important enough to shape the roadmap.
Abha Dogra (CPO, IBS Software)
The market is already hiring for Forward Deployed PM
Embedded with the client. Owns the outcome, not just the roadmap.
Entry-level comp
$200K – $300K
40% more than regular PMs for the forward-deployed PM role.
Entry-level comp
$200K – $300K
40% more than regular PMs for the forward-deployed PM role.
Who is this for?
4 Months
90 Live hours
Weekends, online
About six months of product exposure is the entire entry bar, and it exists to keep the room advanced, not to keep you out. If you know how a product goes from idea to shipped, you are good to go.
YOU COME IN AS
YOU LEAVE AS
PM, APM, or product owner
An AI-native PM who builds with AI and owns the outcome
Product or business analyst
A builder who runs discovery and drives delivery with AI
Founder or solo operator
The product leader who ships more with fewer people
Consultant, delivery or pre-sales lead
A PM who leads AI product work end to end
Built to be practical
CURRICULUM
Go from roadmap to shipped
Seven modules, two practitioner masterclasses and a capstone — across four months of weekends.
Module 1: The Agentic Product Manager & the Forward-Deployed Shift
Module 1: The Agentic Product Manager & the Forward-Deployed Shift
Read the AI-native operating model
The forward-deployed shift in product
Positioning yourself as forward-deployed
Module 2: How LLMs & Agents Work, for PMs
Module 2: How LLMs & Agents Work, for PMs
How LLMs actually work
How agents work
Model and agent intuition
Briefing models and agents precisely
Module 3: Context Engineering & AI-Native Discovery
Module 3: Context Engineering & AI-Native Discovery
Prompt engineering
Context engineering
Grounding a model
AI-native discovery
Running requirements with AI
Module 4: AI Prototyping & Building
Module 4: AI Prototyping & Building
Rapid prototyping
Building POCs from scenarios
Writing PRDs from scenarios
Shipping a working prototype in hours
Building your own PM agent
Module 5: Trust, Evals & the Agentic Product Lifecycle
Module 5: Trust, Evals & the Agentic Product Lifecycle
Evals and golden suites
Guardrails
Autonomy levels
Writing spec docs for AI
Running the lifecycle with agents
Masterclass 1: RAG and Recommendations in Food & Grocery Delivery
Masterclass 1: RAG and Recommendations in Food & Grocery Delivery
The stated ask versus the real problem
Retrieval and recommendation architecture
Grounding to a live catalog
Evaluating a probabilistic product
ROI and guardrails
Module 6: Loop Engineering
Module 6: Loop Engineering
Designing loops
Building verifiers
Making the work run without you
Module 7: Forward-Deployed Delivery: Stakeholders, ROI & Leading the Build
Module 7: Forward-Deployed Delivery: Stakeholders, ROI & Leading the Build
Aligning stakeholders
Driving ROI
Leading the build in-house or with a client
Shipping and maintaining
Masterclass 2: Agentic Merchant Support at Payments Scale · 4 hrs
Masterclass 2: Agentic Merchant Support at Payments Scale · 4 hrs
Clustering the issue sample
Agentic workflow, escalation and trust boundary
Building the loop
ROI, rollout and the weekly signal memo
Capstone: End-to-End Agentic Product Build
Capstone: End-to-End Agentic Product Build
Run a given idea from discovery to a working outcome and a live loop. Mentor-supported, scenarios drawn from Futurense industry partners and delivered as a simulation.
By the end, you'll be able to
What changes
The PM manages the plan.
The Forward-deployed AI PM owns the outcome and builds with AI to get there.
AI has not replaced the product manager.
It has moved where the value sits.
The PM role today
The forward-deployed AI PM
Owns the roadmap and the backlog
Owns the whole cycle: problem,build, deploy
PRDs and features delivered
The outcome, and what ships
Briefs engineering, rarely builds
Prototypes and evaluates with AI directly
An occasional assist
AI-native across the entire lifecycle
Inside one product team
Embedded, in-house or with a client
Fee Structure
Total Admission Fee
Apply Now
| Component | Amount (₹) |
|---|---|
| Program Fee | ₹49,999 |
| GST (18%) | As applicable |
| Registration Fee (Non-Refundable)* | ₹5,000 (Adjusted in Program Fee) |
| Total Payable | ₹58,999 (incl. 18% GST) |
EMI Options Available
The registration fee of ₹5,000 is a one-time, non-refundable application processing fee, adjusted against the total program fee.
Payment of the registration fee is required at the time of application submission.
If a participant withdraws before the program start date, the program fee will be refunded, excluding the registration fee, GST, and any applicable processing charges. No refunds are applicable once the program has commenced.
Optional 2-Day Campus Immersion at IITM Pravartak may be offered at an additional cost (approximately ₹10,000, subject to actuals).
Travel, boarding, and lodging expenses for campus immersion (if opted) will be borne by the participant.
Note: The campus immersion is subject to a minimum number of participants and may be conducted jointly with learners from multiple batches, depending on scheduling and operational requirements at any given time, at the discretion of the Institute.
Application Deadline
16th August, 2026
Admissions close once the required number of students is enrolled for the upcoming cohort. Apply early to secure your seat.
Traditional AI Programs vs. IITM Pravartak: Forward Deployed AI Engineering
Dimension
This Programme
Other Programme
Core Philosophy
Trains the engineer who makes AI work inside a client's real business.
Teaches AI models and theory in isolation, away from real client constraints.
Curriculum Style
Scenario-based, built the way FDEs actually work in the field.
Lecture-led and concept-first, with little real deployment practice.
Tool Exposure
The current FDE toolchain, hands-on: Python, SQL, PyTorch, LangChain, MLflow, FastAPI.
Narrow or dated tool coverage, often theory over hands-on build.
GenAI & Prompting
Prompt frameworks, structured outputs, function calling, and production RAG with hallucination control.
Basic prompting only, rarely reaching production-grade RAG.
Product Architecture
Solution discovery, scoping, data modeling, and real architecture decisions.
Stops at model building, with no ownership of the wider system.
Prototyping & Testing
Streamlit prototypes, honest evaluation, MLflow tracking, and drift detection.
Little rapid prototyping and limited evaluation rigour.
Capstone Format
A license-free GenAI project on a real enterprise stack you can show a hiring manager.
An academic capstone that rarely maps to real client work.
Mindset Trained
Founder-like ownership, client empathy, and comfort with ambiguity.
A pure engineering mindset, with no client-facing or business lens.
Feeling Underconfident About Your Tech Skills?
Kick things off with a 2-Week Bridge Course that gets you course-ready
What you'll learn:
Programming Foundations
GenAI, Agentic AI and Prompt Engineering
Vibe Coding Workflows
Worth ₹29,000
Included free with your enrollment.
Led by the Futurense Leadership Council (FLC)
A collective of CXOs, AI leaders, and digital transformation heads from global and Fortune 500 companies shaping the AI-native workforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know you might have some questions before getting started in our platform
What is the name of the program, and who provides the certification?
The Advanced Executive Program in Forward Deployed AI Engineering. The Advanced Certificate is issued by IITM Pravartak, the Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Madras, established under the Government of India's Department of Science and Technology.
What is a Forward Deployed AI Engineer (FDE)?
An FDE is a client-facing engineer who sits on the front line with customers, solves high-stakes AI problems in their real environment, and ships solutions that deliver measurable ROI. The role sits where three roles meet: Software Engineer (builds production-grade code), Solutions Architect (turns business needs into technical solutions), and Platform Engineer (decides what should exist and what should not).
Why is FDE called the role of 2026?
Generic AI often fails inside real enterprises, and FDEs are the people who close that gap. Over 90% of enterprise AI pilots stall at the last mile, and FDE job postings have spiked, reported at 800%+ growth (Financial Times reporting, 2025). The rise of the role is now tracked by mainstream outlets including the Economic Times and Analytics India Magazine.
What is the duration and schedule of the program?
Duration is roughly 3 to 4 months and about 85 hours of learning, delivered completely online. Format is live weekend sessions on Saturday and Sunday, about 3 hours each day (roughly 5 to 6 hours per weekend), across about 16 teaching weekends. Expect the live weekends plus a few hours of self-study and build each week.
When is the first cohort expected to start?
26th Sep (Tentative), 2026.
What is the medium of instruction?
English
How can I apply?
Apply online, clear the pre-screening test, receive your offer letter, then pay the fee and begin with the Futurense bridge course.
Who is eligible for this program?
Open to freshers and working professionals from technical or analytical backgrounds, with no minimum experience required. Education: a Bachelor's degree (minimum 3 years) in CS, IT, Engineering, Maths or a related field, or MCA, M.Sc, M.Tech, or MBA with tech/analytics exposure. BCA candidates are eligible. Minimum 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in graduation, plus clearance of the pre-screening test.
Is this program for freshers or experienced professionals?
Both. There are two entry paths. Path A (AI/ML-leaning) is for those with basic Python and LLM familiarity who want to add consulting and problem-articulation skills. Path B (consulting/domain-leaning) is for those from IT services, consulting, BA, product or a domain function who are comfortable client-facing and want to learn how to scope and articulate AI problems, where light hands-on AI exposure is fine.
What is the admission process?
Apply online with your basic details, clear the mandatory pre-screening test, receive your official offer letter, then pay the fee and begin with the Futurense bridge course.
Is there a qualifier test, and what does it cover?
Yes, clearing a pre-screening test is mandatory to assess readiness for the program.
What documents are required for the application?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
What is the curriculum structure?
An 85-hour journey across four phases and seven modules (six core plus one track-based module). Phase 1, Articulate the Problem (M1): problem articulation, consultative deep-dives, design thinking, business-to-tech translation. Phase 2, Build the Foundations (M2 to M3): advanced SQL, data modeling, pipelines, data quality, prototyping, prompt engineering. Phase 3, Model & Deploy (M4 to M5): applied ML, honest evaluation, MLflow and FastAPI, deep learning, NLP, embeddings. Phase 4, Deploy, Consult & Apply (M6 to M7): production RAG, discovery and governance, practitioner masterclasses, and an enterprise-app track.
What are the seven modules?
M1 From Problem Solving to Problem Articulation (16 hrs), M2 Data Foundations for FDE (10 hrs), M3 Prototyping & Prompt Engineering (12 hrs), M4 Applied ML for Deployment (12 hrs), M5 Applied Deep Learning & NLP (14 hrs), M6 Deployment, Consulting & Industry Masterclasses (17 hrs), and M7 Enterprise Apps in the GenAI Era, a pick-one track (4 hrs).
What tools and platforms will I work with?
The current, real FDE toolchain, hands-on with free and open-source tools: Python, Jupyter/Colab, GitHub; pandas, NumPy, PostgreSQL, DuckDB, Parquet, Airflow, dbt, Great Expectations; scikit-learn, Optuna, MLflow, FastAPI, Evidently; PyTorch, Hugging Face Transformers, Sentence Transformers; Gemini, Groq, Ollama (local); LangChain, LlamaIndex, LangGraph, CrewAI, Chroma; Guardrails AI, NeMo Guardrails, Llama Guard; Streamlit, Docker, Gradio. Paid services are referenced conceptually in masterclasses only, and local models via Ollama mean LLM work can be done at zero API cost.
What will I build during the program?
A portfolio that proves you can own AI in production: 25+ portfolio artifacts, 20+ prompt templates, and 4+ applied case solutions. These span problem statements and one-page PRDs, SQL and data models, trained and tracked ML and DL models, RAG architectures and prompt libraries, go-to-market strategy docs, and a license-free enterprise-app track project.
What is the Futurense AI Clinic?
A hands-on setting where classroom learning meets real execution. You work on live enterprise projects sourced from Futurense's industry network, with one-on-one mentorship from industry mentors. It includes four applied masterclasses in Module 6: Advanced RAG, AI Security (Red Teaming, Blue Teaming and Guardrails), Agentic AI in Industry, and Production Readiness for FDEs.
What is the Module 7 track?
An enterprise-apps track where you add GenAI value on a real enterprise stack, license-free. You pick one track: Salesforce (CRM), SAP (ERP), or MuleSoft (integration). Hands-on work stays license-free using a free LLM API, while licensed features are shown as trainer demos. The outcome is a GenAI-augmented demonstration you can show a hiring manager.
Is there a bridge course, and what does it cover?
Yes. A two-week, self-paced bridge course levels the playing field across backgrounds before the main program. It covers AI fundamentals (how LLMs work, prompt basics, capabilities versus limitations), business context (the enterprise AI landscape and reading vendor claims), and tool setup so your workspace is ready. Your journey begins here after enrollment.
Is there a campus visit included?
Yes, an optional 2-day campus immersion at IITM Pravartak. It includes live masterclasses with faculty and industry leaders, networking with peers and professionals, campus access, capstone presentations, and project feedback.
Is there an extra cost for the immersion?
Yes. A tentative additional fee of approximately ₹10,000, subject to actual cost, is collected separately before the immersion. Accommodation on or off campus is subject to availability.
What is the total program fee?
Program Fee: ₹50,000 + 18% GST. Registration Fee: ₹9,000 (non-refundable, adjusted into the final fee). Total Payable (incl. 18% GST): ₹59,000.
Are there financing options?
No-Cost EMI is not available for this program, and there is no subvention.
What is the refund policy?
The registration fee is non-refundable and is adjusted into the final fee. (Flag: the brochure does not state a full drop-out refund policy. Confirm before publishing, and note that since there is no subvention, the Roorkee refund wording should not be carried over as-is.)
What roles can this prepare me for?
The same FDE skill set opens a cluster of high-paying roles that companies hire under different names, including Forward Deployed Engineer, Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, Applied AI Engineer, Senior Applied AI Engineer, AI Solutions Engineer or GenAI Architect, and AI Systems Lead or Staff Engineer.
What are the indicative salary ranges?
Ranges vary by experience, company, and geography. Examples: Forward Deployed Engineer ₹45 LPA to ₹1.8 Cr+ in India and $220k to $380k global, Applied AI Engineer ₹20 LPA to ₹70 LPA and $180k to $320k, and AI Systems Lead or Staff Engineer ₹80 LPA to ₹2.5 Cr+ and $450k to $750k+. Salary figures are market estimates from LinkedIn and Naukri job-posting analysis, Dec 2024 to 2025.
What career support is provided?
Note that Futurense provides career support but does not guarantee employment
What are the completion requirements?
Program completion requires 75% attendance and successful project submissions. The Advanced Certificate is awarded by IITM Pravartak upon meeting the program criteria.