The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Kharagpur has introduced the Executive Post Graduate Certificate in Generative AI & Agentic AI, an 8-month, 100% live online programme marking the department's first delivery of this specific curriculum.
The distinction driving the programme
The launch comes as the gap between generative and agentic AI becomes increasingly central to how organisations plan AI adoption. Generative AI focuses on creating content, text, images, code, responding to prompts one turn at a time. Agentic AI works differently, understanding a goal, planning multi-step actions, using tools and connecting across systems, and adjusting its approach based on results, with minimal human supervision throughout. Where generative AI needs a new prompt for every action, agentic systems continue working until a defined task is actually complete.
Curriculum built around that shift
The programme's curriculum reflects this progression directly, moving from Generative AI and Large Language Model foundations through customisation and fine-tuning, retrieval-augmented generation, agentic AI, and finally production deployment. Live sessions run every Saturday, taught entirely by IIT Kharagpur faculty, with no outsourced instructors involved in delivery.
Learners build systems that take real action, not just generate content
The programme's project work is built specifically around the generative-to-agentic shift. Learners work on an enterprise RAG system with hybrid search and reranking, a fine-tuned LLM using LoRA or QLoRA deployed as a live API, a multi-agent system built for multi-step task execution, and a deployed generative AI API designed to handle real production traffic. The programme closes with an industry capstone, developed from an initial business problem through to a fully deployed solution under faculty mentorship, reflecting the shift from AI that assists with drafting to AI that completes entire workflows independently.
Recognition beyond the certificate
The programme concludes with an on-campus award ceremony at IIT Kharagpur, where participants receive their certificates directly from the Programme Director and institute leadership. Graduates also gain access to the IIT Kharagpur Executive Education Alumni Network, including events, networking forums, campus visits, and an annual alumni newsletter.