IIT Mandi, in collaboration with Imarticus Learning and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), has launched a nationwide initiative to enable colleges across India to offer a credit-bearing Minor Degree in Artificial Intelligence to undergraduate students.

The programme, designed by IIT Mandi faculty, will be integrated into existing undergraduate courses and follows a structured seven-semester pathway covering artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, natural language processing, computer vision, AI deployment, and project-based learning.

According to the institutions involved, the programme has been developed in line with the multidisciplinary vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and UGC undergraduate specialisation guidelines. The 24-credit AI minor will be formally reflected on students’ academic transcripts.

Unlike short-term certification courses, the initiative aims to provide engineering students with academically recognised AI specialisation alongside their core degree programmes without disrupting existing coursework.

Prof. Tushar Jain, Head of Continuing Education Centre at IIT Mandi, said artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a “foundational capability across industries and domains,” making structured exposure to AI essential during undergraduate education.

He added that the programme combines academic depth, practical learning, and emerging areas such as generative AI to equip students with the ability to build real-world AI solutions.

NSDC will support the initiative through institutional outreach, quality assurance, and coordination with partner colleges to enable large-scale implementation across institutions nationwide.

Nitin Kapoor, Vice President of NSDC Academy, said the collaboration reflects a broader effort to build future-ready technical talent capable of applying advanced AI technologies responsibly across sectors.

Several institutions have already joined the initiative, including IIMT Group of Colleges, Lamrin Tech University, Lingaya’s Vidyapeeth University, Alard University, Ajeenkya DY Patil University, Joy University, and LNCT University.

Imarticus Learning Founder and CEO Nikhil Barshikar said the collaboration seeks to help colleges move beyond conventional technology education by introducing structured and industry-aligned AI exposure at the undergraduate level.