IIIT Hyderabad has opened winter admissions for a new MTech program in Product Design and Management. The programme aims to create market and design aware technologists, product designers, product managers and startup founders conceptualise, define, design technology products and connect them with markets.
The curriculum empowers graduates to understand the convergence of technology, design, markets and the business of products. The programme can lead to the creation of new products, new startups, or groom early career IT professions to become technology product managers for technology companies specifically around information technologies.
The MTech programme includes courses around the understanding of technology products, convergence of technology, design, markets and business, product design, development and management, products from emerging technologies (research). An extended programme project in the second year helps with creating product-translating ideas into deep technology products that connect with markets.
According to Prof Raghu Reddy, Head of the PDM programme, "Modern-day engineers tend to be technology- and algorithm-centric and it's very rare to find people who actually understand customers. On the other hand, product managers focus more on product markets, strategies but seem to focus little on the underlying technologies, product design, and their ability to interface with product developers as well as customers. This programme has a nice balance of technology, design and management with specific focus on ICT products to start with."
There are multiple channels of admissions, based on initial screening and subsequent interviews:
- Early career IT graduates/working professionals: With 1+ years of IT experience (experience may be waived in some cases). Through GATE or CEED exams.
- Startups: Through an application reviewed by an expert committee that will evaluate the idea, tech and market viability, and the founder's background.
- Industry/self-sponsored: Mid-level professionals with 5+ years experience, who are either development managers or architects or product managers, sponsored by their employers.
Application deadline is 10 November 2021.
