Ludhiana: There is good news for the city’s industry leaders. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar is set to train them in artificial intelligence. The institute has launched a dedicated AI programme, with a special focus on practical business applications. Called ‘AI for Leaders’, the course designed for top-level executives, will benefit more than 60 industries, most of them based in Ludhiana.The announcement was made during a high-powered session hosted by the Munjal Birmingham City University Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MBCIE) at Hotel Park Plaza recently. The event, attended by more than 100 business leaders and technocrats, formally positioned MBCIE as a satellite centre of IIT Ropar’s Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence. Speaking at the event, Dr Pushpendra P Singh, dean (corporate, alumni, placement & strategies) and project director, iHub-AWaDH, IIT Ropar, shared key details of the programme. He said, “The ‘AI for Leaders’ course will run in a flexible hybrid format, with a minimum of 36 hours of online learning and a one-day in-person hands-on training. Participants can choose a convenient location for the practical session.“He said the curriculum will include prompt engineering and AI applications tailored to business verticals such as marketing, branding, PR, HR, project management, screening processes, and task automation. SK Rai, MD, Hero Cycles, underlined the importance of visionary leadership in tech adoption, in his welcome address. “It’s not just about technology, it’s about mindset. If leaders don’t embrace AI, organisations will fall behind. This initiative gives us the clarity and support we need to take that step forward,” he said. Sudarshan Iyengar, associate professor at IIT Ropar, called AI adoption “a strategic imperative.”
