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AI4Impact

Become the engineer who takes AI from problem to production.

Learn to discover the business problem, design the solution, build the system, deploy it and work with the people who use it.

Level
Advanced
Duration
12–24 weeks
Weekly effort
8–10 hrs/week
Projects
4 incl. capstone
₹69,999or 3 instalments · $899 international
Next cohort2 Nov 2026
The role problem

Most AI projects stall between the demo and the people who need it.

Companies have models, APIs and pilots — what they lack are engineers who can sit with an operations team, understand the real workflow, and ship a system that survives contact with production. Forward deployed engineers close that gap.

01Pilots that never leave the notebook
02Engineering and business teams speaking different languages
03No evaluation, monitoring or owner after launch
Measurable outcomes

What you will be able to show.

1client-style engagement run from discovery to executive demo
4deployed services: API, pipeline, RAG app and agent workflow
3stakeholder artefacts: discovery brief, architecture, rollout plan

This track is built for

  • Software engineers who want to lead applied AI delivery
  • Data or ML engineers moving into client-facing solution roles
  • Technical consultants who want to build, not only advise

Probably not the right fit if you are

  • Complete beginners to programming
  • Learners who only want a theory overview of AI
Prerequisites

What you need before day one.

Required
  • Programming fundamentals in any language
  • Logical reasoning and problem decomposition
  • Basic computer science: data structures, HTTP, databases
Helpful
  • Python
  • SQL
  • Git
Not required
  • Prior machine learning experience
  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • PostgreSQL
  • Docker
  • GitHub Actions
  • AWS / Azure
  • Airflow
  • LLM APIs
  • pgvector
  • LangGraph
  • OpenTelemetry
Curriculum

Week by week.

Every week has a hands-on lab and an assignment. Open a week to see both.

Phase 1

Engineering foundations

Ship clean, tested, containerised services

Weeks 1–4 of 12
01Python and software engineering for deliveryProject structure and typing · Testing with pytest · Git workflows and code review
Lab

Refactor a scrappy script into a typed, tested package.

Weekly assignment

Open a pull request with tests and respond to a code review.

02APIs and databasesREST design with FastAPI · PostgreSQL schema design · Auth, pagination and errors
Lab

Build a settlements endpoint backed by PostgreSQL.

Weekly assignment

Add auth, pagination and audit logging to the API.

03Cloud and DevOpsDocker and environments · CI/CD with GitHub Actions · Secrets and IAM basics
Lab

Containerise the API and run it locally with Docker Compose.

Weekly assignment

Ship a CI pipeline that tests, builds and deploys on merge.

04Data pipelinesBatch ingestion patterns · Orchestration with Airflow · Data quality checks
Lab

Write an Airflow DAG that ingests daily transaction files.

Weekly assignment

Add data quality checks and alert on failed loads.

Phase 2

Applied AI systems

Build retrieval, agent and evaluation layers

Weeks 5–8 of 12
05LLM applicationsProvider APIs and structured outputs · Prompt systems and versioning · Cost and latency basics
Lab

Extract structured fields from dispute emails with an LLM.

Weekly assignment

Version your prompts and report cost and latency per call.

06Retrieval-augmented generationChunking and embeddings · Vector search with pgvector · Citations and grounding
Lab

Index a policy handbook in pgvector and answer questions over it.

Weekly assignment

Return cited answers and refuse when the source is missing.

07Agentic systemsTool calling and planning · State and memory · Human-in-the-loop approvals
Lab

Build a LangGraph agent that calls transaction lookup tools.

Weekly assignment

Add an approval step before the agent takes any action.

08Evaluation, guardrails and observabilityOffline eval sets and graders · PII redaction and policy checks · Tracing with OpenTelemetry
Lab

Build an eval set and grader for your RAG app.

Weekly assignment

Add PII redaction and trace every request end to end.

Phase 3

Forward deployment

Run an engagement like a forward deployed engineer

Weeks 9–12 of 12
09Solution architectureBuild vs buy decisions · Reference architectures · Security and data residency
Lab

Compare three architectures for an operations copilot.

Weekly assignment

Write an architecture decision record for your choice.

10Client discoveryDiscovery interviews · Workflow and pain mapping · Success metrics
Lab

Run a mock discovery interview with a reconciliation team.

Weekly assignment

Write a discovery brief with measurable success metrics.

11Stakeholder communication and deploymentDemo storytelling · Rollout and change management · Runbooks and handover
Lab

Rehearse a five-minute demo for a non-technical audience.

Weekly assignment

Write a rollout plan and an on-call runbook.

12Capstone engagementScope agreement · Iteration cadence · Executive demo
Lab

Agree scope and milestones for your capstone engagement.

Weekly assignment

Deliver the executive demo and technical documentation.

The fast track covers the core in 12 weeks. The standard pace spreads the same content and a full client-style engagement over up to 24 weeks.

How you learn

Recorded lessons.
Live help every week.

01
Recorded lessonsShort, structured lessons you watch on your schedule.
02
Hands-on labsEvery week ends with something built, not just watched.
03
Weekly live clarificationBring blockers to a live session with your trainer.
04
Assessed projectsReviewed against a rubric, then rolled into your portfolio.

Plan for 8–10 hrs/week, including the live session.

Projects

What goes in your portfolio.

POST /v1/score
{
  "transaction_id": "txn_8816",
  "score": 0.87,
  "decision": "review",
  "latency_ms": 41
}

Merchant settlements API

A production-style API that exposes daily merchant settlements with auth, pagination and audit logs.

Synthetic merchant transactions and settlement batches

  • OpenAPI spec
  • Test suite
  • Deployed endpoint
agent-trace · run 48
plan
Investigate dispute D-2291
tool
get_transactions(card=•4421)
tool
check_rule(scheme=visa, code=13.1)
draft
Evidence supports merchant
wait
Analyst approval required

Chargeback investigation agent

An agent that gathers transaction evidence, drafts a dispute response and waits for analyst approval.

Card disputes with transaction and merchant history

  • Agent traces
  • Eval set
  • Approval workflow
PRD-012.md
## Problem
## Success metrics
– Manual effort -60%
– First-response time < 2h

Operations copilot architecture

A decision record and architecture for rolling an AI copilot into a bank operations team.

Discovery notes from a reconciliation team

  • Architecture diagram
  • ADR
  • Rollout plan
Fintech-first capstone

Payments reconciliation copilot engagement

Run a client-style engagement for a payments operations team that spends hours matching bank statements to ledger entries. Discover the workflow, build the system, deploy it and iterate with feedback.

Dataset: Bank statements, internal ledger and PSP settlement files with realistic mismatches

  1. 01DiscoveryDiscovery brief and success metrics
  2. 02BuildMatching pipeline, RAG over policies and exception agent
  3. 03DeployContainerised deployment with evals and tracing
  4. 04IterateExecutive demo and technical documentation

Prefer another domain? Choose SaaS, E-commerce, Logistics or Healthcare at the capstone kick-off.

Career outcomes

Roles this track prepares you for.

Forward Deployed Engineer

Embed with customers to ship AI solutions

Applied AI Engineer

Build LLM and agent systems for products

AI Solutions Engineer

Design and prove solutions with clients

These are the roles this track prepares you for. AI4Impact provides career support; it does not guarantee employment, interviews or a particular salary.

Finish the course.
Then earn the certificate.

Completion records that you did the work. The professional certificate is awarded only after an independently reviewed capstone and a recorded defence, so it means something to the people hiring.

A4AI4Impact Institute of Applied AI (IIAA)in academic collaboration with XYZ University
SAMPLE
This certifies thatSample Learnerhas met the assessed standard for theAI4Impact Professional Certificate in Forward Deployed AI Engineer
CourseForward Deployed AI Engineer
CapstonePayments reconciliation copilot engagement
AssessmentPassed with distinction
Issued20 Mar 2026
Credential IDIIAA-FDE-2026-000123
A. RaoDirector, IIAA
S. MenonDean, XYZ University
ai4impact.in/verify
Optional career layer

Programme+. One
bundle for the
move into the role.

Add it to any track. Five modules that take you from a finished capstone to real interviews, for ₹24,999.

  1. Learn
  2. Build
  3. Intern
  4. Practise
  5. Apply
  6. Interview
01Real-World Internship3 months on a live project, with mentor reviews.Freshers and recent graduates only. Subject to eligibility and project availability.
02Interview BuilderCV review, 10 AI-assisted mock interviews and a plan to improve.
03Recruitment SupportRecommendations through 10+ recruitment and consultancy relationships.
04Weekly Group ClarificationA recurring live session every week for questions and reviews.
05Personal HandholdingFive individual 30-minute sessions, booked when you need them.
FAQ

Questions about
this track.

Why is the duration 12–24 weeks?

The fast track covers the core curriculum in 12 weeks. The standard pace spreads the same content and a full client-style engagement over up to 24 weeks, for learners balancing work or study.

How is a typical week structured?

Each week has short recorded lessons, a hands-on lab and an assignment, plus a live clarification session with your trainer. Plan for 8–10 hours a week, including the live session.

What are the five individual handholding sessions?

They are part of Programme+: five one-to-one 30-minute sessions you book through your learner dashboard and use for scoping, reviews or career direction.

Is the capstone always in fintech?

Fintech is the default. If you prefer another domain, you can choose SaaS, E-commerce, Logistics or Healthcare at the capstone kick-off.

Does the course guarantee a job?

No. AI4Impact provides career support and recommendations, but it does not guarantee employment, interviews or a particular salary. Hiring decisions are made by employers.

Free career guidance

Not sure which
role fits you?

Book a free 20-minute call. We look at your background and tell you honestly which track fits, or if none of them do yet.

Forward Deployed AI Engineer₹69,999 · Next cohort 2 Nov 2026