The eight-month executive programme is designed to help managers apply AI and Generative AI with strategic intent, business relevance and responsible leadership
Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], April 27: As Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI begin to shape not only technology functions but the broader direction of business, organisations are seeking managers who can engage with these shifts with commercial acumen and strategic clarity. Addressing this need, the Indian Institute of Management Nagpur, in collaboration with TimesPro, has launched the inaugural batch of the Post Graduate Certificate Programme in AI & GEN AI for Managers. The programme has been conceived for professionals who wish to move beyond a theoretical understanding of AI and use it as a practical enabler of decision-making, transformation and leadership.
The eight-month programme is structured across five modules that bring together core AI concepts, Generative AI applications and managerial thinking. It enables participants to assess business challenges through an AI lens, identify areas where these technologies can create genuine value and approach adoption with greater rigour and discipline. By linking technology with governance, strategy and executive judgement, the programme aims to help participants align AI initiatives more closely with organisational priorities and long-term business outcomes.
The launch comes at a time when AI is moving decisively into the mainstream of business decision-making. In India, demand for AI leadership talent has accelerated, with reports indicating a 40–60 per cent year-on-year rise in AI leadership roles in FY25, particularly across IT, consulting, global capability centres, financial services and healthcare. McKinsey’s recent work on the future of work also suggests that organisations will increasingly rely on collaboration between people, AI agents and robots, making distinctly human strengths such as judgement, creativity and contextual understanding even more critical in leadership roles.
Speaking on the announcement, Dr. Bhimraya Metri, Director, IIM Nagpur said, “Artificial Intelligence is now influencing how organisations think, compete and evolve. Managers, therefore, need more than familiarity with emerging tools; they need the ability to evaluate relevance, ask sharper questions and lead adoption with sound judgement. This programme has been designed to build that capability through a thoughtful blend of conceptual grounding, practical application and strategic insight.”
Sridhar Nagarajachar, Business Head – Executive Education, TimesPro said, “The market no longer rewards managers for simply understanding AI terminology. It requires leaders who can connect technology with commercial priorities, functional execution, governance and change. Our collaboration with IIM Nagpur has been shaped around that reality, creating a rigorous learning experience, applied and closely aligned with how organisations are building capability for the next phase of growth.”
The programme is suited to a broad spectrum of professionals, including mid-level managers, business heads, functional leaders, marketing and sales professionals, operations, supply chain and HR managers, finance professionals, digital transformation leads and entrepreneurs. On successful completion, participants may explore roles such as AI Strategy Lead, AI Programme Manager, Senior Manager or Functional Head, Head of AI-driven Marketing or Digital Strategy, and Head of Digital Transformation or AI Programme Director, among others.
The academic structure covers AI and Gen-AI Fundamentals, Applied Machine Learning and Advanced AI Frameworks, Leveraging AI Applications Across Business Domains, Strategic Aspects of AI and Gen-AI, and a Capstone Project on Implementing AI for Business Impact. The programme also offers exposure to a range of widely used platforms and tools, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, DALL·E 3 and Stable Diffusion, helping participants understand how the evolving AI ecosystem can be interpreted and applied in managerial settings.
The programme comprises 105 learning hours and will be delivered through TimesPro’s Interactive Learning platform in Direct-to-Device mode. The pedagogy combines live online sessions, case-based discussions, hands-on training, industry use cases, Chamber Consulting and faculty-led learning to ensure that the experience remains closely tied to managerial realities. Participants will also attend a two-day campus immersion at IIM Nagpur towards the end of the programme, creating opportunities for peer learning, academic engagement and professional networking.
Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution and have a minimum of three years of professional work experience will be eligible to apply. Participants who successfully complete the programme requirements will be awarded the PG Certificate Programme in AI and Gen AI for Managersv by IIM Nagpur.
About Indian Institute of Management Nagpur:
Established in 2015, the Indian Institute of Management Nagpur (IIM Nagpur) aspires to be a leading management institution that shapes management systems, policy, and governance through high-quality education, research, and industry engagement. Propelled by the pursuit of engaged scholarship, the institute aims to create value-driven leaders and global managers with strong conceptual foundations and analytical approach, which helps them excel in diverse spheres – be it management, business, policy making, and public administration, to name a few. IIM Nagpur aims to address the needs of a modern India, connecting aspirations and realities to attain benchmarks that are respected internationally. Our motto, सत्यं च स्वाध्याय प्रवचने च, that is, an inspired journey towards truth through individual reflection and collective discourse, propels our quest to bridge the gap between abstract knowledge and practice. IIM Nagpur seeks to distinguish itself as an institution that promotes constant industry engagement of a ‘problem-solving’ nature. Executive Education, therefore, is an important thrust area for the Institute. With an array of programmes designed by a faculty body with a stellar record of research, teaching, and industry engagement, the Executive Education programme at IIM Nagpur equips managers and executives with the capabilities to perform effectively in their current roles and take up greater challenges through various stages of their careers.
About TimesPro:
TimesPro, established in 2013, is a leading Higher EdTech platform dedicated to empowering the career growth of aspiring learners by equipping them with skills to rise in a competitive world. TimesPro’s H.EdTech programmes are created to meet the rapidly changing industry requirements and have been blended with technology to make them accessible & affordable.
TimesPro offers a variety of created and curated learning programmes across a range of categories, industries, and age groups. They include employment-oriented early career programmes across BFSI, e-Commerce, and technology sectors; executive education for working professionals in collaboration with premier educational institutions like IIMs and IITs; and organisational learning and development interventions at the corporate level.
TimesPro also collaborates with India’s leading organisations across varied sectors to provide upskilling and reskilling solutions to boost employability and create a robust workforce. TimesPro is a Higher EdTech initiative by The Times Group.
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