Strategic Applied AI for HR Leaders at IIT Bombay: Eligibility Criteria, Admission Process & Requirements

AI is changing how companies work, decide, and lead. But the biggest impact is not on machines. It is on people. That is why HR leaders are in such an important position. 

Deloitte reports that 66% of C-suite leaders consider moving beyond traditional organizational functions important, but only 7% report making great progress.

The idea behind this programme is simple. HR leaders should not only adopt new technology. They should guide their organizations through the behavioral, ethical, and strategic shifts that come with it. This programme helps you build the judgement to do that responsibly and with people at the centre. 

The IIT Bombay AI course for HR professionals is a 5-month programme with live online sessions and two campus immersions at IIT Bombay. It is facilitated by Prof. Soumya Rajan, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at SJM School of Management, IIT Bombay.     

Here is the quick snapshot:

• Duration: 5 months
• Mode: Live online sessions plus 2 mandatory campus immersions
• Total learning: 55.5 hours (39 hours online and 16.5 hours on campus)
• Class schedule: Sundays, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM 
• Commencement: 5th February 2027, with Academic Orientation and the opening campus immersion
• Admission closure date: 25th January 2027
• Awarded by: Educational Outreach, IIT Bombay 

Educational Outreach itself has a solid track record. It has upskilled over 35,000 professionals, delivered 800+ programmes and partnered with 300+ corporate and government organizations. So you are learning within a well-established system, not a one-off experiment.   

What makes this course different is its focus. It is not a coding bootcamp. It looks at AI through an HR and leadership lens: how work is changing, how people react, where algorithms need human oversight, and how to build a responsible roadmap for your own organization.   

Let us get to the question most readers care about first. Here is how the Strategic Applied AI for HR Leaders eligibility works.

Work experience

• A minimum of 10 years of work experience is preferred.
• Candidates with 8 to 9 years of experience may be considered selectively.

If you fall in that 8 to 9 year range, the decision depends on three things: the seniority of your role, the scope of your responsibility, and your exposure to strategic HR or organizational decisions. In other words, what you have actually handled matters as much as the number of years. 

Primary requirement

The main requirement is that you hold strategic, managerial, or decision-making responsibility within HR. This is a programme for people who shape decisions, not just carry them out.

What you do not need

This part surprises many people. You do not need a technical background, coding knowledge, or an engineering or technology education. If you can lead teams and think strategically about people, you already have the foundation the programme expects. 

This AI programme for senior HR leaders is designed for a fairly wide group within the people function. It suits: 

• Senior HR managers and HR leaders
• HR Heads and functional HR leaders
• HR Business Partners
• Learning and Development Heads
• GCC HR leaders
• Talent, culture, performance, and people-function leaders
• HR transformation and organization-design professionals
• Senior professionals aspiring to CHRO roles
• HR leaders in startups and mid-sized organizations who often act as the de facto CHRO

The IIT Bombay HR programme admission process is straightforward. It follows five clear steps: 

• Check your eligibility. Review the experience and role requirements above and see where you stand.
• Submit your application. Fill in the application form with your details and work experience. An application fee of INR 2,000 + GST applies. It is non-refundable but adjusted against your programme fee.
• Screening and shortlisting. Your profile is reviewed against the eligibility criteria. This is where seniority, responsibility, and strategic exposure come into play.
• Admission and fee payment. If you are shortlisted, you receive your admission offer and complete the fee payment.
• Book your seat. Once payment is done, your seat in the batch is confirmed.

One practical tip: do not wait until the last week. The admission closure date is 25th January 2027, and the first programme activity, a technical orientation, is scheduled for 30th January 2027, just days before the opening campus immersion on 5th and 6th February. Applying early gives you time to plan your schedule and travel. 

Before you enroll, it helps to know what the programme expects from you week to week.

Attendance

A minimum of 80% attendance is mandatory. Both campus immersions are compulsory too. The opening immersion is on 5th and 6th February 2027, and the closing immersion and valediction is on 16th and 17th July 2027. Session recordings are shared only at the faculty’s discretion, so plan to attend live.  

Weekly time commitment

You will need about 3 hours every Sunday afternoon. For a senior professional with a packed calendar, that is manageable, but it does need to be protected time.  

Assessment

The programme uses a mix of methods rather than one big exam:

• Case Analysis 1: 30%
• Case Analysis 2: 30%
• Individual Strategic Recommendation: 25%
• Online Knowledge Checks: 15%

There is also an optional individual capstone project. You can use it to build something genuinely useful for your workplace, such as an AI-in-HR transformation roadmap, an organizational readiness assessment, a governance framework, or an HR process redesign proposal.  

One detail to note: capstone presentations at the closing campus immersion are not considered for the assessment.

The curriculum is spread across nine modules. Here are the main themes in plain language:

• AI, organizations, and the future of work. Understand generative AI, machine learning, and automation, and the difference between automating a task and augmenting a person.
• Behavioural responses to AI and technological change. Explore why employees feel fear, resistance, or excitement, and how to build trust and psychological safety during change.
• Algorithmic management, surveillance, and workplace behaviour. Look at fairness, dignity, and autonomy when systems monitor and guide work.
• Human capabilities for the AI era. Identify which skills matter more now, from AI literacy and prompting to empathy, ethical reasoning, and adaptability.
• AI in HR processes. Spend three full sessions on recruitment, workforce analytics, performance management, and HR decision systems, including questions of bias and accountability. 
• Leadership, culture, and transformation. Learn how to lead through uncertainty and build adaptive cultures.
• Wellbeing and responsible AI. Cover stress, burnout, technostress, privacy, transparency, and AI governance.
• Strategic integration lab. Bring everything together into a practical transformation roadmap.

What keeps this from feeling like a lecture series is the applied format. You will work through simulations, role plays, debates such as “Should AI decide promotions?”, recruitment tool evaluations, and peer consulting. The programme also includes three industry masterclasses led by senior practitioners.

The programme fee is INR 2,00,000 + GST, and easy EMI options are available. As mentioned earlier, the INR 2,000 + GST application fee is counted towards this amount.

A few things to keep in mind on cost:

• The campus immersion is chargeable separately and is not part of the programme fee.
• Food, accommodation, and travel for the immersions are your own responsibility.

Certification 

Participants who pass the individual-level assessment receive a Certificate of Completion. Others receive a Certificate of Participation. Both are awarded by Educational Outreach, IIT Bombay. 

Participant benefits

You get soft copies of learning materials, hard copies during the campus immersion if needed, an EO ID card during the immersion and limited library access on campus. To set the right expectations, the programme does not provide an institute email ID or e-Alumni status.  

Here is a simple way to decide. This programme is likely a good fit if: 

• You have a decade or so of experience and hold real decision-making responsibility in HR.
• You are being asked about AI strategy but do not yet have a clear framework to answer.
• You care about the human, ethical, and cultural side of AI, not just the tools.
• You can commit three hours every Sunday and attend both campus immersions.

It may not be the right fit if you are early in your career, or if you are looking for hands-on coding and data science training. This programme is about leadership judgement, not building models.

The real value here is not a certificate. It is the confidence to walk into a boardroom and talk about AI, people, and risk in a way that is grounded and credible. With the cohort you meet on campus, you also gain a peer group of senior HR leaders facing the same questions. 

Enroll in the Programme Today!

Get expert assistance and personalised guidance throughout your application process.

Strategic Applied AI for HR Leaders at IIT Bombay offers a focused, practical route for experienced HR professionals who want to lead AI transformation responsibly. The eligibility criteria are clear, the admission process is simple, and the requirements are realistic for working leaders. 

If you meet the criteria, start by checking your eligibility and keeping your profile and experience details ready. With admissions closing on 25th January 2027, a little early planning goes a long way.