Residential Training Programme on Unlocking Competitive Advantage through Machine Learning & AI | 19–24 July 2026

The Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) successfully conducted a six-day training programme titled “Unlocking Competitive Advantage: Leveraging Machine Learning AI for CPSEs and SLPEs” sponsored by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The programme was held at Marigold Hotel, Begumpet, Hyderabad, and brought together executives (E0–E9 grade) from Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and State Level Public Enterprises (SLPEs) from across the country. The programme was coordinated by Prof. Shaheen, IPE, who also anchored couple of the core sessions through the week. This edition follows on the success of an earlier IPE-DPE programme on AI for CPSEs and SLPEs conducted in September 2025, encouraged by the positive response it received from participating enterprises.

The programme was inaugurated by Prof. S. Sreenivasa Murthy, Director, IPE, and opened with a session on AI’s role in transforming public sector enterprises by Shri B Prasada Rao, Former CMD, BHEL.

Over the following days, 23 sessions covered a wide spectrum of AI and Machine Learning themes relevant to public enterprises. These spanned core AI/ML concepts, data strategy, and data governance; the national AI policy landscape and global frameworks; AI applications in predictive maintenance, demand forecasting, and asset management; Natural Language Processing and Generative AI for enterprise productivity; responsible AI, ethics, and change management for building an AI-ready culture; AI in financial audit, cybersecurity, and DPDP Act compliance; computer vision, industrial AI, and AI procurement strategy; and sector-specific deep-dives into energy, mining, defense, and infrastructure.

Sessions were led by an eminent panel of academicians, policymakers, and industry practitioners. From IPE, Prof. Shaheen, the programme coordinator, led sessions on core AI/ML concepts and on generative AI and LLMs for enterprise productivity, while Dr M A Nayeem and Dr P Kalyani of IPE covered predictive maintenance for asset management and an interactive AI-awareness quiz, respectively. Academic partners included Prof G Narahari Sastry of IIT Hyderabad on data strategy and governance; Prof D Venkata Srinivas Kumar and Prof Atul Negi of the University of Hyderabad on predictive analytics/demand forecasting and responsible AI respectively; Dr V Anil Kumar and Dr Kasturi S V Sekhar of IIIT Hyderabad on NLP applications and change management; Prof V Ravi of IDRBT, who led two sessions on sector-specific AI applications and on ESG and sustainability; and Dr S K Rithvik of IIT Gandhinagar, who spoke on the technical foundations of modern AI.

The programme also drew on senior voices from government and industry. Shri C V Sridhar, Mission Director, AP State Quantum Mission, Amaravati Quantum Valley, spoke on the national AI policy landscape, while Shri B Prasada Rao, Former CMD, BHEL, opened the programme with a session on AI’s transformative role in public sector enterprises. Dr Prasanna Gunturu, Head, SUPRA, addressed both financial audit automation and cybersecurity/DPDP Act compliance. Shri Srini Chilukuri, Founder & CEO of TensorGo Software Private Limited, and Shri Bala Peddagiri, CIO, TCS, covered computer vision for industrial AI and AI procurement strategy respectively. The closing sessions were led by Dr Venkatarama Srikanth Rachakulla, an AI Advisory Leader, on scaling AI implementation, and Shri Laxmi Prasad, CEO and Director Sales, H4IT Solutions, who facilitated the participant presentations and peer-feedback exercise.

The programme saw participation from 25 executives representing 18 CPSEs and SLPEs from across the country, spanning sectors such as mining and minerals, power and energy, heavy engineering, infrastructure and construction, defense, shipbuilding, fertilizers, telecom, and road transport. Participating organizations included Uranium Corporation of India Ltd., Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd., Northern Coalfields Ltd., Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Cement Corporation of India Ltd., Braithwaite Burn & Jessop Construction Company Ltd., National Handloom Development Corporation Ltd., Grid Corporation of Odisha Ltd. (GRIDCO), India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd., NewSpace India Ltd., Cochin Shipyard Ltd., Fertilizers and Chemicals (Travancore) Ltd., RailTel Corporation of India Ltd., Hindustan Copper Ltd., Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Ltd., and Bharat Dynamics Ltd. Participants were organised into five teams for the duration of the programme, encouraging peer learning and collaborative engagement with the training content.

A highlight of the programme was a hands-on Site/T-Hub visit, giving participants direct exposure to live AI implementations in action. The programme concluded with participant presentations on an “AI Commitments Wall,” where executives shared actionable AI-adoption plans for their organisations, followed by a Valedictory Session and Certificate Distribution addressed by Dr Anesh Kumar Sharma, Former CMD, Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), and Prof S Sreenivasa Murthy, Director, IPE.

The programme reaffirmed IPE’s continued commitment to building future-ready leadership capabilities in India’s public sector enterprises.