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PROGRAMME LEADERSHIP
Prof. Saibal Chattopadhyay
Director, Academic Programmes — TCG CREST
Leads academic programme design at TCG CREST. Concurrently Chairman of India's National Statistical Commission, MoSPI.
Admission open for September 2026 - 27 Kolkata
M.Sc · One-Year Full-Time Programme
Frontier Intelligence and Autonomous Agents
A research-led programme for those who want to master intelligent systems, autonomous reasoning and the emerging architecture of agentic AI.
ProgrammeDuration & Format
01YEAR
A full-time, one-year postgraduate programme delivered entirely on campus.
Seats Reserved forthe First Cohort
125SEATS
Total seats available across the inaugural batch of the programme.
Structure of theAcademic Year
03TERMS
The full academic year is divided into three teaching terms.
Research Centres Behindthe Programme
06TCG
Six TCG CREST research centres anchor the programme's teaching and research.
Next CohortIntake Date
SEP'26
The full academic year is divided into three teaching terms.
Why this
Programme
The future of intelligent systems demands more than technical familiarity. It calls for rigorous understanding, systems thinking, and the ability to engage deeply with emerging paradigms of intelligence. TCG CREST's MSc in Frontier Intelligence and Autonomous Agents is designed to prepare students for this shift through intensive academic training, research-led inquiry, and industry-linked learning.
Curriculum
Three terms, One continuous argument
1
TERM I
Foundations of Intelligent Systems
Mathematical and computational grounding — linear algebra, probability, optimization — alongside the architecture of modern reasoning systems.
2
TERM II
Autonomous Agents & Multi-Agent Systems
How an agent plans across multiple steps, uses tools, recovers from failure, and coordinates with other agents toward a shared goal.
3
TERM III
Capstone & Applied Research
A faculty-supervised project building a working autonomous system end to end, under the same rigour as a research thesis.
An honest comparison, not a sales pitch
The table is real: this one-year programme isn't a shorter version of the same thing. It compresses focused, agentic-systems depth into twelve months — which means the experience along the way moves faster than a typical two-year computer science degree.
Conventional M.Tech
Duration2 Years
ScopeBroad AI/ML Survey
CohortLarge, Mixed-track
CapstoneOften Optional
May Not Be Ideal
M.Sc IN FIAA
Duration1 Year
ScopeAgentic Systems, Depth First
Cohort125 seats, Single track
CapstoneMandatory, Faculty Supervised
Programme Highlights
One-Year
Intensive Format
A focused and immersive academic experience designed for deep engagement.
Frontier
Intelligence Focus
Explore intelligent systems, autonomous agents, reasoning architectures, and emerging AI paradigms.
Research-Driven Curriculum
Grounded in strong mathematical and computational foundations.
Industry Integration
Designed with strong industry linkage and applied problem-solving exposure.
Capstone Project
Opportunity to work on real-world challenges through guided project-based learning.
Eligibility
Know before Applying.
Minimum 16 years of formal Education
4-year Bachelor's degree
or a relevant postgraduate qualification
Minimum qualifying marks
as per admission guidelines
Who Could Apply
Final-year
UG Students
Final-year
PG Students
Early-career
Professionals
Industry-sponsored
Candidates
Why TCG CREST
Built on a strong doctoral and research-led academic foundation
Rooted in The Chatterjee Group's legacy of institution building
Industry-backed academic ecosystem with a future-facing orientation
Programme Details
Class Begin
September 2026
Location
Kolkata
Format
Full-Time
Learn from the Minds Shaping AI
Work alongside internationally trained researchers whose expertise spans machine learning, intelligent systems, computational science, and autonomous agent technologies.
PROGRAMME LEADERSHIP
Prof. Swagatam Das
Mentor — IAI, TCG CREST · Professor, Indian Statistical Institute
Ph.D. (Engineering), Jadavpur University. Control engineering and electronics expert. Provides senior research mentorship to the FIAA programme.
CORE FACULTY
Dr. Shibasish Dasgupta
Professor of Practice — IAI, TCG CREST
Ph.D., Statistics, University of Florida. Postdoctoral Fellow, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle. Statistical inference · Biostatistics · Data-driven AI systems.
CORE FACULTY
Dr. Avisek Gupta
Assistant Professor — IAI, TCG CREST
Ph.D., Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. Intelligent systems · Data-driven decision making.
CORE FACULTY
Dr. Proloy Das
Assistant Professor — IAI, TCG CREST
Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park. Signal processing · Applied machine learning.
CORE FACULTY
Dr. Sourav Bhaduri
Assistant Professor — IAI, TCG CREST
Ph.D., Ghent University, Belgium. Scientific computing · Applied AI systems.
CORE FACULTY
Dr. Md Sahidullah
Assistant Professor — IAI, TCG CREST
Ph.D., Speech Processing, IIT. Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Eastern Finland. Speech security & privacy · Speech analytics · Healthcare AI.
CORE FACULTY
Dr. Rima Hazra
Assistant Professor — IAI, TCG CREST
Published researcher on LLM alignment and safety—including AURA, a risk-aware alignment technique for large language models. LLM alignment & safety · Autonomous systems governance.
CORE FACULTY
Dr. Saikat Goswami
Research Associate — IAI, TCG CREST
Ph.D. in Mathematics, RKMVERI & TCG CREST. Studies the limits of AI agents in mathematical reasoning and discovery. AI reasoning limitations · Formal methods in AI.
COLLABORATING FACULTY
Dr. Debapriyo Majumdar
Assistant Professor — Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
Ph.D., Computer Science, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Germany. Information retrieval · NLP · Computer vision.
COLLABORATING FACULTY
Dr. Sudeepa Roy
Associate Professor — Duke University, USA
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania. Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Washington. Databases · Data management · Scalable data analysis.
COLLABORATING FACULTY
Prof. Debmalya Panigrahi
Professor — Duke University, USA
Ph.D., Theoretical Computer Science, MIT. Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google Research. Algorithm design & analysis · Computational complexity.
COLLABORATING FACULTY
Prof. Barna Saha
Professor — University of California San Diego, USA
Ph.D., Computer Science. Former Associate Professor, UC Berkeley. Algorithm design · Fine-grained complexity.
COLLABORATING FACULTY
Prof. Arya Mazumdar
Professor — University of California San Diego, USA
Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park. Machine learning theory · Algorithmic statistics · Optimisation.
Programme Fee Structure
Invest in a future shaped by Frontier AI. Our transparent fee structure is designed with milestone-based instalments, making it easier to plan your academic journey with confidence.
Total Programme Fee
₹25,00,000
Rupees Twenty-Five Lakh only
Payable across 5 milestone-linked instalmentsInstalment Schedule
Linked to key milestones across the admission and academic journey.
| No. | Milestone | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | At the time of application | ₹25,000 |
| 2 | Within 7 days of receiving the offer letter | ₹2,25,000 |
| 3 | Within 7 days of completion of the Preparatory Module | ₹7,50,000 |
| 4 | Within 7 days of completion of Term 1 | ₹7,50,000 |
| 5 | Within 7 days of completion of Term 2 | ₹7,50,000 |
| Total | ₹25,00,000 | |
Withdrawal & Refund Policy
- •Instalment 1 (₹25,000, paid at the time of application) is non-refundable under all circumstances, as it covers the cost of application processing and evaluation.
- •If a candidate withdraws after paying Instalment 2 but before commencement of the Preparatory Module, 50% of Instalment 2 will be refunded; the remaining 50% will be retained towards seat-blocking and administrative costs.
- •If a candidate withdraws after the commencement of the Preparatory Module or any subsequent term, the instalment(s) paid for that stage and all prior stages are non-refundable. No refund will be made for instalments corresponding to academic terms or modules already commenced, regardless of attendance.
- •No future instalment is payable once a candidate has formally withdrawn, provided written notice of withdrawal is submitted to the Admissions Office before the due date of the next instalment.
- •All refunds, where applicable, will be processed within 30 working days of receipt of a written withdrawal request, after deduction of any amount specified above.
Student Loan Assistance
To make quality education more accessible, TCG CREST has partnered with leading banks and NBFCs to help eligible students finance their education with competitive loan options.
Students securing
80%+ UG SCORE
may be eligible for education loans without collateral or parental security.
Collateral
NOT REQUIRED
Eligible candidates can apply under partner NBFC schemes without collateral.
Moratorium
COURSE + 6MONTHS
Repayment begins after the moratorium period.
Interest rate from
9.5% PER ANNUM
indicative, subject to lender credit assessment.
Lending Partners
HDFC CredilaDigi MitraOther BanksOther Banks
Lending
PartnersHDFC CredilaDigi MitraOther BanksOther Banks
PartnersHDFC CredilaDigi MitraOther BanksOther Banks
How it works
•Apply for the loan via the partner desk using your FIAA admission ID
•Receive a sanction letter typically within 7–10 working days
•Submit KYC, academic and (if applicable) co-applicant income documents
•Disbursal is made directly against your instalment schedule
Need Assistance?
Our Admissions Team will guide you through the complete education loan process—from selecting the right lending partner to documentation, application, and disbursement.
Outcomes
We are the first batch.We'd rather say that plainly.
What we cannot yet show you
A placement record. Alumni outcomes. Years of graduate salary data. Any institution claiming otherwise for a first cohort is not being straight with you.
What we can show you
The curriculum itself, in full, before you apply. The named faculty who will teach you, and what they have published. A capstone process built around real industry problem briefs. And a degree from a UGC-recognised research university — not a certificate of completion
Discover What's Happening at FIAA
From interactive webinars and informative conversations to admission deadlines and scholarship updates, never miss an opportunity to engage with the FIAA programme.
UpcomingJuly 3, Friday | 5:00 PM
Is an MSc in Agentic AI worth it?
A Faculty & Industry Roundtable
Get real perspective. Ask the right question. Make an informed choice for your future in AI. Discover the knowledge, industry exposure, and research foundations needed to engage with the next era of Al.
Upcoming18 July 2026
CHRO Roundtable
The hiring conversation usually happens after course completion. We moved it earlier.
We didn't wait for a placement season to ask what employers actually want. We asked before the first class even finished Term I.
Upcoming25 July 2026
You Don't Need a CS Degree
No legacy to protect means no gatekeeping to defend.
Older institutions inherit assumptions about who belongs. We don't have those yet — so we built the door wider on purpose.
Upcoming1 August 2026
Is ₹25,00,000 Worth It?
An institution's asset is honesty about its price.
We don't have decades of reputation to lean on. So we're leaning on transparency instead — starting with the fee itself.
Upcoming8 August 2026
Last Call: Early Bird Closes
Early, by definition, ends
Being early was the whole pitch. That window is closing on its own schedule, not ours.
Latest News & Updates
Stay informed with the latest announcements, admission updates, webinars, curriculum developments, scholarships, and important milestones from the FIAA programme.
3rd July, 2026
Is an MSc in Agentic AI Worth It? — Faculty & Industry Roundtable
A live webinar featuring TCG CREST faculty and industry leaders on the case for and against this emerging specialisation.
June, 2026
Application open for Batch 2026-27
The inaugural FIAA cohort begins September 1, 2026, with 75 seats available across a single-track, full-time programme.
May, 2026
Preparatory modules announced for non-CS applicants
A structured bridge track allowing strong candidates from any 4-year Bachelor's background to join Term I on equal footing.
2nd July, 2026
Is an MSc in Agentic AI Worth It? — Faculty & Industry Roundtable
A live webinar featuring TCG CREST faculty and industry leaders on the case for and against this emerging specialisation.
Admissions
Five steps. One interview, guaranteed.
Every eligible candidate receives a personal interview. There is no black-box rejection. A student loan partner can be applied for as part of your application.
01
Application
02
Document Review
03
Personal Interview
04
Offers
05
Enrolment
Stories That Shape the Future of AI
Dive into quick, engaging reels that showcase breakthrough ideas, expert opinions, campus experiences, and the people driving the next generation of intelligent systems.