IIT Kharagpur's new digital school ditches traditional degrees
IIT Kharagpur just launched the Jyoti Chatterjee School of Digital Engineering, Applied AI, and Machine Learning on March 3, 2026.
This new school shifts away from traditional degrees and instead puts research and real-world industry projects front and center.
It's backed by a generous $5 million pledge from alumnus Dr. Jyoti Chatterjee over five years.
Industry and real-world projects at the forefront
The focus here is on hands-on innovation—think digital engineering, next-gen computing, and deep neural networks all working together.
The school will establish industry-hosted laboratories and AI testbeds, and enable co-development platforms with industry and government, so it's not just theory but actual problem-solving with companies.
Focusing on 'sovereign AI' for India
The school is teaming up with IIT Kharagpur's medical science wing and local hospitals to test out AI in real healthcare settings—from early prototypes to full deployment.
As Director Suman Chakraborty puts it, the goal is "sovereign AI" for India—building homegrown tech that can power healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and smart systems across the country.