Indore's SGSITS Rolls Out Undergraduate Programme In Robotics And AI

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) has introduced a Bachelor of Engineering in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, becoming the first government-aided engineering college in Madhya Pradesh to do so. The programme begins in the academic session 2026-27, marking a major expansion in emerging technology education.

The move has been approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and forms part of a broader academic restructuring aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The institute has also received approval for BDes (Design) and Civil Engineering (Hindi Medium), each with an intake of 30 seats. The robotics and artificial intelligence programme will also have 30 seats.

SGSITS marks this milestone amid rising demand for automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals. With this, the state gains a government-backed hub for specialised engineering education, which was earlier largely limited to private institutes or out-of-state options.

Students in Madhya Pradesh previously had to opt for private institutions or move out of the state for specialised robotics degrees. With SGSITS, a 70-year-old institute, entering this space, access expands for merit-based students through JEE Main counselling.

The introduction comes amid growing demand for automation experts. India’s AI market is projected to contribute $967 billion to the national economy by 2035. The programme aims to make advanced technology education more accessible in the government system.

The institute director, Neetesh Purohit, said the decision was driven by the widening gap between industry requirements and the availability of specialised engineers. "Industry demand is no longer limited to conventional engineering roles. It is shifting rapidly towards robotics, artificial intelligence, automation and intelligent systems," Purohit said.

"Sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, defence and infrastructure are increasingly dependent on automated and AI-driven solutions," he added. Purohit noted that organisations now seek engineers skilled across robotics design, machine learning and control systems as integrated fields.

He said most engineering graduates are still exposed to these technologies at a later stage rather than at the undergraduate level. "There is a clear mismatch. Industry is moving fast, but academic structures are still catching up," he said.

Purohit added the programme is structured to address the gap from the beginning of the degree cycle, integrating core engineering principles with applied robotics, artificial intelligence and automation. He further said the objective is improved employability in emerging sectors. "The aim is to produce engineers ready for the technology ecosystem already taking shape, not one of the past," he said.

AICTE coordinator Amit Naik said the approval reflects readiness in infrastructure and faculty, while Dean ASRD Lalit Purohit said the initiative is expected to strengthen research, innovation and startup culture at the institute.

Local-global model

SGSITS has designed a "local-global" model for the 2026 academic cycle, combining advanced technology education with regionally accessible learning.

The Global Track will focus on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence in English, targeting Industry 4.0 technologies. The Grassroots Track will offer civil engineering in Hindi for students aiming at state infrastructure and engineering services.

Neetesh Purohit said the aim is to ensure equal access to technical education. "Language should not become a barrier between the student and engineering concepts," he said.

He added that an earlier Hindi-medium biomedical engineering attempt had limited uptake but helped refine the current model, which is better aligned with field-based requirements in government infrastructure work.