The FDP was inaugurated on 15^th September 2025 by Dr. B Ahuja, Working Chairperson, Sadhu Vaswani Mission and Vice-Chancellor, JSPM University in the presence of Mr. Robin Banerjee, Chairman, Nucleon Research Ltd and Ms. Lavina Khemchandani, Senior Director – Product Management, Audible and Dr. B H Nanwani, Director, Sadhu Vaswani Institute of Management Studies.

Mr. Shivi Gupta, AI Coach & Engineering Manager at Cognizant, conducted a session on Agentic AI, focusing on autonomy in AI decision-making and the ethical responsibilities tied to its use. He highlighted risks such as bias, discrimination, and privacy violations, citing real-world cases like Amazon’s recruitment tool. The DRAFTED framework—Integrity, Diversity, Robustness, Accountability, Fairness, Transparency, Explainability, and Data Privacy—was introduced to guide ethical AI practices. Case studies and global perspectives, including the EU AI Act, were discussed to stress the need for universal standards. Participants left with a structured approach to evaluating ethical issues and a sense of responsibility in fostering responsible AI.

The next session introduced participants to prompt engineering as a key skill for using GitHub Copilot and other generative AI tools to boost productivity and inclusivity. It covered techniques for crafting effective prompts, designing with emotional user experience in mind, and using persona-based approaches to ensure compliance and multidimensional feedback. A case study on the Hairy Potter e-commerce platform showcased AI’s role in building accessibility features. Legal and ethical considerations, including copyright and responsible AI practices, were also discussed. Overall, participants learned how to balance productivity, inclusivity, and compliance while addressing risks through human oversight.

The day highlighted the transformative role of Generative AI in education, research, and data analysis. The first session introduced participants to tools like Elicit, Scispace, Humata.ai, RawGraphs, ResearchRabbit, Napkin.ai, and Mylens, showing their applications in literature reviews, semantic search, PDF querying, data visualization, citation mapping, brainstorming, and personal knowledge management. The second session offered a hands-on workshop with Julius AI, Avidnote, Sammell.ai, and Mylens.ai. Through practical exercises, Dr. Mulay demonstrated how these platforms can streamline data exploration, automate repetitive research workflows, and generate actionable insights to enhance teaching, learning, and academic decision-making.

Dr. Suresh Namboothiri discussed how Generative AI can support interdisciplinary research by connecting concepts across domains, assisting in literature reviews, problem framing, and hypothesis generation. He highlighted its role in pedagogy by aligning with OBE frameworks, enabling personalized learning, automating assessments, and simulating viva interviews. He also explained how AI can enhance Design Thinking by accelerating ideation, prototyping, and testing. In the second session, he conducted a case study demonstrating the practical application of Generative AI in academic and research problem-solving, offering participants hands-on exposure to prompt engineering and interdisciplinary approaches.

The session highlighted the synergy of Generative AI and Quantum Computing in driving breakthroughs in cybersecurity, prediction, and automation. Dr. Kathrin Kind explained the quantum stack, compared AI and quantum strengths, and stressed ethical adoption, addressing privacy, security, and technical challenges. Real-world use cases, including zero-day threat detection, showcased practical impact. The session offered a futuristic, inspiring perspective, reminding us that “the future belongs to those who can merge intelligence with responsibility.”

The session covered key aspects such as why Quantum AI is important, what Quantum Computing is, and its applications and future potential, giving participants a clear understanding of its fundamentals and integration with Artificial Intelligence. The discussion highlighted the transformative role of this next-generation technology in solving complex computational problems, driving innovation, and shaping the future of industries.

This session explored the role of quantum security in transforming AI and cybersecurity through quantum computing. Key principles such as superposition and entanglement were discussed, highlighting their application in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for secure communication. The concept of qubits was compared with classical bits, showing their advantage in computational efficiency. The vulnerabilities of traditional encryption methods like RSA and ECC were examined, stressing the urgency of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). While quantum security offers unmatched protection, challenges remain in emulation and integration. Finally, the session emphasized AI’s role in driving new encryption methods and enhancing data-driven applications, underscoring both the promise and the need for continued innovation.

The session focused on how well-structured prompts shaped the quality of AI-generated responses. Dr. Batra explained five essential components of effective prompting: defining the context, specifying the task, giving clear instructions, adding clarifications, and executing the prompt. To demonstrate, participants were asked to create a LinkedIn post. The first prompt set the context, followed by a check on whether the AI had understood it. Participants then compared outputs generated by different AI models, observing variations and learning how to refine prompts further. The exercise was enhanced by including elements such as future growth, collaboration, and visibility.

The highly interactive format kept participants engaged and helped them appreciate the importance of prompt refinement. Dr. Batra concluded by emphasizing that while AI was a powerful tool, it was humans who remained in control. By using appropriate prompts, he stressed, we could generate meaningful and suitable outputs that aligned with our goals.

The session highlighted how AI and ML are transforming cybersecurity by enabling predictive, adaptive, and automated defense. He shared insights on securing containers, serverless environments, IDS/IPS, DDoS defense, and firewalls through AI-driven anomaly detection, proactive blocking, self-securing pipelines, and dynamic micro-segmentation. The key message was clear: AI is no longer just supportive but a core enabler of intelligent, proactive, and future-ready cybersecurity.

Dr. Anindita Banerjee’s session on quantum security traced the journey of cryptography from ancient cipher devices like the Scytale, Caesar Wheel, ENIGMA, and Bombe to modern quantum-safe encryption. She explained the differences between classical and quantum security, emphasizing unique advantages such as information-theoretic security, non-locality, and the use of quantum principles like superposition, the no-cloning theorem, and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. Key topics included the role of quantum random number generators in creating true randomness, the CHSH test in demonstrating entanglement and Bell inequality violations, and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols for secure key exchange. Real-world examples and visualizations helped illustrate how quantum technologies are shaping the future of secure communication.

Dr. Sharnil Pandya’s “AI for Wellness” session highlighted how AIoMT and health informatics enhance healthcare through automation, data science, and machine learning. He contrasted traditional programming with adaptive AI, shared a case study on air pollution monitoring, and explained neural networks’ role in predictive wellness and decision-making.

Dr. Pandya’s next session - AI for Acoustics highlighted how neural networks, CNNs, and tools like librosa enable the detection and recognition of ambient sounds in residential settings. Key topics included model optimization, spectral feature extraction, and practical demonstrations, with a case study on an assistive framework and a Smart Sanitizer prototype showcasing real-world AI-driven acoustic applications.

The valedictory session of the AICTE Training and Learning Academy Program on Next-Gen Technologies in Action – Generative AI and Quantum Computing was held on 20th September 2025 at Sadhu Vaswani Institute of Management Studies for Girls (SVIMS), Pune.

The session was graced by the presence of Honourable Pro-Vice Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Dr. Parag Kalkar, as the Chief Guest. In his address, Dr. Kalkar emphasized the growing importance of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing in shaping the future of engineering, management, and research. He highlighted the need for continuous learning, adaptability, and interdisciplinary collaboration as essential skills for students and professionals to remain relevant in the dynamic technological landscape.