AI Course Fees in India (2026): What You Pay at Each Level and Why

How much does an AI course cost in India, by type?

It helps to sort AI courses into six types before comparing prices. Each type buys you something different, so a ₹299 course and a ₹2 lakh course are not really competing for the same job.

Course type	Typical format	Examples with listed fee (checked September 2026)
Free courses	Self-paced video, quizzes, optional exam	NPTEL Introduction to Machine Learning: free to study, optional certification exam ₹1,000. IBM SkillsBuild Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals: free, digital credential after graded quizzes and a final assessment.
Low-cost MOOC certificates	Self-paced, 5–10 hours	upGrad with Microsoft Generative AI Foundations: ₹299. Google AI Essentials on Coursera: US$20 a month on Google’s India page.
Short institute courses	Live online, a few weeks	IIT Kanpur Applied Machine Learning and Agentic AI (7 weeks): ₹20,815 to ₹42,008 depending on category and registration date.
Live cohort bootcamps	Live classes plus projects, 4–7 months	ISS AI & Agentic Systems (16 weeks): ₹69,999, or ₹66,499 paid upfront. iHUB DivyaSampark IIT Roorkee with Intellipaat, Advanced Certification in Data Science and AI (7 months): ₹65,000 + GST.
University and IIT/IIM executive certificates	Live or blended online, 5–7 months	IIIT Bangalore with upGrad Executive PG Programme in Applied AI and Agentic AI (7 months): ₹1,40,000. IIT Delhi CEP Certificate Programme in Data Science, AI and ML (6 months): ₹1,50,000 + 18% GST. IIT Delhi CEP Advanced Certificate Programme in AI, ML and DL (6 months): ₹1,95,000 + 18% GST. IIM Kozhikode with upGrad AI for Business Professionals (6 months): ₹1,99,000.
Long career programs	Online part-time, 12–15 months	Scaler AI & Machine Learning Program with Agentic AI: ₹3,99,000.

Full degrees such as a BTech or MTech in AI are a separate category with admission exams and multi-year fees. Check the institution’s own fee page, as degree fees vary widely by institute and category.

What do you get from a free AI course?

Free courses are a genuinely good way to start. NPTEL courses are taught by IIT and IISc faculty, and you can watch every lecture at no cost. You pay only if you want a certificate, which needs a proctored exam at a centre. NPTEL’s rule is at least 40% in assignments and 40% in the final exam.

IBM SkillsBuild and Google’s free introductory generative AI modules give you digital badges for a few hours of learning. What free courses usually lack is live teaching, feedback on your own projects and a deadline that keeps you going. Our list of free AI courses with a certificate explains what each free credential proves.

What makes one AI course cost more than another?

Five factors explain most of the gap between a ₹20,000 course and a ₹2 lakh course:

1. Live teaching hours. Recorded video scales to thousands of learners at almost no cost. Live classes, doubt sessions and mentor time cost money every week.
2. Duration. A 7-week course and a 15-month course are priced very differently, even if the monthly cost is similar.
3. Project review. Someone has to read your code or test your automation and tell you what to fix. This is labour-intensive and one of the most valuable parts of a paid course.
4. Institution brand. IIT, IIIT and IIM certificates carry a premium. You are partly paying for the name on the certificate, and sometimes for campus immersion days or alumni status.
5. Career services. Mock interviews, resume reviews and job-search guidance add cost. Read carefully what is included, and remember no course can promise a job.

Which extra costs should you budget for?

The headline fee is rarely the full cost. Before you compare prices, add these:

• GST. Some providers quote fees plus 18% GST. IIT Delhi CEP lists ₹1,50,000 + 18% GST, which comes to ₹1,77,000 in total. Others quote a GST-inclusive or tax-free figure. Compare like with like.
• EMI interest. “No-cost EMI” usually means the lender’s interest is absorbed or built into the price. Ask for the total amount you will pay across all instalments.
• Exam and certificate fees. NPTEL certificates need a ₹1,000 exam fee per course. Some cloud certifications charge a separate exam fee that varies by country.
• Tools and subscriptions. Some AI tools have free tiers that are enough for learning; others need a paid plan for serious projects. Ask which paid tools, if any, the course expects you to buy.
• Travel. Campus immersion days in Delhi, Roorkee or Kozhikode are optional in some programs, but travel and stay are usually on you.

What does the ISS AI & Agentic Systems program cost, and what is included?

The ISS program fee is ₹69,999. If you pay upfront, you get 5% off, so you pay ₹66,499. Instalments are discussed with the admissions team. The full breakdown is on our fees page.

• Format: 16 weeks, about 12–14 hours a week, with live weekend classes and a mid-week doubt-clearing session. New cohorts start on the 15th of every month.
• What you build: prompt libraries, research reports, content systems, automations with tools like n8n, Zapier and Make, RAG knowledge bots and AI-built apps, ending with a portfolio capstone.
• Career support: resume, LinkedIn and portfolio review, mock interviews and job-search guidance. ISS does not guarantee jobs or placement.
• Applying: free. You apply, have an admissions call, receive an offer, and pay only after you accept.
• Refunds: 100% before Week 1, 75% during Weeks 1–2, and none from Week 3.

The ISS program suits people who want to build AI workflows and tools without a coding degree. If you want a Python-heavy ML engineering path, a longer engineering program from the table may fit you better.

How do you know if an AI course is worth the fee?

Divide the fee by the live teaching hours and the number of reviewed projects. A ₹70,000 course with weekly live classes and five reviewed projects may be better value than a cheaper course with none. A ₹2 lakh certificate may be worth it if the institution name matters in your industry or company.

Then check the fit. Read the week-by-week syllabus and ask whether it matches the roles in our AI career roadmap for India. For salary context before you invest, see how to compare AI salaries in India. Treat any salary figure in a brochure as the provider’s claim until you see how it was measured.

What should you ask before paying for an AI course?

1. What is the total fee including GST, and the total amount if I pay in instalments?
2. How many live hours are there each week, and on which days and times?
3. Who reviews my projects, and how many projects get written feedback?
4. What is the refund policy, in writing, and what is the last date for a full refund?
5. Which institution issues the certificate, and is it the university itself or a partner?
6. How were any placement or salary figures calculated, and over what period? (No course can guarantee a job.)
7. Which paid tools, if any, will I need to buy during the course?

For a broader framework, read How to Choose an AI Course in India, or compare specific options in our guide to generative AI courses in India.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average AI course fee in India?

There is no meaningful single average because course types differ so much. Based on official pages checked in September 2026, free courses cost nothing to study, short IIT courses cost about ₹20,000 to ₹42,000, live bootcamps cost about ₹65,000 to ₹70,000, university-partner certificates cost about ₹1.4 to ₹2 lakh, and long career programs can cost about ₹4 lakh.

Are there free AI courses in India with a certificate?

Yes. NPTEL courses are free to study, and you can take an optional proctored certification exam for ₹1,000. IBM SkillsBuild offers free AI courses with digital credentials. Check each provider’s page for current rules.

Why are IIT AI certificate courses expensive?

IIT executive certificates usually include live faculty sessions over several months, graded assessments, projects and sometimes campus immersion. You also pay for the institution’s name on the certificate. Fees are often quoted before 18% GST, so check the total.

What is the ISS AI & Agentic Systems program fee?

The fee is ₹69,999, or ₹66,499 if paid upfront. Instalments are discussed with admissions. Applying is free and you pay only after accepting an offer. Refunds are 100% before Week 1, 75% in Weeks 1 to 2, and none from Week 3.

Is an expensive AI course more likely to get me a job?

Not automatically. Employers look at what you can build and explain. A higher fee usually buys more live teaching, longer duration or a bigger institution name. Judge a course by its projects, feedback and fit with your target role, and be wary of any course that promises placement.

Sources and methodology

• NPTEL, Introduction to Machine Learning (course page): optional certification exam fee of ₹1,000. NPTEL FAQ: certificate pass criteria. Checked September 2026.
• IBM, Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals credential (Credly) and IBM SkillsBuild: free, earning criteria. Checked September 2026.
• upGrad, Generative AI Foundations with Microsoft: ₹299 fee. Checked September 2026.
• Grow with Google India, Google AI Essentials: monthly price. Checked September 2026.
• IIT Kanpur, Applied Machine Learning and Agentic AI: fee table. Checked September 2026.
• iHUB DivyaSampark, IIT Roorkee, Advanced Certification in Data Science and AI: ₹65,000 + GST, 7 months. Checked September 2026.
• upGrad, IIIT Bangalore Executive PG Programme in Applied AI and Agentic AI: ₹1,40,000. Checked September 2026.
• IIT Delhi CEP, Certificate Programme in Data Science, AI and ML (Batch 12) and Advanced Certificate Programme in AI, ML and DL (Batch 8): fees, duration. Checked September 2026.
• upGrad, IIM Kozhikode AI for Business Professionals: ₹1,99,000. Checked September 2026.
• Scaler, AI & Machine Learning Program with Agentic AI: ₹3,99,000. Checked September 2026.
• ISS fee, refund and format details come from our fees page and program page.

Method: every fee above is copied from the provider’s official page as listed in September 2026. We did not include any fee we could not find on an official page. The course-type groupings and the “what drives price” section are the ISS Editorial Team’s analysis. Fees change often; check the provider’s current page before paying.

Next steps

If a live, project-based program in the ₹70,000 range fits your budget, compare the AI & Agentic Systems curriculum and the fee options with the courses above.

When you are ready, apply for free. You pay only after an admissions call and an offer you choose to accept.