212 Hyderabad Faculty Members Graduate From HYSEA Project Drona 2.0 AI Training

A total of 212 faculty members from 33 institutions graduated from the "Project Drona 2.0" training program during a convocation ceremony hosted in Hyderabad. The nine-month industry-academia initiative, spearheaded by the Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) in collaboration with the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK), focused on equipping educators with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and future-ready teaching skills.

The program, which is one of the largest of its kind in Telangana, aims to strengthen faculty capabilities in AI, leadership, curriculum innovation, and industry engagement. By providing educators with essential knowledge, tools, and direct industry exposure, the initiative seeks to better prepare students for an increasingly AI-driven workplace.

The entire learning pathway was delivered through the Infosys Springboard digital learning platform. The comprehensive curriculum featured 14 specialized AI learning modules, five leadership courses, four distinct AI certifications, and various industry-oriented capstone projects.

While 212 educators successfully completed the full pathway to graduate at the ceremony, an additional 185 faculty members are continuing to progress toward their own certification milestones. In total, faculty members representing more than 60 engineering institutions across the state are participating in the second edition of the program.

Several prominent education officials attended the convocation to address the graduates. Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) Chairman V. Balakista Reddy and JNTU Hyderabad Vice Chancellor Kishen Reddy both spoke at the event. The speakers underscored the growing importance of having AI-fluent educators in classrooms, as well as the need for stronger industry-sponsored research and collaborative consulting engagements.

HYSEA President Flt. Lt. Bipin Pendyala also spoke at the event, reaffirming the commitment of the IT industry body to deepen the collaboration between businesses and academic institutions in Hyderabad. He stated that the association plans to expand the reach of future editions of the Drona program.