XLRI AI-LEAD™: Strategic Leadership for the AI Era
XLRI's AI-LEAD™ is a 10-month executive programme crafted for senior leaders navigating AI-enabled organisational transformation. The programme develops adaptive leadership capacity, sharpens AI and strategic judgment, and equips leaders to redesign organisations for sustainable AI adoption. Delivered through live online sessions and a 3-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur, it integrates leadership, systems thinking, and applied AI understanding.\n\nParticipants progress through seven structured phases covering orientation, personal adaptive capacity, AI clarity and strategic judgment, organisational redesign, leading transformation, ethics and culture, and integration. A hands-on capstone presentation anchors learning in real-world application. Rather than focusing on tools or technology training, the programme builds governance frameworks, decision-making rigour, and long-term organisational resilience.\n\nDesigned for CXO-1 and CXO-2 level professionals including EVPs, SVPs, VPs, AVPs, business unit heads, and functional heads across operations, HR, strategy, digital, and technology, the programme enables participants to translate AI adoption into strategic alignment and measurable business impact. Graduates earn an Executive Development Programme certification jointly awarded by XLRI Xavier School of Management and XLEAD.
Instructors:
Dr. Rahul Chandra Sheel
English
Course Start Date:
27th Jun, 2026
Application Deadline:
Closing Soon
Duration:
10 Months
₹ 2,39,000
Overview
XLRI's AI-LEAD™: Strategic Organizational Leadership for AI Era is a 10-month executive programme that addresses a critical gap in today's organisations — the absence of leadership readiness to sustain AI-enabled transformation. While AI adoption has become a strategic imperative, many initiatives fail due to fragmented systems and leaders unprepared for the complexity of enterprise-wide change. This programme provides a structured and rigorous learning journey that develops the adaptive leadership capabilities required to navigate this reality.
The programme is built around seven phases of learning, moving participants from foundational orientation through personal adaptive capacity, AI clarity and strategic judgment, organisational redesign, leading transformation, ethics and culture, and finally integration and commitment. Each phase is designed to build on the previous, creating a coherent and progressive development arc. A capstone presentation at the close of the programme challenges participants to apply their learning to a real transformation challenge, ensuring practical impact.
Delivered through live online sessions and anchored by a 3-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur, the programme offers the flexibility of distance learning alongside the depth of residential engagement. Faculty-led discussions, a senior peer cohort, and XLRI's academic environment combine to create a high-quality, executive-grade experience. Participants earn a jointly awarded Executive Development Programme certification from XLRI Xavier School of Management and XLEAD.
Why Leadership & Management?
AI-LEAD™ stands apart by addressing the dimension of AI adoption that most programmes overlook — leadership itself. While the technology landscape shifts rapidly, the foundational challenge for organisations is not capability but governance, judgment, and people readiness. This programme is designed specifically for senior leaders who understand that, and who seek structured development that operates at the intersection of AI understanding, leadership effectiveness, and organisational design.
The programme is co-credentialed by XLRI Xavier School of Management, one of India's most prestigious business schools, lending it both academic rigour and professional recognition. The curriculum is structured around seven progressive phases, ensuring that learning builds systematically and is grounded in real-world applicability. The inclusion of a 3-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur provides an experience of peer-level engagement, reflective depth, and institutional connection that online programmes alone cannot offer.
For senior leaders responsible for enterprise outcomes, this programme offers the rare combination of conceptual depth, applied learning, ethical framing, and community that sustains transformation beyond the classroom. It is not a course about AI tools — it is a programme about becoming the kind of leader who can guide organisations through lasting, responsible AI-enabled change.
What does this course have to offer?
Key Highlights
10-month executive programme designed for senior leaders at CXO-1 and CXO-2 levels
Live online delivery with a 3-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur
Seven-phase structured curriculum covering leadership, AI strategy, ethics, and organisational redesign
Hands-on capstone presentation anchoring learning in real transformation challenges
Jointly awarded certification by XLRI Xavier School of Management and XLEAD
Peer cohort of senior leaders from diverse industries
Focus on governance, judgment, and adoption — not tools or technology training
Direct to Device programme mode for seamless access
Who is this programme for?
CXO-1 and CXO-2 level professionals including EVPs, SVPs, VPs, AVPs, Business Unit Heads, and Functional Heads
Leaders accountable for enterprise or function-level transformation and organisation-wide change initiatives
HR and OD professionals driving workforce transformation, capability development, and culture alignment for AI adoption
Strategy and business leaders reimagining models in AI-enabled environments
Senior technology professionals focused on AI adoption, governance, and organisational integration
Founders and entrepreneurs in AI-intensive sectors scaling organisations and building governance and leadership systems
Minimum Eligibility
Senior leader at CXO-1 or CXO-2 level (EVP, SVP, VP, AVP, Business Unit Head, Functional Head)
Accountable for enterprise or function-level transformation initiatives
Background in operations, HR, strategy, digital, technology, or related fields
Statement of Purpose (SoP) required
Final admission decided by XLRI Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur
Who is the programme for?
Admission to XLRI AI-LEAD™ is based on a holistic evaluation of each candidate's academic background and professional experience. Applicants are required to submit a Statement of Purpose (SoP) as part of their application, which enables the admissions team to assess leadership intent, transformation experience, and readiness for the programme. Final admission decisions are made solely by XLRI Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, after reviewing all submitted profiles.
The application process involves six steps: paying the application fee, completing the online application with required documents, undergoing review by the academic and admissions teams, receiving an offer letter, paying the programme fee as per the payment schedule, and gaining access to the learning portal.
Academically, the programme spans 10 months and is structured across seven progressive phases followed by a capstone presentation. The curriculum integrates leadership development, systems thinking, AI and strategic judgment, organisational redesign, ethics, and culture. The 3-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur forms a core academic component, providing intensive classroom sessions, faculty-led discussions, and reflective peer learning in a residential setting.
Selection process
How to apply?
Curriculum
The AI-LEAD™ curriculum is structured into seven progressive phases, each building on the previous to create a coherent leadership development arc. Phase 1 establishes orientation and foundations, introducing participants to the programme's framework and the leadership context of AI-enabled transformation. Phase 2 develops personal adaptive capacity, equipping leaders with the self-awareness and resilience required for complex change environments.\n\nPhase 3 sharpens AI clarity and strategic judgment, enabling participants to evaluate AI investments, assess risks, and make sound decisions about adoption priorities. Phase 4 focuses on organisational redesign for AI, exploring how structures, processes, and systems must evolve to support AI integration at scale. Phase 5 addresses leading transformation and learning, developing the skills to mobilise teams, manage change resistance, and sustain momentum across large organisations.\n\nPhase 6 embeds ethics, culture, and long-term resilience, ensuring that AI adoption is responsible, inclusive, and aligned with organisational values. Phase 7 integrates all prior learning into a commitment framework, preparing participants to translate their development into action back in their organisations. The programme concludes with a capstone presentation in which participants apply their learning to a real-world transformation challenge.
There are 8 semesters in this course
The programme unfolds across seven structured phases, each progressively building the leadership capabilities required for AI-enabled transformation. The first phase orients participants to the programme's conceptual framework, establishing shared language and grounding the cohort in the leadership challenges of AI adoption across industries. The second phase deepens personal adaptive capacity, exploring how senior leaders can develop greater self-awareness, cognitive flexibility, and emotional resilience in the face of accelerating change.\n\nThe third phase addresses AI clarity and strategic judgment — equipping leaders with the frameworks to evaluate AI use cases, understand deployment risks, and make sound strategic choices without requiring deep technical expertise. Building on this, the fourth phase examines how organisations must be redesigned to enable AI at scale, covering structural, process, and cultural dimensions of enterprise transformation. The fifth phase focuses on leading transformation and learning, exploring how leaders sustain organisational momentum, manage resistance, and build learning cultures that continuously adapt.\n\nThe sixth phase addresses the ethical, cultural, and resilience dimensions of AI adoption, ensuring leaders develop governance frameworks that are responsible, transparent, and values-aligned. The seventh and final taught phase brings all learning together into an integration and commitment framework, supporting participants in defining the specific leadership commitments they will carry back into their organisations. The programme culminates in a capstone presentation, in which each participant presents a transformation initiative grounded in the full arc of their AI-LEAD™ learning journey.
Phase 1: Orientation and foundations
Phase 2: Personal adaptive capacity
Phase 3: AI clarity and strategic judgment
Phase 4: Organisational redesign for AI
Phase 6: Ethics, culture and long-term resilience
Phase 7: Integration and commitment
Capstone presentation
Programme Length
10 months of live online learning, including a 3-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur.
Whom you will learn from?
Learn from top industry experts who bring real-world experience and deep knowledge to every lesson. The instructors are dedicated to help you achieve your goals with practical insights and hands-on guidance.
Instructor
Dr. Rahul Chandra Sheel
Associate Professor, XLRI Jamshedpur
Dr. Rahul Chandra Sheel is an Associate Professor of organisational behaviour at XLRI, Xavier School of Management, and a Fellow of IIM Ahmedabad. He brings deep expertise in organisational design and leadership development, critical to modern business management education. Professor Sheel has an established track record of training executives through company programmes for multiple organisations, including Coca-Cola India, NTPC, JSW, Powergrid, ONGC, Indian Oil, Tata Steel, Tata Capital, L&T, and Asian Paints. He also launched India's first Leadership and Change Management programme and led 10 batches of the programme, training more than 1100 executives. Dr. Sheel is an active contributor to the academic community and has presented at several international conferences, including the Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Chicago (2024) and the Academy of Management in Seattle (2022).
Tuition Fee
Specific fee details for the XLRI AI-LEAD™ programme are not published on the programme page and are available on enquiry. Prospective participants are encouraged to contact a TimesPro Programme Advisor for a personalised fee consultation. Payment is structured as per a published schedule provided following receipt of an offer letter. Participants are required to pay an application fee prior to submitting their full application, after which the programme fee is payable in accordance with the agreed schedule before accessing the learning portal.
Fee Structure
Payment options
Learning Experience
AI-LEAD™ delivers a blended learning experience that combines the flexibility of live online sessions with the depth of a residential campus immersion. The online component is delivered directly to participants' devices and follows a structured phase-by-phase curriculum, with expert faculty from XLRI guiding participants through conceptual frameworks, applied models, and leadership reflection exercises. Sessions are live and cohort-based, enabling real-time engagement with faculty and peers from diverse senior leadership backgrounds.
The 3-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur forms a high-intensity academic anchor within the broader programme. During this residential period, participants engage in intensive classroom sessions, faculty-led discussions, and collaborative exercises with a carefully selected senior peer cohort. The immersion is intentionally structured to provide space away from day-to-day responsibilities, enabling deeper reflection on leadership challenges and organisational transformation. Participants gain direct exposure to XLRI's academic environment, values, and institutional legacy.
The programme concludes with a capstone presentation, requiring participants to synthesise their learning into a coherent, applied transformation initiative. This ensures that the programme's impact extends beyond knowledge acquisition into tangible leadership commitment. Throughout the programme, participants build meaningful professional relationships with senior leaders from a wide range of industries, creating a peer network of lasting value.
University Experience
XLRI Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, is one of India's oldest and most respected business schools, with a legacy of developing principled and effective business leaders. Founded in 1949, XLRI is renowned for its rigorous academic standards, values-driven culture, and commitment to ethical leadership. The school holds a strong national and international reputation and is consistently ranked among the top management institutions in India.
Participants in AI-LEAD™ gain access to XLRI's academic environment during the 3-day campus immersion at Jamshedpur, experiencing firsthand the institution's culture of scholarship, integrity, and community. The programme is jointly co-credentialed with XLEAD, and the certification awarded upon completion carries the institutional weight of XLRI's standing in the business and academic community.
Through the programme, participants become part of a broader XLRI executive community, gaining connections with faculty, alumni, and senior peer cohort members. TimesPro, as the programme delivery partner, provides additional support through dedicated Programme Advisors, the learning portal, and access to a wide ecosystem of executive education resources and institutional partnerships across leading Indian and international academic institutions.
Testimonials
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About the University
Founded in 1949, XLRI Jamshedpur is one of the oldest and most prestigious management institutes in India. Located in Jamshedpur, it was established by the Jesuit community and is known for its focus on human resource management and business administration. XLRI offers a range of management programs, including the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), which is highly regarded in the industry.
9
NIRF Management Rank
503
Total Students
100%
Placement Rate
Affiliation & Recognition
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Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
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Association of MBAs
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National Board of Accreditation
Faculties
These are the expert instructors who will be teaching you throughout the course. With a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience, they're here to guide, inspire, and support you every step of the way. Get to know the people who will help you reach your learning goals and make the most of your journey.
Instructor
Dr. Rahul Chandra Sheel
Associate Professor, XLRI Jamshedpur
Dr. Rahul Chandra Sheel is an Associate Professor of organisational behaviour at XLRI, Xavier School of Management, and a Fellow of IIM Ahmedabad. He brings deep expertise in organisational design and leadership development, critical to modern business management education. Professor Sheel has an established track record of training executives through company programmes for multiple organisations, including Coca-Cola India, NTPC, JSW, Powergrid, ONGC, Indian Oil, Tata Steel, Tata Capital, L&T, and Asian Paints. He also launched India's first Leadership and Change Management programme and led 10 batches of the programme, training more than 1100 executives. Dr. Sheel is an active contributor to the academic community and has presented at several international conferences, including the Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Chicago (2024) and the Academy of Management in Seattle (2022).
Career services
The Career Services at XLRI provide comprehensive support to students through a structured placement process. The institute organizes pre-placement talks, recruitment drives, and extensive industry interactions. In 2024, XLRI achieved a placement rate of 100%, with participation from numerous leading companies across various sectors including consulting, finance, and technology.
100%
Placement Rate
29.89 LPA
Average Package
75 LPA
Highest Package
Course Start Date:
27th Jun, 2026
Application Deadline:
Closing Soon
Duration:
10 Months
₹ 2,39,000
Frequently asked questions
Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about this course. We aim to provide clear and concise answers to help you better understand the course content, structure, and any other relevant information. If you have any additional questions or if your question is not listed here, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team for further assistance.