You can code. But mostly in systems you control.
In AI FDE
Learn to enter an unfamiliar codebase, understand how it works, and ship inside systems you didn't build.
Vietnam Chapter
For engineers who can build but haven't faced a client yet
- Start in Vietnam learn the FDE role, build for a day & meet your cohort
- Build for 10 weeks Turn a prototype into a system & learn to manage clients
- Finish in Bangalore Take a real partner company's problem & ship it in 36 hours
1+ year of pre-requisite technical experience
Vietnam Chapter Starts 6 Dec 12 Weeks Programme
A structured way into the FDE role
Taught by engineering leaders from companies building with AI
Is this you?
FDE Cohort is for you, if
You can build an AI demo. You don't know if it can survive production.
In AI FDE
Build with real data, integrations, security, evals and infrastructure - not just a demo that works on your laptop.
You're technically strong. But you've never owned a problem with a client.
In AI FDE
Learn to understand the brief, challenge assumptions, make trade-offs and defend what you build in front of the company.
You want to become an FDE. But you have nothing that proves you can do the job.
In AI FDE
Solve a real company problem under a real deadline, ship the system and leave with proof of how you operated.
The Deployed journey
From first build to real-world delivery.
Day 01
Meet the Cohort
An evening with a technical leader on what makes the FDE role different.
Day 02
Ship a Live Product
Scope a small idea and build it in a pod, live on a real URL by dinner.
Day 03
Production-ready Python
Python for production systems: structure, typing, error handling, logging and more.
Day 04
Frame the Right Solution
Turn vague problems into clear, client-ready technical decisions
Weeks 02–03
Data pipelines, APIs and access
Pull in data from APIs, webhooks and files. Build a versioned API in FastAPI. Secure it with OAuth, SSO and role-based access.
Weeks 04–05
Client systems and cloud
Connect to legacy SQL databases and SOAP services. Design the deployment, then deploy it on AWS or Azure.
Weeks 06–07
Shipping and the model layer
Containers, CI/CD and Terraform. How LLMs work, how to choose one, and how to get reliable output from it.
Weeks 08–09
Retrieval and agents
RAG with citations and evals. Agents that use tools over MCP, with limits and approval steps.
Weeks 10–11
Security, monitoring, cost & Your Capstone Project
PII handling, guardrails and tenant isolation. Logging, tracing and alerts. Load testing and cost per client. You build your capstone project in Week 11.
Your capstone
Build something your work actually needs.
One production-grade AI product, built in the last online build week and deployed live, with your own data, an agent that acts, and a security check before it ships
Engineering
AI Legacy Application Migration
Build an AI migration system for the legacy codebase of an order-management application that nobody fully understands anymore. It reads the codebase, extracts buried business rules into specs the business signs off on, rewrites modules on a modern stack, and proves each one matches the original by replaying real production transactions through both. The code never leaves the client's network, and the old system keeps running until every module passes.
- Tools
- FastAPI AWS /Azure Docker CI/CD Claude /Gemini /OpenAI Vector store GitHub
Customer Experience
AI Voice Support Agent
Build a multilingual voice agent for a national broadband provider that gets 50,000 calls an hour during outages. It answers in Hindi, English, Kannada, and Tamil, checks live outage status, explains bills, resets routers, and books technician visits, handing over to a human with full context when needed. It runs in-region, responds in under 1.5 seconds, and holds up under a 10× outage spike.
- Tools
- FastAPI OAuth2 /SSO AWS /Azure Docker CI/CD Hugging Face Vector store
Sample capstones from the program
The faculty
Learn from the top 0.1% of practitioners.
Practitioners in FDE Roles. Leaders working across AI, Cloud, Machine Learning & Product Engineering.
Aditya Birla Group
Pankaj Rai
Group Chief Data & Analytics Officer
Thomson Reuters
Shirsha Ray
Senior Director, Applied Research
Simplismart
Shubhendu Shishir
Head of Engineering
Microsoft
Deepak Kasera
Senior Engineer, Cloud & AI
Intuit
Saksham Arora
Backend Engineering Lead, Identity
PayPal
Mohit Uniyal
Senior ML Engineer
Microsoft
Vandita Kamath
AI Deployment Strategist
PromptQL
Gourav Kushwaha
Forward Deployed Engineer
Valiance Solutions
Vishnu Sanketh Bonthu
Forward Deployed Engineer
Ericsson
Amit Singh
Google Authorized Trainer
Day 1 · The Brief
Understand the Problem
Get the company problem statement, team up, define the scope, and plan your approach.
Day 2 · The Build
Build the solution
Build, test, iterate, and refine your solution with your team.
Day 3 · The Final 5
Present. Connect. Learn.
Teams that shipped, present to the companies. Followed by an AI conference.
The cohort ends in a room full of builders.
How to apply
₹999 to apply.
You pay nothing more unless you're selected.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and seats are limited.
- Step 01
Submit your application
Pay ₹999 (non-refundable) and tell us about the systems you've built and shipped.
- Step 02
Applications are reviewed
We look at how well you code, how you work with people, and whether this is the right next step for you.
- Step 03
Attend your counselling
If selected, talk to the team about the programme, the travel and the commitment.
- Step 04
Reserve your seat with ₹5,000
Non-refundable, but adjusted against the full program fee. Seats are limited and released in the order they are blocked.
- Step 05
Complete your enrolment
Pay the balance and that's it. You get access to the cohort and pre-reading material.
Programme starts on 6 Dec 2026
The fee
What you put in.
One fee, paid in stages. You pay nothing beyond ₹999 unless you are selected.
₹1,75,000 +GST
₹999 application *₹5,000 seat reservation *Balance before you start
Included
- Accommodation during the scheduled Vietnam and Bangalore stay: shared rooms and all scheduled meals.
- All practitioner and mentor sessions across twelve weeks.
- Templates, runbooks and learning materials.
Not included
- Travel to Vietnam and Bangalore, and commute to the venue.
- Passport and visa costs.
- Cloud and model credits, hosting and APIs during the online phase.
- Laptop and working setup.
*The ₹999 application fee and ₹5,000 seat reservation are non-refundable.
The ₹5,000 seat reservation is adjusted against your full programme fee. Refunds follow the Refund & Withdrawal Policy.
FAQ
Questions worth answering before you apply.
What exactly is the FDE Cohort programme?
FDE Cohort is a hands on programme focused on equiping you with technical and soft skills required for you to excel in an FDE role.
It is designed to challenge you with real life problems and scenarios that an FDE faces in their work.
Who is this programme for?
Minimum fluency in programming is pre-requisite for the course.
As a proxy, at least one year of technical experience in software, data, programming or a similar hands-on technical role is required.
But if you think you still have the basic foundations required, we encourage you to go ahead and apply.
Do I need to know coding before joining?
Yes. You should already be comfortable writing code. The programme builds further into production systems, integrations, infrastructure, AI and client environments.
I use AI tools but I’m not a strong programmer. Can I apply?
You can apply, but prior technical experience and comfort with code are important.
Is this a placement programme?
No. The program builds technical skills, real-world exposure, and problem-solving ability that strengthens your readiness for FDE roles across domains.
Does everyone join the Bangalore phase of the programme?
The final residential phase in Bangalore is for learners who meet the required progression criteria during the online phase: a minimum overall score of 45% across all evaluations and at least 65% attendance, including both live and recorded learning components.
How is the programme structured?
Three phases: A residential phase in Vietnam, ten weeks of online learning and building, followed by the final residential phase in Bangalore and final presentation.
What happens during the online phase?
You work across technical and client-facing FDE skills. Technical areas would cover APIs, authentication, legacy systems, infrastructure, agents, security, observability.
Do recorded sessions count toward attendance?
Yes. Watching the officially provided recording counts toward your attendance percentage, subject to the program’s attendance tracking process.
Do I need my own laptop?
Yes. Bring a personal laptop capable of running the required development environments and programme tools.
Are paid AI tools, cloud credits or subscriptions included?
No. Any paid AI tools, APIs, cloud credits or software subscriptions required for your build must be arranged and paid for by you.
Is the residential phase mandatory?
Yes. The residential components are an integral part of the programme and include immersive learning, build days, industry exposure and the final engineering challenge.
What happens during the first residential phase?
First residential phase covers the FDE orientation, technical problem diagnosis frameworks and industry exposure, your first MVP build and networking with your fellow builders.
Will I get time to explore during the residential phase?
The official schedule will be structured and intensive. Any free time outside it is yours to use independently and at your own expense.
What happens during the final residential phase in Bangalore?
The final on-site experience includes a 36-hour hackathon, followed by solution presentations.
What is the 36-hour build?
Your final engineering challenge - Hackathon: understand a problem, build, integrate and present a working solution under real-world time and system constraints.
What is Demo Day?
Demo Day is where you present and defend your solution not just what you built, but why you made the engineering decisions behind it.
Are airport transfers included during the residential phases?
No. Travel to and from the residential venues in Vietnam and Bangalore, including airport transfers, is not included in the program fee.
Who arranges my passport and visa?
You do. A valid passport, appropriate visa, supporting documents and compliance with immigration requirements are entirely your responsibility.
Will Masai help me apply for my visa?
No. Masai does not provide visa consultancy, application support or visa guidance. Please rely on official embassy, consulate or immigration sources.
What if my visa is delayed or rejected?
Visa decisions are made solely by the relevant authorities. Programme fee and refund policies continue to apply, so we strongly recommend applying well in advance.
Is accommodation included during the official residential dates?
Yes, during the officially communicated residential dates. Additional nights before or after the programme dates are not included.
Can family or friends join me?
They may travel independently, but companions are not included in programme accommodation, activities, transport or other arrangements.
Will local transport be provided?
Transport will be arranged for scheduled programme activities mentioned in the official itinerary. Personal travel outside the itinerary is not included.
Do I need to submit medical information before travelling?
Yes. A Medical Fitness Certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner is mandatory before the residential phase. It helps confirm that you are fit to participate and ensures any relevant medical needs are disclosed in advance. Any medical consultation, treatment, medication, hospitalisation or related expenses incurred during the residential phase will be borne by the participant and not covered in the program fees.
Do I need travel or medical insurance?
Yes. You must arrange suitable travel and medical insurance before travelling and is not covered in the program fee.
What food options will be available during the residential phase?
Meals will follow a pre-defined menu, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options available. Any special meal requirements outside the standard menu will need to be arranged and managed by the participant at their own expense.
Application window open Apply Now
Can you take over a system you have never seen?
Twelve weeks. Real systems, real constraints.
Starts 6th Dec 2026. Every application is reviewed personally.