Ashoka School of Business Launches PGDM in AI & Data Science for Quant Finance with ₹3 Crore Live Trading Fund

Hyderabad: Ashoka School of Business has launched India's first Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) in AI & Data Science for Quantitative Finance, giving students access to a ₹3 crore live trading fund from day one—unprecedented in Indian management education.

The programme debuts as algorithmic trading accounts for over half of India's market turnover, yet the industry faces a critical shortage of professionals combining quantitative finance skills with AI-powered trading strategies.

Real Capital, Real Learning

Unlike traditional courses using simulations, ASB's PGDM embeds real capital trading into core curriculum. Students manage actual funds from the ₹3 crore corpus, trading equities, derivatives, and other instruments under expert supervision.

"Managing actual positions in volatile conditions teaches risk control, emotional discipline, and strategy execution far better than theory alone," says the programme director.

Wall Street-Grade Data Access: Bloomberg & Reuters Integration

ASB provides students direct API access to Bloomberg Terminal and Reuters Eikon platforms - the same data feeds powering trillion-dollar global investment decisions. Students work with:

• Real-time global market data streams across 150+ countries
• Advanced analytics for derivatives pricing, volatility surfaces, and correlation matrices
• Credit research databases with institutional-grade bond analytics
• Economic calendars and sentiment indicators used by central banks
• Alternative datasets including satellite imagery and social sentiment analysis

Students graduate with hands-on experience navigating information architecture driving ₹50,000+ crore daily institutional trading decisions.

Direct Pipeline to ₹10+ Crore Capital Deployment

ASB has forged exclusive partnerships with Asset Management Companies offering immediate institutional capital deployment roles. Top graduates secure positions where they:

• Trade institutional portfolios starting from ₹10 crore capital allocations
• Earn performance-based incentives through profit-sharing models (typically 15-25% of alpha generated)
• Manage diversified strategies across equity long-short, derivatives arbitrage, and quantitative momentum
• Access proprietary research platforms and institutional order flow data
• Report directly to fund managers overseeing ₹1000+ crore AUM

Students with demonstrated live trading performance often receive pre-placement offers with guaranteed capital allocations before graduation.

Revolutionary "Expiry Week Intensive" Hybrid Model

ASB pioneered a unique learning structure maximizing flexibility and market exposure:

• Monthly Physical Presence: Students must be present
• one week every month during monthly expiry week
• Market Hours Availability: Full availability during trading hours (9:15 AM - 3:30 PM) during intensive weeks
• Dual Location Access: Intensive weeks at either ASB campus trading lab or directly at partner AMC offices
• Online Delivery: All remaining sessions conducted online

This ensures students experience high-intensity trading during the most volatile week of each cycle, when options premiums decay rapidly and institutional activity peaks, while maintaining flexibility for working professionals.

Institutional-Grade Infrastructure

The dedicated trading lab features NSE SMART access - identical to institutional desks - including real-time market data, advanced charting software, options analytics platforms, algorithmic trading systems, and portfolio-level risk dashboards.

Practitioner Faculty

Teaching relies on active market professionals: Chartered Market Technicians (CMTs), Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF) holders, and fund managers overseeing portfolios worth hundreds of crores. These experts bring firsthand market cycle experience into classrooms.

Curriculum for Modern Markets

Six-trimester structure includes:
• Foundation: Live options trading, technical analysis, market microstructure
• Quantitative Core: Statistical modeling, time series analysis, portfolio optimization
• AI Integration: Machine learning for price prediction, NLP sentiment analysis, deep learning models
• Professional Data Mastery: Bloomberg Terminal certification, Reuters Eikon analytics, API development
• Institutional Simulation: Managing ₹50 lakh+ positions with real P&L consequences
• Capstone Deployment: AI trading systems executed with real capital

Graduates achieve 400+ hours live market exposure, Python/R proficiency, Bloomberg certification, and verified trading track records.

Meeting Industry Demand

With India's derivatives market exceeding ₹100 lakh crore monthly turnover, brokerages, prop trading desks, fintech firms, and asset managers increasingly seek professionals who can build algorithmic strategies, apply AI to forecasting, and manage portfolio risk.

Admissions & Eligibility

Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree with 50%+ marks
• Valid CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, or ATMA scores
• Age limit: Maximum 40 years (flexible case-by-case for exceptional market experience)
• Commitment to monthly expiry week physical presence during market hours

Selection: Group discussions, interviews, and trading temperament assessment using live market scenarios.

Investment: ₹12 lakh total fees with scholarships for merit. ROI typically recovered within first year through profit-sharing incentives alone.

Unprecedented Opportunity

This programme represents India's first institutional-grade quantitative trader creation through Wall Street-level academic infrastructure. With professional data terminal access, innovative hybrid learning, and direct pathways to institutional capital, ASB bridges academic finance and real-world trading floors.

India's derivatives market evolution demands professionals combining quantitative expertise with AI implementation. ASB graduates are positioned to meet this demand - whether through AMC trading desk placements or entrepreneurial prop trading ventures. For more details on PGDM in AI & DS for Quant Finance, click here.

For admissions details and partnership information, visit the official ASB website

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