AI course fees in India in 2026 span ₹0 to ₹10L+. Most of that variance is brand premium, not training quality. The right metric isn't fees — it's cost-per-shipped-project. This post breaks down what each category actually costs and what you get.
AI course fee categories in India 2026
- Free university-affiliated theory programs — ₹0, semester-paced, 90%+ drop off
- Short bootcamps (4–8 weeks) — ₹35k–₹80k, mixed quality
- Mid-length programs (3–6 months) — ₹80k–₹1.5L, certificate-focused
- Long PG diplomas with university branding (9–12 months) — ₹1.5L–₹4L
- Placement-guarantee bootcamps (9–12 months) — ₹3L–₹4L, single-outcome focus
- Multi-year academic degrees (M.Tech / PhD) — ₹1L–₹10L over 2-4 years
Cost-per-shipped-project — the metric that matters
A ₹4L program shipping 0 deployed projects is infinity-per-project. A ₹50k bootcamp shipping 3 projects is ₹16.7k per project. ONROL's persona-first 5-day cohort is consistently in the best-value tier when measured by this ratio.
Hidden fees to ask about before paying
- GST — most India-priced courses add 18% on top
- API fees during the program — some make you pay $20-100/month for API usage
- Recordings access fee — some charge separately for recordings
- Certificate issuance fee — some charge ₹2k-₹10k extra
- Community access duration — most expire after 3-6 months
- Refund policy — anything beyond 7 days is suspicious