For nearly eight years, Kaushal Prajapati worked in the petrochemical industry, handling responsibilities as a production supervisor at ONGC Petro additions Ltd. His routine involved night shifts and a daily commute of around six hours. Alongside his job, he pursued a degree in data science, gradually preparing for a transition into artificial intelligence and machine learning.By May 2026, Prajapati had completed the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Applications programme from IIT Madras. Within a month, he moved into a full-time AI-ML engineering role at Newral in Noida, marking a shift from his earlier career in the chemical and petrochemical sector.
From petrochemical operations to data science
Prajapati’s professional journey began in the petrochemical industry after he completed a diploma in chemical and petrochemical engineering. He joined ONGC Petro additions Ltd as a production supervisor in 2017 and continued working there until May 2026.The job required him to manage industrial responsibilities, including night shifts. With a commute of approximately six hours a day, finding time for formal education was a challenge.However, he enrolled in IIT Madras’ online BS programme in Data Science and Applications in 2022. The programme allowed him to continue his employment while studying subjects related to programming, mathematics, statistics and computing.He also pursued a minor in Economics as part of his academic journey.
He failed Python once, then earned an S grade
Learning programming while working full-time came with its own difficulties. Python, one of the foundational subjects in data science, proved challenging for Prajapati during his first attempt.He did not clear the course initially. Rather than abandoning the programme, he attempted it again and subsequently secured an S grade, the highest grade category in the institute’s grading system.His academic record also included project work. He received recognition for a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) project in May 2024 and a software engineering project in September 2025.These projects formed part of his progression from a conventional engineering background towards practical computing and machine learning skills.
How IIT Madras helped him make the career switch
Prajapati completed the BS programme in May 2026 with a CGPA of 7.60. His coursework included data science, programming and related technical subjects, while his minor in Economics added another area of study.The degree was pursued alongside his job rather than after leaving the workforce. This meant that his transition involved balancing industrial responsibilities with academic assignments, examinations and projects.His experience also illustrates how online degree programmes can offer working professionals an opportunity to pursue formal technical education without immediately giving up their existing employment.
From ONGC to an AI-ML engineering role
According to his LinkedIn profile, Prajapati joined Newral as a full-time AI-ML Engineer in June 2026, based in Noida. He has also undertaken freelance AI-ML engineering work since May 2025.His current areas of work include agentic AI, reinforcement learning and AI evaluation tasks.The move represents a change in both his professional domain and the technical skills he uses at work. From supervising production operations in the petrochemical industry, he has moved towards developing and evaluating AI-based systems.His journey involved a demanding commute, night shifts, an initial setback in programming and several years of part-time study. The transition was built around continuing his job while acquiring new qualifications and technical experience.Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and details from the individual’s professional profile. TOI Education has not independently verified all claims.