Founded by IITians (Ex-Google, Flipkart AI Leadership) · Agentic AI, FDE & Tech Career Acceleration
Land Elite Roles in Agentic AI, FDE & Top Tech
From ₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr · With a Proven 7-Stage System
Full end-to-end 1:1 mentorship until you land your dream role in Agentic AI, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), and FAANG/Tier-1 tech scaleups (₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr). Includes production agent architectures (MCP, tool-use DAGs), company-targeted mock interview loops, system design drills, and high-leverage compensation negotiation.
Stop relying on outdated 2021 DSA-only advice. Master production Agentic workflows, enterprise FDE problem-solving, and live mock loops calibrated to OpenAI, Anthropic, Palantir, Google, Uber, and top AI product scaleups.
Founded by IITians (Ex-Google, Ex-Flipkart, Ex-WorldQuant) leading large engineering, data & AI teams · 200+ hiring loops run
₹20L–₹1 Cr
Target package range for coached professionals
FDE & Agentic
Fastest-growing & highest-paid tech tracks in 2026
200+
Hiring loops run across AI & engineering
20–35%
Avg. compensation uplift after negotiation coaching
IIT BHU - BTech·Bronze Medalist
2 Granted AI Patents · 200+ Loops Run
IIT BHU - BTech
Experience
MPL· M-League
LeadershipDirector & Head of AI
Ex-Flipkart
Myntra · AIMachine Learning Engineer
Ex-World Quant
Alpha · QuantQuant Researcher
Ex-Google
2x GSoCOpen Source Contributor
Alumni & Mentees Placed Across Global Tech Leaders & Frontier AI Labs
FlipkartMPLFlipkartMPLHiring Committees No Longer Reward Generic LeetCode Grinding.
In 2021, memorizing two-pointer patterns could get you an offer. In 2026, top tier-1 tech firms and frontier AI labs pay top-of-market compensation (₹35L–₹1 Cr+) for engineers who master Agentic AI and Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE).
The 2021 SDE Job Hunt
- ✕Blind LeetCode Patterns: Grinding 500+ problems without understanding latency trade-offs, cache invalidation, or system scaling.
- ✕Toy CRUD Portfolios: Building another Todo app or Netflix clone that automated ATS screeners immediately dismiss.
- ✕Spray-and-Pray Applications: Clicking 400 LinkedIn "Easy Apply" buttons without internal champion referrals or targeted technical proof-of-work.
- ✕Single-Discipline Trap: Stuck in pure backend or frontend siloes while companies consolidate engineering headcount.
The 2026 Agentic & FDE Playbook
- ✓Autonomous Agent Workflows: Mastering Model Context Protocol (MCP), tool-calling DAGs, LangGraph multi-agent loops, and deterministic evals.
- ✓Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE): Rapid prototyping, client architectural defense, and integrating enterprise legacy data with foundation models.
- ✓First-Principles System Architecture: Deep intuition for distributed streaming (Kafka), Redis caching, vector databases, and CAP theorem trade-offs.
- ✓Director-Level Sniper Referrals: High-signal proof-of-work demos shared directly with hiring managers and engineering leaders.
What Frontier AI & FDE Actually Look Like
Generic bootcamps teach simple openai.chat.completions API calls. At Upwardly, you build and defend self-healing autonomous multi-agent state machines, MCP enterprise tool protocols, and sub-second inference pipelines.
Supervisor Agent (Intent Classifier & Task Decomposer)
Received prompt: "Synthesize Q3 financial disclosures vs real-time SQL ledger discrepancies"
MCP Protocol Tool Execution (Sandbox Environment)
Query executed over PostgreSQL with row-level security (RLS) enforcement. 14,200 transactions parsed in-memory.
Critic & Verification Loop (Hallucination & Math Sanity)
Initial calculation discrepancy detected: Δ = $42,180. Auto-refactored query plan and re-verified.
Synthesized Structured Output (Pydantic Schema)
Verified audit report emitted with verifiable citations and exact transactional ledger references.
Production Telemetry & Metrics
What Ashwin Prepares You to Defend in L6/L7 Loops:
- ▹Handling infinite agent loops, tool timeouts, and non-deterministic schema drifting.
- ▹Implementing Model Context Protocol (MCP) clients & servers in production.
- ▹Multi-agent coordination using LangGraph state reducers and checkpointing.
Interview Advantage: When competing candidates recite LeetCode solutions, you present production architecture diagrams, latency trade-offs, and running MCP agent code.
Frontier Technical Masterclasses
Frontier Specializations: Agentic AI, FDE & High-Scale Systems
Most interview prep stops at 2021 DSA questions. Ashwin provides rigorous, first-principles 1:1 masterclasses backed by competitive programming medals, granted distributed systems patents, and leading a 25+ person Data & AI organization.
Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) & Enterprise AI
Level: Backend & Full-Stack Engineers, Solutions Architects & Leads targeting ₹35L–₹1 Cr+ FDE roles
FDE is the elite intersection of rapid software prototyping, production LLM integration, client-facing architectural defense, and solving complex real-world data problems under tight deadlines.
Deep-Dive Coverage:
🏆 Proof-of-Work Capstone:
Palantir-style 14-Day Enterprise PoC: Legacy SQL ingestion, air-gapped VPC vault, and sub-100ms hybrid search.
💡 Coached by Engineering Director heading 25+ engineers & deploying high-scale AI products
Book 15-min call →Agentic AI & Autonomous Multi-Agent Frameworks
Level: AI Engineers, Tech Leads & Senior Engineers transitioning to AI
Comprehensive masterclasses on modern autonomous agent patterns, tool calling protocols, Model Context Protocol (MCP), multi-agent coordination, and real-time execution graphs.
Deep-Dive Coverage:
🏆 Proof-of-Work Capstone:
Autonomous Multi-Agent Swarm with Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool execution, self-correction, and Ragas evals.
💡 Director & Head of Data & AI leading 25+ engineers & researchers at MPL
Book 15-min call →System Design for AI & High-Scale Infrastructure
Level: Senior, Staff, and Lead Engineers / Architects
Master High-Level Design (HLD) distributed trade-offs and Low-Level Design (LLD) object-oriented cleanliness. Defend real trade-offs on CAP theorem, sharding, and consensus.
Deep-Dive Coverage:
🏆 Proof-of-Work Capstone:
10,000+ QPS Distributed Streaming Gateway based on 2 granted patents with Kafka outbox & Redis sharding.
💡 Inventor on 2 granted patents for high-concurrency matchmaking & fraud prevention
Book 15-min call →Machine Learning & Production AI Infrastructure
Level: Data Scientists, ML Engineers & Applied Scientists
Deep categorical preparation covering classical learning theory, deep neural architectures, recommendation engines, causal inference, and real-time inference pipelines.
Deep-Dive Coverage:
🏆 Proof-of-Work Capstone:
Multi-Task Recommendation & Search Ranking Pipeline serving pan-India high-concurrency traffic.
💡 Engineered high-scale production ML systems at Flipkart (Myntra) & WorldQuant
Book 15-min call →Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA)
Level: SDE-1 to Staff Engineers targeting Tier-1 tech loops
Deep, category-specific 1:1 sessions focusing on first-principles algorithm design, memory bounds, and complex edge-case navigation under time pressure.
Deep-Dive Coverage:
🏆 Proof-of-Work Capstone:
Sub-Millisecond Algorithmic Matching & High-Concurrency Tournament Bracket Engine.
💡 Coached by IIT BHU BTech Bronze Medalist & Ex-Google Contributor
Book 15-min call →Proven Track Record
Real Professionals. Breakthrough Offers.
Whether cracking Tier-1 tech giants like Google & Microsoft or breaking out of salary plateaus into ₹35L–₹1 Cr+ AI & FDE roles, here is what 100% 1:1 mentorship delivers.
₹20L – ₹1 Cr+
Target Package Range
216%
Average Salary Hike
200+
Technical Loops Run
100% 1:1
Zero Mass Batches
“Ashwin's insider perspective as an active hiring leader completely transformed how I framed my experience. His targeted feedback on narrative structure and system depth gave me the clarity and confidence to clear the loops and land my role at Microsoft.”
Want an honest read on your target company bar & compensation?
Book a free 15-minute diagnostic call with Ashwin to map your background to ₹20L–₹1 Cr bands.
Ex-Google & Flipkart
Engineering Heritage
25+ Team
Built & Led at MPL
200+
Hiring Loops Run
IIT BHU
Bronze Medalist · BTech
About Ashwin
I help professionals turn “no traction” into offers.
I'm Ashwin. I'm currently Director & Head of Data Science & Engineering at M-League (MPL), where I built and lead a 25+ person team of data scientists and machine learning engineers powering systems for over 100M+ users.
Previously, I engineered high-scale production machine learning systems at Flipkart & Myntra — architecting recommendation engines, multi-task search ranking models, and computer vision pipelines handling massive pan-India traffic.
I'm also an open source contributor at Google (2x GSoC developer with the R Foundation / rOpenSci), where I built open-source statistical computing software used globally, an IIT BHU - BTech graduate (Bronze Medalist), and hold 2 granted patents in multiplayer matchmaking and fraud prevention algorithms.
Having run 200+ technical hiring loops and reviewed thousands of resumes, I founded Upwardly to give professionals the unfair advantage of having someone from the other side of the hiring table guide their transition into ₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr roles.
Ex-World Quant
Quant Researcher: predictive alpha models and automated quantitative signals.
Ex-Google (GSoC)
2x selected developer for Google Summer of Code with R Foundation / rOpenSci.
Flipkart & Myntra
Production ML engineer: recommendation engines & ranking algorithms at scale.
Director of Data Science @ MPL
Built & leads 25+ person data science org at MPL · 2 granted patents.
IIT BHU — BTech · 🥉 Bronze Medalist (Dept. Rank 3)
Rigorous engineering foundation from India's premier technical institute.
The Upwardly Advantage
Where Generic Bootcamps Stop, Upwardly Takes You Further.
Compare why ambitious engineers choose high-conviction 1:1 mentorship with an active AI director over ₹1.5L mass cohorts.
| Dimension | Self-Study & LeetCode | Mass Cohort Bootcamps | Upwardly 1:1 Acceleration ✨ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentorship Format | Isolated & unstructured | Pre-recorded lectures or 500+ student Zoom webinars | ✓100% Live 1:1 Dedicated Sprints (Zero mass batches) |
| Who Actually Teaches You? | Random forum commenters | Junior instructors & generic teaching assistants | ✓Ashwin Agrawal (Director & Head of AI/Data, IIT BHU Bronze Medalist, Ex-Google/Flipkart) |
| 2026 Frontier AI & FDE Depth | Outdated prompt tutorials & toy wrappers | Basic surface-level GenAI introductions | ✓Production Agentic Architectures (MCP, LangGraph, tool-calling DAGs) & Palantir/OpenAI FDE prep |
| Mock Interview Quality | None / unverified peer chats | Peer-to-peer or scripted junior reviews | ✓Live calibrated hiring director scorecards from 200+ actual technical loops |
| Resume & Portfolio Proof of Work | Generic Todo & clone repos | Identical template capstones submitted by thousands | ✓Production-grade custom AI/FDE architectures & metric-driven ATS narrative overhaul |
| Offer Negotiation & Leverage | Pure guesswork (losing ₹5L–₹15L) | Zero negotiation coaching or scripts | ✓Word-for-word counter-offer scripts & RSU/ESOP band strategy (20%–35% average uplift) |
Strictly limited to 5 active 1:1 coaching slots per month to preserve personalized focus.
1:1 Programs & Sprints
Bespoke coaching for ₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr roles
No generic, one-size-fits-all packages. Every candidate’s timeline and target company bar are unique. Book a free 15-minute diagnostic call to craft your personalized 1:1 roadmap.
Book a Free 15-Min Strategy Call
15 minutes live with Ashwin. Share where your search is stuck; get an immediate diagnosis of your key bottleneck and next moves.
Get Your Custom 1:1 Action Plan
Based on your target band (₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr) and timeline, we formulate your personalized coaching sprint — no generic one-size-fits-all.
Execute with Direct Hiring Director Guidance
Iterate your resume, master mock loops with scored rubrics, and negotiate your top offer with ongoing 1:1 support until you sign.
Free 15-Min Strategy Diagnostic
Anyone stuck in their job search, facing layoff, or planning a move — get an honest, direct hiring director diagnostic on where your search is breaking down and the one change to fix first.
*Note: The free 15-min call is strictly an audit & strategy roadmap. 1 free referral is unlocked with your 1st booked 1:1 session.
Free · 15 mins
Book 15-min call →1 Free Referral with Your 1st Booking Session
Executive NetworkGet an internal referral directly into Google, Flipkart, MPL or top-tier product tech. *Included with your 1st booked 1:1 working session.
Resume & LinkedIn Overhaul
1-week turnaround + async
Applications aren't converting to screens
- Full resume rewrite — every bullet re-engineered for business impact
- LinkedIn headline, About, and Featured section overhaul
- ATS keyword optimization for ₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr roles
Mock Interview Sprint
2 × 60 min intensive loops
You have technical or leadership loops coming up
- 2 live mock interviews calibrated to your exact target company & level
- Technical, behavioral, leadership, or system design
- Hiring manager scorecard: what passes and what silently fails
End-to-End Job Conversion
8 weeks · 8 live 1:1s
Working professionals ready to make a major career move
- Complete 7-stage Upwardly system personalized to your background
- Resume + LinkedIn profile reconstruction
- Weekly strategic 1:1 sessions with Ashwin
Layoff Recovery Sprint
4 weeks · high urgency
Impacted by layoffs and need immediate market re-entry
- Emergency 48-hour resume & LinkedIn repositioning
- Target role definition and offensive outreach strategy
- 4 weekly 1:1 coaching & accountability sessions
FAQ
Common questions
Upwardly is an elite 1:1 career acceleration practice run by Ashwin Agrawal (Director & Head of Data Science & AI, IIT BHU Bronze Medalist). We offer personalized coaching for engineers aiming for ₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr roles in Agentic AI, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), and FAANG/Tier-1 tech. It is not a generic recorded course.
As an active Director of Data Science & AI leading 25+ engineers, Ashwin coaches you through real-world production Agentic systems (Model Context Protocol, tool-calling DAGs, LangGraph, evals) and enterprise FDE interview simulations (Palantir, OpenAI, Scale AI style). We help you build verifiable proof-of-work architectures and master live client-facing technical defenses.
Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) sit at the highest-leverage intersection in modern tech: building and customizing production AI workflows and enterprise systems directly solving mission-critical business problems. Leading AI companies and top US scale-ups pay top-tier compensation (₹35L–₹1 Cr+) for engineers who combine rock-solid coding, rapid prototyping, and high-agency problem solving.
Yes, completely. 15 minutes with Ashwin, no card required. The goal is to understand exactly where your search is breaking down and give you one concrete action before the call ends.
It depends on your target. The resume overhaul is done in 48–72 hours. The Layoff Sprint runs 4 weeks. The E2E Job Conversion Program runs 8 weeks. Single deep-dives happen in 60–90 min sitting.
Take the first step
Ready to stop guessing and start converting?
Book a free 15-minute expert call with Ashwin. No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest read on where your search is breaking down and the fastest path to a ₹20 LPA to ₹1 Cr offer.