Indian IT services company Hexaware Technologies announced a partnership with the Project NANDA Fellowship on Sept. 15, 2026, creating a remote three-month training initiative to develop open-source software for autonomous artificial intelligence agents. The program operates under FAN, the organization overseeing Project NANDA, an effort that started at the MIT Media Lab to design standards for decentralized agent interaction. Software engineers joining the program will build tools that help independent AI agents find, identify, and cooperate with each other across different business platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Hexaware partnered with the Project NANDA Fellowship to build open-source tools for autonomous AI agent networks.
- The three-month program is fully remote and includes both Hexaware staff and outside coders.
- The first group will admit slightly over 10 participants to keep mentorship direct.
- Project NANDA began at the MIT Media Lab and targets decentralized discovery and identity for agents.
- Selected participants will receive a stipend to produce production-grade open-source code.
- The priority application window closes on Sept. 19, 2026.
Building Open Standards for Autonomous Software
As companies adopt autonomous agents to handle workflows, getting different automated bots to work together securely remains a core hurdle. Project NANDA addresses this by designing an open agentic network. Instead of private, closed systems, the group focuses on common standards for agent verification and secure messaging across systems.
The new fellowship directly connects working coders with these development goals. Rather than completing simulated coursework, accepted fellows will write code that gets merged directly into live open-source repositories. Project NANDA intends to use these contributions to establish shared rules for agent discovery, verifiable identity credentials, and cross-company communication.
Cohort Setup and Hexaware Roadmap
The debut class will consist of more than 10 developers, chosen from both Hexaware internal teams and general applicants around the world. Every fellow receives a financial stipend and one-on-one technical coaching during the three months. The organizers kept the group small to maintain close contact between participants and senior project maintainers.
For Mumbai-headquartered Hexaware, the step aligns with internal efforts around automated agent delivery systems, including its Zerovity platform. The company wants to upskill its technical workforce while helping the open-source community create transparent guardrails for AI deployment.
Developers anywhere can submit an application online. The priority review deadline is Sept. 19, 2026, with admissions reviewed on a rolling basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the Project NANDA Fellowship?
A1. It is an open-source engineering initiative lasting three months where developers build baseline tools, communication protocols, and identification layers for autonomous software agents.
Q2. Who manages Project NANDA?
A2. Project NANDA runs under an umbrella organization named FAN and traces its origins to research carried out at the MIT Media Lab.
Q3. What do developers receive during the program?
A3. Fellows get direct engineering guidance from project mentors, a paid stipend, and the chance to contribute code to production open-source software.
Q4. What is the application deadline for the first cohort?
A4. The priority deadline to apply for the opening cohort is Sept. 19, 2026.
