diff --git a/QEfficient/finetune/experimental/core/model.py b/QEfficient/finetune/experimental/core/model.py
index d647b73a6..2f967d85d 100644
--- a/QEfficient/finetune/experimental/core/model.py
+++ b/QEfficient/finetune/experimental/core/model.py
@@ -4,3 +4,145 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 #
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import logging
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Type
+
+import torch.nn as nn
+from transformers import AutoTokenizer
+import transformers
+from transformers.utils.logging import get_logger
+
+from QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core.component_registry import registry
+from QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core.utils.dataset_utils import insert_pad_token
+
+logger = get_logger(__name__)
+
+
+class BaseModel(nn.Module, ABC):
+    """Shared skeleton for every finetunable model in the system."""
+
+    def __init__(self, model_name: str, **model_kwargs: Any) -> None:
+        super().__init__()
+        self.model_name = model_name
+        self.model_kwargs: Dict[str, Any] = model_kwargs
+        self._model: Optional[nn.Module] = None
+        self._tokenizer: Any = None  # HF tokenizers are not nn.Modules.
+
+    # Factory constructor: load model after __init__ finishes
+    @classmethod
+    def create(cls, model_name: str, **model_kwargs: Any) -> "BaseModel":
+        obj = cls(model_name, **model_kwargs)
+        module = obj.load_model()
+        if not isinstance(module, nn.Module):
+            raise TypeError(f"load_model() must return nn.Module, got {type(module)}")
+        obj._model = module
+        return obj
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def load_model(self) -> nn.Module:
+        """Create and return the underlying torch.nn.Module."""
+        ...
+
+    def load_tokenizer(self) -> Any:
+        """Override if the model exposes a tokenizer."""
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"{type(self).__name__} does not provide a tokenizer.")
+
+    # Lazy accessors
+    @property
+    def model(self) -> nn.Module:
+        if self._model is None:
+            raise RuntimeError("Model not loaded; use .create(...) to load.")
+        return self._model
+
+    @property
+    def tokenizer(self) -> Any:
+        if self._tokenizer is None:
+            self._tokenizer = self.load_tokenizer()
+        return self._tokenizer
+
+    # nn.Module API surface
+    def forward(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.model(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    def get_input_embeddings(self):
+        if hasattr(self.model, "get_input_embeddings"):
+            return self.model.get_input_embeddings()
+        logger.info(f"Model {self.model_name} does not expose input embeddings", logging.WARNING)
+        return None
+
+    def resize_token_embeddings(self, new_num_tokens: int) -> None:
+        if hasattr(self.model, "resize_token_embeddings"):
+            self.model.resize_token_embeddings(new_num_tokens)
+        else:
+            logger.info(f"Model {self.model_name} cannot resize token embeddings", logging.WARNING)
+
+    # optional
+    def to(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.model.to(*args, **kwargs)
+        return self
+
+    def train(self, mode: bool = True):
+        self.model.train(mode)
+        return super().train(mode)
+
+    def eval(self):
+        return self.train(False)
+
+
+@registry.model("hf")
+class HFModel(BaseModel):
+    """HuggingFace-backed model with optional quantization."""
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        model_name: str,
+        auto_class_name: str = "AutoModelForCausalLM",
+        *,
+        tokenizer_name: Optional[str] = None,
+        **model_kwargs: Any,
+    ) -> None:
+        super().__init__(model_name, **model_kwargs)
+        self.tokenizer_name = tokenizer_name or model_name
+        self.auto_class: Type = self._resolve_auto_class(auto_class_name)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _resolve_auto_class(auto_class_name: str) -> Type:
+        if not hasattr(transformers, auto_class_name):
+            candidates = sorted(name for name in dir(transformers) if name.startswith("AutoModel"))
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Unsupported Auto class '{auto_class_name}'. Available candidates: {', '.join(candidates)}"
+            )
+        return getattr(transformers, auto_class_name)
+
+    # def _build_quant_config(self) -> Optional[BitsAndBytesConfig]:
+    #     if not self.model_kwargs.get("load_in_4bit"):
+    #         return None
+    #     return BitsAndBytesConfig(
+    #         load_in_4bit=True,
+    #         bnb_4bit_quant_type=self.model_kwargs.get("bnb_4bit_quant_type", "nf4"),
+    #         bnb_4bit_compute_dtype=self.model_kwargs.get("bnb_4bit_compute_dtype", torch.float16),
+    #         bnb_4bit_use_double_quant=self.model_kwargs.get("bnb_4bit_use_double_quant", True),
+    #     )
+
+    def configure_model_kwargs(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        """Hook for subclasses to tweak HF `.from_pretrained` kwargs."""
+        extra = dict(self.model_kwargs)
+        # extra["quantization_config"] = self._build_quant_config()
+        return extra
+
+    def load_model(self) -> nn.Module:
+        logger.info(f"Loading HuggingFace model '{self.model_name}' via {self.auto_class.__name__}")
+
+        return self.auto_class.from_pretrained(
+            self.model_name,
+            **self.configure_model_kwargs(),
+        )
+
+    def load_tokenizer(self) -> AutoTokenizer:
+        """Load Hugging Face tokenizer."""
+        logger.info(f"Loading tokenizer '{self.tokenizer_name}'")
+        tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(self.tokenizer_name)
+        insert_pad_token(tokenizer)
+        return tokenizer
diff --git a/QEfficient/finetune/experimental/tests/test_model.py b/QEfficient/finetune/experimental/tests/test_model.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5174f971f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/QEfficient/finetune/experimental/tests/test_model.py
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+import pytest
+import torch
+import torch.nn as nn
+from unittest import mock
+
+import transformers
+from QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core import model
+from QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core.model import BaseModel, HFModel
+
+
+class TestMockModel(nn.Module):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.linear = nn.Linear(2, 2)
+
+    def forward(self, x):
+        return self.linear(x)
+
+
+class TestCustomModel(BaseModel):
+    def __init__(self, model_name):
+        super().__init__(model_name)
+        print("init of custom class")
+
+    def load_model(self) -> nn.Module:
+        return TestMockModel()
+
+    def load_tokenizer(self):
+        return "dummy-tokenizer"
+
+
+# BaseModel tests
+def test_model_property_errors_if_not_created():
+    m = TestCustomModel("dummy")
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        _ = m.model  # must call .create()
+
+
+def test_create_builds_and_registers():
+    breakpoint()
+    m = TestCustomModel.create("dummy")
+    # inner model exists and registered
+    assert "_model" in m._modules
+    assert isinstance(m.model, TestMockModel)
+    # forward works
+    out = m(torch.zeros(1, 2))
+    assert out.shape == (1, 2)
+
+
+def test_tokenizer_lazy_loading():
+    m = TestCustomModel.create("dummy")
+    assert m._tokenizer is None
+    tok = m.tokenizer
+    assert tok == "dummy-tokenizer"
+    assert m._tokenizer == tok
+
+
+def test_to_moves_inner_and_returns_self():
+    m = TestCustomModel.create("dummy")
+    with mock.patch.object(TestMockModel, "to", autospec=True) as mocked_to:
+        ret = m.to("cuda:0")
+    mocked_to.assert_called_once_with(m.model, "cuda:0")
+    assert ret is m
+
+
+def test_train_eval_sync_flags():
+    m = TestCustomModel.create("dummy")
+    m.eval()
+    assert m.training is False
+    assert m.model.training is False
+    m.train()
+    assert m.training is True
+    assert m.model.training is True
+
+
+def test_resize_token_embeddings_and_get_input_embeddings_warn(monkeypatch):
+    m = TestCustomModel.create("dummy")
+
+    # resize_token_embeddings: underlying model lacks the method, should warn and not raise
+    with mock.patch("QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core.model.logger.info") as mocked_log:
+        m.resize_token_embeddings(10)
+        mocked_log.assert_called_once()
+
+    # get_input_embeddings: underlying model lacks method, should warn and return None
+    with mock.patch("QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core.model.logger.info") as mocked_log:
+        assert m.get_input_embeddings() is None
+        mocked_log.assert_called_once()
+
+
+def test_state_dict_contains_inner_params():
+    m = TestCustomModel.create("dummy")
+    sd = m.state_dict()
+    # should contain params from TestMockModel.linear
+    assert any("linear.weight" in k for k in sd)
+    assert any("linear.bias" in k for k in sd)
+
+
+# HFModel tests
+def test_hfmodel_invalid_auto_class_raises():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        HFModel.create("hf-name", auto_class_name="AutoDoesNotExist")
+
+
+def test_hfmodel_loads_auto_and_tokenizer(monkeypatch):
+    # fake HF Auto class
+    class FakeAuto(nn.Module):
+        @classmethod
+        def from_pretrained(cls, name, **kwargs):
+            inst = cls()
+            inst.loaded = (name, kwargs)
+            return inst
+
+        def forward(self, x):
+            return x
+
+    fake_tok = mock.Mock()
+
+    # Monkeypatch transformer classes used in HFModel
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core.model.transformers.AutoModelForCausalLM",
+        FakeAuto,
+        raising=False,
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        model,
+        "AutoTokenizer",
+        mock.Mock(from_pretrained=mock.Mock(return_value=fake_tok)),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "QEfficient.finetune.experimental.core.model.insert_pad_token",
+        mock.Mock(),
+        raising=False,
+    )
+
+    m = HFModel.create("hf-name")
+    assert isinstance(m.model, FakeAuto)
+
+    # load tokenizer
+    tok = m.load_tokenizer()
+
+    # tokenizer was loaded and pad token inserted
+    model.AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained.assert_called_once_with("hf-name")
+    model.insert_pad_token.assert_called_once_with(fake_tok)