Online communication has change into accepted as a manner of doing issues after COVID

I turned a director when COVID simply began. The first two years have been focussed on ensuring the institute runs easily regardless of all of the restrictions. There are some good landmarks: all the scholars graduated on time, individuals acquired positioned, and we didn’t have any main disruption in our tutorial programmes. From 2022 to 2025, we centered on enhancing the influence of our on-line studying initiative.

The second necessary factor was the AI for managers programme, adopted by our determination to supply an under-graduate BBA programme.

I used to be fortunate that in my tenure we additionally celebrated the golden jubilee of the Institute in 2023, which had quite a lot of alumni involvement and that offered a very good impetus for the alumni chapters globally to get into a greater form. 

We have gone a bit forwards and backwards. Just take a quite simple phenomenon like do business from home. Clearly, throughout COVID, do business from home was vital, and plenty of people felt that they wish to proceed that manner. Companies initially have been okay with it as a result of in addition they noticed price financial savings. But now, corporations are eager to get their staff again to the workplace, significantly the place collaborative work or artistic work is required, the place interplay is necessary. The good factor that’s occurred, even for IIMB, is that on-line communication has change into accepted as a manner of doing issues.

The one which can have the most important long-term influence is our on-line BBA programme. It is lower than a yr since we began the programme. But I had the chance to work together with most of the college students, and plenty of of them wouldn’t ordinarily have gotten the chance to have this type of training. Now, they can entry it from their house. These programmes don’t present outcomes and influence instantly, however I’m prepared to take a reasonably large wager that in about 10 years, we are going to begin seeing some important influence coming from these college students. 

I don’t assume there’s something like that. I feel the problem for us is simply to maneuver just a little faster. The attention-grabbing factor is that not less than the great premier authorities establishments, like IIMs and IITs and so forth, are categorized as establishments of nationwide significance. The authorities offers us full freedom to launch tutorial programmes in the way in which we predict is finest. We have only a few restrictions on the way in which tutorial programmes are designed in contrast to a typical college. Where we generally get slowed down is on the executive aspect of issues relating to new tasks’ building. Those are the areas the place it will be good if we may transfer quicker. 

As a person, I’ve been concerned in inclusivity on campus in a number of methods for a very long time. I used to be the primary chair for variety and inclusion within the campus. Today, IIMB is essentially recognised as among the finest, if not the most effective campus by way of help for college students with disabilities. There is room for enchancment, after all. But nonetheless, by Indian requirements not less than, we have now accomplished a superb job during the last 15 years or so. Again, with this BBA programme, we have now quite a lot of beneficiant scholarships for college students from completely different classes who’re coming from economically and socially deprived backgrounds, or for college students with disabilities. In a broad manner, all our on-line training is absolutely an effort at inclusion, as a result of what we’re saying is that it doesn’t matter the place you’re learning or the place you’re situated, you may entry the programme.  

Historically, IIMB has been fairly good at understanding how the atmosphere is altering and responding with new programmes and initiatives. This is what we have now been doing fairly persistently for not less than the final 25 to 30 years. I might undoubtedly hope that that continues.

What would I wish to see in a different way after 10 years? The very first thing is that our skill to supply high quality undergrad programmes must also be established by that point. The second factor I would love is to see how we are able to strengthen our worldwide branding visibility. The third factor is that it will likely be good to see that that IIMB turns into a pacesetter in integrating expertise with educating and studying in order that we’re in a position to provide the simplest studying.