Meet IIM Bangalore’s EPGP Class Of 2025

P&Q: What types of programs do you offer to sharpen your students’ soft skills? What areas do you emphasize and how do you instill these skills in your students?

Anand: “We offer many programs to sharpen our students’ soft skills. The primary emphasis of these programs is business communication. The reason is even though English is the language of business communication in India, it is not the first language for many students. We would like to note that these programs are in addition to the routine development of soft skills through coursework. We describe two programs for improving business communication skills below.

Workshops on communication skills use an innovative pedagogy that consists of theory, group discussion, role play, case studies, and questionnaires. Students are encouraged to learn new skills while unlearning some existing behaviors to better prepare for the ever-evolving future.

Another specialized program offered is Story Telling for Business Managers led by external instructors. Business Storytelling helps professionals turn messages into engaging stories that people remember. This program teaches tools and techniques to make everyday business communication more interesting and impactful, helping participants connect and inspire their audience.”

P&Q: What types of programming – through classroom instruction, extracurriculars, and treks – does your school offer to expose students to country-specific and global business practices? What have students told you were the most educational and fun aspects of these activities?

Anand: “We teach country-specific business practices primarily through coursework. In particular, India-specific business practices are taught through field visits and guest lectures, in addition to coursework.  One example of an innovative course that teaches business practices in India is Miles. As part of the course, students ride on a motorcycle for seven days in and around Bangalore to learn about Indian industrial ecosystem.

On the other hand, apart from various electives such as International Business, we teach international business practices through an international immersion program, which is a study tour for two weeks. As part of the immersion, students travel to one of our partner schools outside India. The partner schools organize a program of study covering different aspects of business, economics, and society of the country, with local professors and industry speakers sharing their expertise and insights. Usually, the curriculum includes visits to industry and exposure to local culture. The broad objective of the study program is to expose our students to developments and issues that would be important in doing business internationally. Over last two years, our students have visited Germany, Spain, and Belgium as part of the immersion.

Another avenue for exposure to international business practices is the GNAM (Global Network for Advanced Management) program, in which students take courses (either online or by physically visiting) offered by faculty members in partner schools. The GNAM program includes 32 partner schools across the world.”

P&Q: What are the most exciting new courses that your school is offering to MBAs this school year? What makes them so unique and valuable?

Anand: “Two of the most exciting new courses at IIM Bangalore this school year are Greening Operations and Supply Chain and Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations.

Greening Operations and Supply Chain offers an experiential learning approach on sustainable business practices with lectures, case discussions, field visits, workshops, and guest talks. Students will tackle decarbonization challenges and opportunities in the Indian and global industry by engaging with experts, participating in classroom discussions, and undertaking projects. Key outcomes include an understanding of decarbonization strategies, challenges in reducing carbon footprints, and innovations for greener products and processes.

Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations addresses complexities of the hi-tech industry, where constant product churn and dynamic market conditions demand diverse skills and a deep understanding of market dynamics. This course helps students suitably modify traditional marketing principles for the hi-tech world. It teaches tools and techniques to create appropriate marketing strategies and plans.”

P&Q: Who are two new professors who’ve joined your faculty in the past year? What do they teach and how will they be difference-makers in your MBA program?

Anand: “Several new faculty members have joined the institute in the past year across various fields such as decision sciences, organizational behaviour, public policy, finance, accounting, and economics, and it is difficult for us to single out only two of them. Their specializations are highly diverse, which include optimization under uncertainty, career success and sustainability, environmental politics and governance, asset pricing, corporate tax management, and the impact of digital platform advertisements on firm competition.”

They are expected to offer courses based on their cutting-edge research, which we hope will make a significant difference to the MBA program.”

P&Q: What types of support does your career center and alumni provide to MBA students? How have these services and relationship made your graduates more competitive in the marketplace?

Anand: “The career center profiles each student to understand their backgrounds and career aspirations. The profiling helps the center to invite companies that align with the preferences of students. The career center also helps students acquire interpersonal and interview skills through sessions hosted by an external organization. Furthermore, the students are assigned industry leaders as mentors to shape their placement journey to achieve desired roles in their preferred industries. In addition, the center organizes various sessions and seminars with prominent industry leaders to provide a comprehensive view of the industry across various domains to students. These sessions offer insights on various roles and help students prepare effectively.

In addition, through the Buddy Program, students are mapped with one alumnus based on similar past work experiences and desired roles. The assigned alumnus guides the student on academic and career goals throughout the program. Moreover, alumni participate in regular, informal events such as Chai pe Charcha, which keep students updated on industry developments and provide a platform for continuous learning and networking.

All these activities help students in making more informed decisions. Both the career center and the alumni make a conscious effort to ensure that students achieve their desired roles in their targeted industry. As a result of their efforts, students have a deeper understanding of their chosen field, a strong professional network, and the confidence to navigate the placement process successfully.”

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