Meet The Indian School Of Business PGP Class Of 2026

HYDERABAD OR MOHALI…OR BOTH!

That diversity is deepened by ISB’s “one school, two campuses” structure. PGP students can take courses at either the Mohali or Hyderabad campuses – and enjoy the flexibility to enjoy both. Take Mohali in the north. Just a four-hour drive from Delhi, India’s political heartbeat, it is also a 20-minute drive from Chandigarh, an agricultural and startup hub that has nurtured emerging firms like Fitelo, Jugnoo, and Jupitice. Beyond the opportunities – or the area’s carefully-planned streets and modernist architecture – the Mohali region is known for its slower pace and

“It’s a peaceful spot that gives us a break from the fast-paced life on campus. We often gather there to unwind—whether it’s taking a stroll along the lake, enjoying the view of the Shivalik hills, or just sitting together to catch up outside of an academic setting. The calm atmosphere makes it a perfect place to relax, recharge, and bond as a class.”

More than that, the campus possesses a certain family atmosphere, adds Kushagra Mundra.“People here are always there for each other, through both the highs and the lows. I have seen the campus come alive in celebration. Festivals are not just observed, they are lived in full spirit. From the colours of Onam to the rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi – from the energy of visarjan to the joy of Durga Puja and Navratri – every moment feels like home.”

Compare that to ISB’s southern campus in Hyderabad. Bangalore’s ambitious younger sibling, Hyderabad is five times the size of Chandigarh. And it has emerged as a formidable AI hub, seeing tech startup investment jump from $220-million in 2023 to $571-million in 2024. Long known as a leader in edtech and healthtech, Hyderabad also boasts a strong Fortune 500 presence to balance its entrepreneurial energy.

“With ISB just minutes from HITEC City and the Financial District, my dream-company list is basically next door: Microsoft, Amazon, and Google — plus T-Hub’s startup buzz,” says Ananya Padhi.

And Hyderabad offers another advantage for PGP students,” Padhi adds. “As a self-confessed “biryani-paglu”, there’s no better city for authentic chicken biryani. Bawarchi, Shah Ghouse, and Mehfil are my go-tos, both for celebration fuel on good days and a warm reset on tough ones. That twin engine consisting of world-class opportunities and world-class biryani makes Hyderabad the perfect place for my PGP.”

PLACES TO HANG OUT

Padhi also recommends the ghee podi idli at Rameswaram Café, one of the traditional hangouts of PGP students in Hyderabad. “After long days packed with lectures, cases, and group work, nothing beats stepping out for a plate of hot dosas and filter coffee,” adds Simran Jaiswal. “The place has an energy of its own. What makes it special isn’t just the food (though the ghee podi dosa is legendary), but the ritual: piling into cabs together, sharing bites across the table, and trading stories that had nothing to do with grades or placements.”

Nipun Singhal, a investor before joining the Class of 2026, touts the many charms around Hyderabad and campus. They include “all-nighters, golden sunsets, and breakfast at lakeside cafés” – not to mention campus wildlife like peacock and boars. That said, Jasjeev Singh Sahni also points to the ISB Ring Road, a literal circle around campus, that PGP students use to recharge.

“This circular path is like ISB’s nervous system, connecting every corner of our campus universe. As you traverse the loop, you witness the entire architectural symphony of our Hyderabad home, including the academic block, the student villages, and the recreation center. The abundant greenery provides unexpected moments of Zen, occasionally punctuated by curious campus wildlife.”

FAVORITE TRADITION: O-WEEK

Walking the Ring Road isn’t the only popular tradition at ISB. One of the most popular is the first event on the docket: O-Week…or orientation. Here, students spend a week competing in events from football to food stall sales.

“We went through orientations, introductory academics, a prank that had some of us in tears, sports tournaments, cultural competitions, fun games, and endless socialising,” recalls Kushagra Mundra.

“Everyone participated in everything with barely any time to prepare. In undergrad, we had a full month to rehearse for a dance competition, while here, more than fifty students from each section went on stage with just a day-and-a-half of practice. This was followed the very next day by Section’s Got Talent, Sports wars, marketing case comp, squid games and tons of other activities. The energy was chaotic, exhausting, yet very beautiful.”

However, O-Week came with a deeper purpose that resonated deep into the program. “The biggest lesson I took away was that growth comes not from unlimited time but from stepping up when stakes are high and time is scarce,” Mundra continues. “Even without perfect skills or preparation, going all in brings immense satisfaction, builds hunger to do better next time, and boosts confidence. O Week showed me that when people come together with energy and intent, what seems impossible becomes possible.”

A HANDS-ON PROGRAM

Time goes by fast in the PGP program. Lasting 12 months, the program enables students to quickly return to their careers and generate immediate return on their educational investment. However, the program length also brings an subtle yet vital benefit to students as they return to work.

“The one-year program mirrors the intensity of real-world leadership, forcing you to learn, prioritise and adapt quickly,” writes Simran Jaiswal. “I found that invaluable, because I wanted an MBA that would stretch me beyond academics into decision-making under pressure.”

That decision-making is often honed through hands-on learning at ISB. This ranges from Business In Action simulations to Shadow-a-CEO opportunities to Exchanges with 57 international business schools. However, the Experiential Learning Program (ELP) is ISB’s signature offering to help students gain real world experience. Here, PGP student teams partner with sponsoring companies to practice what they’ve learned on a industry challenge. For Suryank Gupta,  that meant working for an international audit and professional services firm.

“I had the opportunity to help set up and institutionalise the firm’s first knowledge management system in India. By designing the framework and piloting it with four critical teams, we built a system that reduced duplication of knowledge creation while streamlining access and retrieval in an organisation whose core business is knowledge. For me, the accomplishment was not just about the measurable impact, but also about applying classroom learning to a real-world challenge and creating a solution that will continue to add value beyond the project.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH DEEPA MANI

Last fall, P&Q reached out to Professor Deepa Mani, ISB’s Deputy Dean of Academic Programmes to take a deeper dive into the PGP programming and services. From new offerings to AI, here is what prospective students can expect from the ISB PGP program.

P&Q: What have been the two most important developments in your PGP program over the past year? What type of impact will they have on current and future PGPs?

Mani: “In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, agility, adaptability, and relevance have become critical for future leaders. At ISB, our mission is to equip leaders with the knowledge and character to drive transformation in India and across the world. As a result, over the past year, we have executed several key initiatives to strengthen our ability to equip students for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The first initiative we undertook was to restructure the curriculum of our flagship Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), in line with the industry’s ever- changing needs of future business leaders. Our new PGP curriculum provides students with the flexibility to craft custom learning pathways that are aligned with their unique aspirations. The new curriculum additionally fosters a lifelong learning mindset through more experiential learning activities that highlight knowledge gaps, trigger curiosity, and motivate self-driven learning, as well as strong foundational skills that allow students to continually acquire new knowledge to solve unfamiliar, complex problems.

The new curriculum also includes pedagogical innovations such as shorter-term block week courses that offer opportunities for global exposure, virtual immersions, diverse uses of AI across courses, and frequent feedback and coaching. We believe the new curriculum will empower our students with the knowledge and character to lead businesses in tomorrow’s dynamic and interconnected world.

Together, these initiatives make the PGP learning experience a highly flexible, industry-relevant, and immersive one. They enable students to build analytical rigour, leadership capability, and practical insight, ensuring they graduate well-prepared to navigate complexity, innovate, and create impact in a dynamic global business ecosystem.”

P&Q: What do you see as the main differentiator that distinguishes your PGP program from other schools? How does it enhance the student experience and make them more attractive to employers?

Mani: “ISB’s vision is to be an internationally-acclaimed, research-driven management institution that grooms future leaders for India and the world. What does it mean to be a research-backed institution? Our faculty collaborate with researchers in preeminent global schools, leading companies, and policy makers and think tanks to constantly push the frontiers of their disciplines and uncover new truths that impact industry, society and policy. And they bring that research as well as the spirit of scientific inquiry to the classroom, giving students not just leading-edge knowledge of business but infusing them with the character and ability to ask the right questions. Through active, immersive and social learning, students develop knowledge of analytical decision frameworks, strategic thinking, and innovative perspectives.

This focus on research and relevance is reflected in our global standing. In The Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2025, ISB’s Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) was ranked #27 worldwide, highlighting our strength in research, curriculum quality, and learning outcomes.

Students also have opportunities to exercise classroom learning through transformative experiential learning opportunities. Our curriculum integrates block week interactions with marquee academics and practitioners, immersive Experiential Learning Projects, and Study Treks. Through I-Venture, our resident incubator, students receive robust support to translate conceptual frameworks into viable enterprises.

We also innovate continually in pedagogy. Faculty combine timeless learning values such as critical thinking, communication or teamwork with emerging developments such as Generative AI and sustainability into learning content, classroom discussions, and assignments. This enables students to adapt and engage in effective decision-making in today’s high-tech, dynamic business environment.

Our distinctive one-year PGP delivers the breadth and rigour of a global MBA in an accelerated timeframe of 12 months, enabling them to advance or pivot careers effectively. This high-intensity model minimises opportunity costs while maximising career velocity.

In essence, ISB’s distinctiveness lies in its blend of research excellence, experiential learning, continuous innovation, and global recognition – a combination that delivers lasting value to students and the business community alike.”

P&Q: What types of support do you provide to international students before and during business school to enable them to better acclimate to your country?

Mani: “ISB provides comprehensive support to international students before and during the programme to ensure a smooth transition and an enriching experience. Before they arrive in India, the school assists with documentation and visa processes, including coordination with embassies when required. Upon arrival, students receive practical support with FRRO registrations, SIM cards, and bank accounts, while being placed in diverse study groups to integrate into the ISB community. Academic, career, and student services teams engage closely with international students through regular interactions, helping them adapt both socially and professionally.

Beyond the campus, ISB’s international exchange network with 50+ leading global institutions and outbound study opportunities at premier business schools worldwide enable students to broaden perspectives, enhance cultural intelligence, and cultivate the global mindset necessary for leadership in today’s interconnected business environment.”

P&Q: How does your program integrate other disciplines, such as the liberal arts and STEM, across your curriculum to provide students with a more interdisciplinary experience in business school?

Mani: “At ISB, we believe that solving complex business challenges today requires more than traditional management knowledge. It demands a broad interdisciplinary perspective that blends insights from the liberal arts, STEM, and social sciences to foster holistic thinking and informed decision-making. With our multi-disciplinary approach, we enable professionals to create impact across every stage of their careers.

Our PGP curriculum is designed to seamlessly integrate these diverse disciplines. Foundational courses in economics, organisational behaviour, and decision sciences build the bridge between liberal arts thinking and management practice, helping students develop a deeper understanding of human behaviour, societal dynamics, and ethical considerations. For example, our course on Leading Self and Teams equips managers to become effective leaders by focusing on the human side of the enterprise. It helps students build critical self-awareness and develop the skills needed to optimise team performance in complex organisational environments.

In the area of STEM, we offer a wide range of analytics and technology-focused courses, covering areas such as data-driven decision-making, frontier technologies, business analytics, machine learning applications in business, digital transformation, and predictive analytics. These courses equip students with the technical tools and frameworks to analyse large-scale data, model business problems, and derive actionable insights, fostering a strong analytical and quantitative orientation.

Our interdisciplinary approach is reinforced through Experiential Learning Projects (ELPs) and industry-sponsored assignments, where students apply concepts from multiple disciplines in real-world settings. These projects often require combining technical acumen with strategic thinking and a deep understanding of organisational and societal contexts. Through Business Simulations, students strengthen strategic decision-making by engaging with real-world scenarios on advanced simulation platforms—testing frameworks, analysing outcomes, and sharpening lateral thinking. LLMs are extensively used in many of our courses to enhance learning and application.

By integrating liberal arts, STEM, and management disciplines, our programme cultivates critical thinking, entrepreneurship, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities. This equips students with the ability to approach business challenges from multiple lenses, making them well-rounded leaders capable of driving innovation and sustainable impact in diverse, complex environments.”

Next Page: Profiles of 12 Members of the PGP Class of 2026

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.