Meet The Indian Institute Of Management Ahmedabad MBA Class Of 2026

AHMEDABAD: A FINANCE HUB…WITH BETTER WEATHER THAN YOU THINK

To be honest, Ahmedabad is a pretty good place to spend a year too. The city is based in Gujarat, a state known for its entrepreneurship with over 200 accelerators according to The Times of India. And IIMA is a major contributor to the space, with five unicorns being founded by IIMA alumni (FirstCry, Xpressbees, GlobalBees, Nykaa, and Fractal Analytics). Among the India Fortune 500 list, you’ll find several companies headquartered in Ahmedabad, led by Adani Power and Adani Enterprises. That doesn’t count large operations for firms like Oracle, IBM, and Tata Consultancy Services. Of course, there is GIFT City, an international finance and innovation economic zone. A smart city that boasts a series of economic incentives to draw leading companies, GIFT City has already attracted heavy investment. This includes hundreds of offices for companies like JPMorgan, Qatar National Bank, Infosys, Wipro, Deloitte, Capgemini, Microsoft, and Google.

Karan Sarpal describes Ahmedabad as a place that ‘eats and sleeps business,’ while “emit(ing) the entrepreneurial spirit of India.” This culture has carved out several commercial advantages in the region, he adds.

“[It] hosts a range of established as well as emerging corporates in sectors such as Chemicals, Energy and Power. The government’s active investments in major infrastructure projects, such as the GIFT city and railroad corridors, has positioned the city at the center of growth in real estate. To be a part of such a dynamic and immersive learning environment beyond the classroom is something one wouldn’t miss while pursuing their MBA.”

Beyond its infrastructure and energy, the city offers a higher quality of life, adds ’25 alum Manish Kohli. “I found Ahmedabad to be one of the safest cities in India, especially for the women folk. The culture is open and we hardly heard about any crime during our stay here.”

And don’t let the weather intimidate you either, Kohli continues, where the joke is that the three seasons in Ahmedabad are ‘hot, hotter, and hottest.’ “Yes, the summers were indeed very hot (May- July),” Kohli adds, “but I felt the weather from October-March was a bliss. Truth – For someone who comes from the hills and having spent winters on the snowy peaks (in the Army), the winters here are super smooth and the cool breeze, as opposed to the bone chill in the North, are a blessing to die for.”

VIDYA, VINIYOGA, VIKASA

Looking at the numbers, 31% of the PGPX Class of 2026 are women. By the same token, nearly half of the class bring six or years of work experience. What’s more, a quarter of the class matriculated at BITS, IIT and NIT schools. It is also a diverse class, with five segments holding 10% or more shares of the class: Operations and Supply Chain (15%), Consulting (12%), Engineering and Manufacturing (11%), Program and Project Management (10%), and Tech and IT (10%).

In terms of rankings, IIM Ahmedabad continued to top India’s NIRF Business School Ranking, while finishing 17th globally in the LinkedIn. Last week, the school moved up four spots to finish 27th in the world according to The Financial Times. One reason for the program’s success is its curriculum, a case-heavy approach mixed with a healthy dose of experiential learning programming. This gives IIMA’s programming a 1-2 punch, where students are exposed to a wide range of industries, functions, operational philosophies, and business issues while giving them room to quickly practice what they learn.

“What sets IIMA’s MBA program apart is how every aspect of the experience—cases, courses, assignments, and evaluations—reflects its core philosophy: Vidya, Viniyoga, Vikasa (Progress through the application of knowledge),” observes Yash Samant. “Here, learning isn’t abstract; it’s rooted in context, with real-world implications. That pursuit of meaningful, applicable knowledge in the business context is what I was seeking and I am happy to have found it here.”

THE FACULTY DIFFERENCE

Delivering this requires world-class faculty. For the Class of 2026, teaching ranks among IIMA’s biggest differentiators. Pratyush Bharati still recalls one professor’s unforgettable line from a human resources course: “An interview is where two liars lie to each other for 30 minutes.” For Bharati, such nuggets were emblematic of a larger theme surrounding IIM Ahmedabad faculty.

“What makes IIMA unique is this culture of being fearlessly candid and saying the things most already know but do not acknowledge. Faculty have full autonomy over their courses. They don’t just follow a syllabus, they craft it based on what students truly need to understand to navigate today’s complex business world, creating a classroom environment that’s deeply engaging and relevant.”

And it isn’t just the faculty’s teaching prowess that stood out to the PGPX class, adds Aastha Gupta. “IIMA’s faculty aren’t just educators – they are influential thought leaders whose impact spans academia, policy, and industry. Many have authored textbooks used in leading business schools, received national honours like the Padma Shri, and hold advisory roles with the RBI, UN, and Fortune 500 companies. Learning from such minds promised not just an MBA, but a transformative education grounded in real-world impact. Now, after spending two terms here, I can say with confidence IIMA’s faculty members make a lasting impact on students because they challenge, inspire and genuinely care about what happens to their students.”

Professor Viswanath Pingali is one example of the IIMA faculty’s mix of real-world credentials and teaching excellence. Known as (Vishy, he teaches Microeconomics and Game Theory courses at the school.

“[He] brings years of strategic consulting experience with the government and global giants such as Google, Apple and pharmaceutical organizations,” writes Karan Sarpal. He bridges academic concepts such as pricing strategies and decision-making with real-world, industry-relevant examples. While I had worked on analyzing potential partnerships at work, I wanted to learn structural academic frameworks to back my analysis. This course now equips me with sharper and effective tools to analyze economic and investment decisions better.”

UNCONVENTIONAL COURSEWORK

The courses are a bit different too. Vatsala Padmanabhan harkens back to an Economics class she took that changed how she viewed the subject entirely. During a session on Adam Smith – the standard-bearer in the field – students were pushed to consider something almost heretical: What if Adam Smith was wrong when it comes to the modern world? The very next session, the professor flipped the proposition and set up the debate for why Adam Smith might be right.

“That day, I understood that IIM Ahmedabad doesn’t just teach what’s in the book,” Padmanabhan continues. “Instead, it pushes you to think from all angles, to question what’s well established, and to build an opinion that is truly your own…IIM Ahmedabad didn’t just sharpen how I analyze a case, but reshaped how I listen, question, and build conviction.”

Strategic Management was another course that applied an unconventional approach. Taught by Professors Sunil Sharma and Professor Amit Karna, it incorporated a “Simplay” (Simulation + Role Play), where student teams were assigned the CEO roles for Colgate, Procter & Gamble, and Unilver to develop a market entry strategy. Realizing the disadvantage that Unilever faced in the teeth-whitening segment, Pratyush Bharati’s team took a page from the “scrappy startup” handbook.

“Leveraging the insight that P&G’s patent wasn’t global, we proposed entering a geography with weaker IP enforcement laws and using their exact technology to rapidly reverse engineer a similar product. We would offer our product at minimal margins, bundled with toothpaste that customers are familiar with, turning a legal grey area into a first-mover advantage. Our aim was to build a customer base and create awareness for this new product before any litigation or retaliation could catch up.”

The result: A “stunned” room…and an impressed teacher. “Our solution stood out for its audacity, pragmatism, and asymmetric thinking, blending legal insight, marketing flair, and startup-style agility,” adds Bharati. “The professor, playing the invisible hand of the market, dropped his role to acknowledge the sheer boldness of our approach. This wasn’t just about a dental product, it was a live case in disruption, and we came to play.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH IIM AHMEDABAD LEADERSHIP

And so is IIM Ahmedabad in its own global strategy. In 2025, the school opened a campus in Dubai  to bring the school’s educational resources to the Middle East and Africa. That’s just one of the new developments at the school over the past year. Last fall, P&Q reached out to IIM Ahmedabad leadership to learn more about what’s happening on campus. We received written responses back from Professor Professor Amit Karna, Chairperson of the full-time one-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (MBA-PGPX), and Professor Viswanath Pingali, Chairperson of Placements at IIMA. Along with sharing the latest news, they also provided an inside scoop on how the program assists students when they first arrive and integrate STEM and AI into their programming.

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

Karna and Pingali: “The full-time one-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (MBA-PGPX) at IIMAhmedabad continues to evolve in step with the dynamic global business landscape. Here aretTwo significant developments this year reflect our commitment to academic leadership and global relevance:

1. Integration of IIMA Ventures’ IRP Offerings: In the past year, PGPX has integrated Innovation and Research Projects (IRPs) from IIMA Ventures, the institute’s innovation and entrepreneurship platform. This has given students direct exposure to the startup ecosystem, enhancing entrepreneurial thinking and strategic decision-making. For current and future MBAs, it translates into greater career agility, an edge in leadership roles, and the confidence to pursue entrepreneurial ventures alongside traditional career paths.

2. Curriculum Redesign and Global Integration: A comprehensive, faculty-led curriculum review was initiated to ensure the program remains aligned with emerging global trends and employer expectations. Informed by alumni insights, recruiter feedback, and academic benchmarking, the redesign introduces forward-looking electives and integrated themes such as AI, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and leadership in complexity. Simultaneously, we’re broadening our global immersion offerings and strengthening international partnerships to enrich cross-cultural learning. The goal: to equip our graduates not just with a globally respected credential, but with the agility, foresight, and multicultural fluency to lead in an increasingly interconnected world.

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

Karna and Pingali: “At IIM Ahmedabad, we don’t offer a standard MBA—we deliver a leadership program rooted in real-world experience, academic rigor, and global relevance. The PGPX is designed for professionals who are not starting their careers but are ready to accelerate them with purpose and perspective.

Whether at our iconic Ahmedabad campus or our new, state-of-the-art campus in Dubai, the PGPX experience is distinctly IIMA:

• A rigorous, case-based pedagogy that sharpens decision-making
• A cohort (Class of 2026) averaging 7.9 years of diverse industry experience
• Faculty who challenge assumptions and lead high-impact discussions by integrating industry insights
• And now, a unified global presence—with two campuses under one respected brand

Our classrooms reflect real-world complexity. Participants bring their experiences into the room, enabling peer learning that is as insightful as it is applicable. Cases are analysed from multiple vantage points, and learning is both practical and strategic.

For employers, this translates into hiring professionals who are ready to contribute from Day One—with maturity, strategic thinking, and leadership readiness.

The launch of IIMA’s Dubai campus expands this value proposition —bringing IIMA’s academic standards to the GCC while enriching the program through regional context and international diversity.

In a business environment that values agility, experience, and impact, the PGPX delivers professionals who are equipped to lead in complex, fast-changing settings.”

P&Q: What types of services do you provide to students when they arrive to ease their transition into business school?

Karna and Pingali: “At IIMA, we understand that for experienced professionals, transitioning into a high-intensity MBA program is not about starting from scratch—it’s about recalibrating for impact. Our onboarding and engagement strategy for the PGPX cohort is carefully structured to balance academic readiness, professional clarity, and personal growth.

For the PGPX cohort, the transition support includes:

* Academic Bridge Modules: Participants are equipped with foundational refresher sessions in core areas. These modules help participants—regardless of prior background—enter the classroom on a level playing field.

* Certified Coaching: We integrate professional coaching early in the program to help participants reflect on career goals and prepare for the recruitment cycle. This unfolds in stages through a structured engagement plan. Coaching sessions help define personal and leadership goals, manage the demands of the year ahead, and accelerate self-awareness.

* Cohort Integration Activities: A thoughtfully designed set of orientation activities, team exercises, and community-building initiatives foster strong peer bonds—crucial for a program that thrives on collaborative learning.

Our philosophy is simple: participants don’t need to start over—they need to reset. We create the environment and tools for them to recalibrate, reframe, and re-engage with purpose. The result is a confident start to what is intentionally a rigorous and transformative year.”

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?

Karna and Pingali: “At IIM Ahmedabad, we recognize that international participants bring valuable global perspectives—and that relocating to a new academic and cultural environment can be a significant transition.

Our tight-knit, collaborative campus culture ensures international participants are not only welcomed but meaningfully integrated into the academic and social fabric of the PGPX. Whether through student-led clubs, cross-cultural events, or industry interactions, the program fosters a strong sense of inclusion and community. Faculty members and staff remain accessible and actively invested in each student’s journey.

Throughout the year, the Program Office and Career Services maintain regular touchpoints to support academic, cultural, and career-related needs. A structured coaching programme enables the students to have access to certified coaches who provide individualized support, helping the students navigate both professional goals and personal adjustment with confidence.

From the moment they arrive on campus, international participants experience an onboarding process that is seamless, supportive, and strategically paced—enabling them not just to adjust, but to thrive.”

Next Page: Profiles of 11 Members of the PGPX 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.