Management

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has announced the availability of seats for the MBA in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS & AI) course for the 2026, 28 academic year, thus making the program as one of the promising options for those students willing to combine management education with technology skills of the latest trend. Candidates wishing to apply can do so via the official website of IIT Mandi until January 27, 2026.

To equip business leaders of tomorrow with a solid technology background, the MBA (DS & AI) programme at IIT Mandi blends the core management skills such as strategy, finance, and marketing with the advanced topics like artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and digital transformation. Students can leverage advanced analytics laboratories, high, end computing infrastructure, and the innovation and startup ecosystem at IIT Mandi through its technology incubator, Catalyst. Professor Anjan Kumar Swain, Chairperson, School of Management, talked about the future vision of the program that intends to develop leaders who excel in the fast, changing digital economy. He added that our curriculum is a mix of management, analytics, and technology, which is instrumental in the development of critical thinking, creativity, and leadership qualities.

Eligibility IIT Mandi is calling for applications for the MBA program starting in 2026. All candidates must have a valid CAT 2025 score.

Furthermore, applicants with a Bachelor's or Master's degree from Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) or from the institutions ranked within the top 100 by NIRF 2025 (overall or engineering categories) are eligible to apply. Comprehensive admission criteria are listed on the institute website. Placement Highlights The School of Management at IIT Mandi has undergone a significant curriculum transformation in the recent past. As part of the revision, a variety of new electives such as Generative AI for Managers, AI, driven Financial Decision Making, and AI for Marketing have been introduced. The changes have been quite effective in placements as well. 

The last batch managed to achieve an average CTC of 18 lakh per annum, with the highest package going up to 49 LPA. Alongside these, the top recruiters have included companies primarily from the fields of analytics, consulting, BFSI, technology services, and AI driven enterprises, which after all, is a clear indication of the program's increasing industry relevance. As the application window is currently open, IIT Mandi's MBA in Data Science and AI is rapidly becoming an excellent choice for management aspirants who want to be future ready.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi - Abu Dhabi campus can expect to see 400 students next year, almost twice the current number, according to an official statement. "Today, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi has a strength of 12,000 students, while the strength of Indian Institute of Technology, Abu Dhabi is 182, which will likely touch 400 in the next year," stated Shantanu Roy, Executive Director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi - Abu Dhabi, in an interaction with visiting Indian media at the campus in Abu Dhabi.

When asked what gives the difference to this campus of IIT Delhi, as opposed to other campuses of IIT in India, Roy said, 'This is a different geography, of course, and this is being aligned with what is important in UAE. India is a much bigger country, much larger populace, the economic spread is larger.' 'This is, of course, the Middle East, which is known to be a fossil fuel-driven economy. But UAE is doing a lot of expansion and diversification. So, what is being built here, in fact, is aligned with that diversification,' said Roy.

"But of course it’s a smaller country, has a very small population and geography, and has a large number of international students," he said. "It’s because UAE being at the crossroads of the world, is linked to Europe and Asia. So, we have diversity in terms of students," he said. He said that the UAE campus is in line with the UAE’s strategy related to energy, sustainability and AI and Smart Materials research which are being specifically targeted.

However, it’s not as if this is not being done in the Delhi campus, as all these are very important to India too. This is not like the campus is not synchronized with the Delhi campus. "We are actually one institution, and not two different institutions. I think that’s very important to understand at the outset," Roy said.

“We are actually one institution globally with three campuses. This is our first campus outside the country. This campus here (Abu Dhabi campus), in the beginning, in the first semester, started with 17 students. We had only one master's programme. But within six months, we started two undergraduate programmes with 50 students at that time. “We are adding a new undergraduate programme every year, maybe a new master's programme every year, and some progress in PhD annually,” Asked how AI is transforming education and research, Roy stated, "It is part of our curriculum in IIT Delhi. There are also masters programs in AI." Roy also clarified that the curriculum in Abu Dhabi is the same as that of IIT Delhi, except for some adaptation that is required in the Middle Eastern setting. "A requirement for accreditation of branch campuses is that you have to retain the ethos of the parental campus," Roy explained. "So far as curricula are concerned, we are very well-aligned. In fact, it is not as if if you're in IIT Delhi, in Delhi, you get an education that is different from what you get in Abu Dhabi."

Addressing the 93rd South Indian Music Conference and Festival organized by the Indian Fine Arts Society at Chennai on December 17, Prof. Kamakoti stated that music and engineering are very much related, especially when associated with patterns. The Indian Fine Arts Society Sabha is among the oldest and leading sabhas at Chennai, which has been acclaiming the classical musical arts.

“Music has a very solid grounding in science—especially mathematics. We’ve been extensively exploring the link between the two at IIT Madras,” said Professor Kamakoti while stressing the benefits of music education for enhancing skills required in technology and engineering.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras

Commenting on the focus of IIT Madras on inter-disciplinary education, Prof Kamakoti said, “We are creating a space where Arts, Culture, Science, and Engineering meet, and this is being achieved through forums such as this, forums such as music, and forums such as this, forums such as—” This will be achieved through the setting up of an “Audio Mic-less Bamboo Auditorium” at IIT Mad

Engineering Requires Several Disciplines

According to Prof. Kamakoti, modern engineering challenges have started requiring more inter-disciplinary work. While citing Operation Sindoor, he said that it was an example of an inter-disciplinary effort that included 10-11 different disciplines of engineering.

“We are emphasizing interdisciplinary education at IIT-M because most of these real-world problems cannot be solved by one area of engineering alone,” said Professor Ninan.

PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED

While encouraging parents to think beyond the usual career options, Prof Kamakoti revealed that music training must not remain as something apart from academic achievement. “Our usual music education courses can actually supplement engineering courses, as they develop creativity, discipline, and problem-solving abilities,” he stated. “It’s a reflection of the shift in education in India where institutions like IIT Madras are opening up more channels that combine culture and creativity with technology.”

There is indeed a shift in the Indian education system where institutions like IIT Madras are opening up more channels that combine culture and creativity with technology.

IIM Kashipur, in association with Nulearn has commenced inviting applications for admission to its fifth batch of Executive MBA (Analytics). The two-year specialized course is targeted at working professionals, entrepreneurs, and graduates seeking to upskill themselves. The course endeavors to equip future-ready leaders to apply analytical tools to solve business problems and build efficient organizational processes.

Eligibility

The program targets those candidates with a minimum of three years of full-time relevant work experience. In this regard, the course is designed to support working professionals through a location-independent learning structure.

Course format

The program has been developed on a globally benchmarked curriculum and covers the emerging domains of Business Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Management, and Strategy. Participants will be trained in developing cross-functional capabilities critical for Industry 4.0. The course will offer elective options across more than 40 courses in nine domains. Learning modes The learning model integrates campus engagement with online delivery. Participants can also create their learning through choices from an extensive elective pool. There is an option for direct interaction with the faculty members, experience simulations and industry workshops. Overview of the program The course will offer a choice between live online sessions and periodic on-campus modules. On-campus modules are to be conducted by IIM faculty and industry experts. There would be six on-campus immersions, out of which two modules are mandatory, namely, the first and the fourth. The duration of the first module is five days and the rest four days each. There will be approximately 900 contact hours, which would be offered over six terms in a two-year time. The individuals also get the option of online meetings with the faculty to discuss concepts and perspectives.

To break out of these molds, India Foundation is launching a new School of Global Leadership. This will be a one-year practice-oriented postgraduate course and will be launched on the think tank’s 15th anniversary.

With this initiative, this think tank hopes to train enthusiasts in foreign matters and launch the next generation of leaders into the global arena. As a foundation, they view this course as a ‘immersion tour into the global policy ecosystem.’ A private university in Andhra Pradesh, which is recognized under the University Grants Commission and is named B.E.S.T Innovation University or BESTIU for short, will also be participating in this course.

"SoGL (School of Global Leadership) will be a state-of-the-art institution and marks an important milestone in our commitment to foster strategic thinking, innovation in governance, and efficient leadership in overcoming the complexities of the 21st century," stated a press release from the foundation.

Instead of a series of convention seminars and coursework, SoGL emphasizes hands-on training conducted by practitioners, not professors.

The school will commence operations on 16 December 2025 in ITC Maurya, located in New Delhi, with Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan set to launch the school.

The school governance structure springs from an existing network established by the foundation. The chair of the governance is Jayant Sinha, with ex-diplomats Gautam Bambawale and Jaideep Mazumdar being co-chairs. A ‘mentor board consisting of retired generals, ambassadors, regulators, and university heads brings added value to this initiative.’

The India Foundation was founded in 2010 by Shaurya Doval. A founding member and President of this think tank is Ram Madhav, a former National General Secretary, BJP. It was formed with an objective to serve as a think tank concerning governance, security, and position in the international system.

The names on its Board of Trustees include Surya Prakash, former Chairman Prasar Bharti, Sunaina Singh, former Vice Chancellor Nalanda University, and Chandra Wadhwa, former President of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

Researching diplomacy from Ground Zero 

Through this project, students will be able to visit 12 countries spread over four different continents in order to learn the realities of diplomacy from Ground Zero. Such a model is common for global leadership programs.

Through this effort, the foundation has partnered with various institutions. They include the Hoover Institution at Stanford, Institution of World Politics based in Washington, Luiss Research Centre in Italy, UN University based in Brussels, Leiden University in the Netherlands, and Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai. The India Foundation is transforming a series of conversations it organizes on foreign policy into a paid semiacademic course. Additionally, this partnership brings an international affairs course into BESTIU, which is a new addition to this institution. BESTIU was established in 2019.

IIM-Nagpur (Indian Institute of Management Nagpur), one of the rapidly growing IIMs known for the best in class education in the current era of business management, in association with TimesPro, has recently announced the commencing of the fifth batch of Post Graduate Certificate Program in Strategic Management. This program enables the concept of all-round management acumen in the learners and helps them attain a well-rounded understanding of overall management and leadership. It also enables them to deal with complex challenges faced by the top management during the transformation period.

The 12-month Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Strategic Management aims to nurture and develop professionals into effective strategists, able organisation builders, and change agents, and is heavily aligned on strategy formulation and its implementation at the business and corporate levels. The programme includes learning on many tools and techniques of data-driven decisions, offers a design thinking experience, and helps to develop general management and strategy skills to design strategies that are implementable in the functions of business.

Organizations in the fields of the healthcare industry, information technology, information technology services, financial services industry, and the manufacture of industry are relying on strategic know-how as the scope of digital transformation consulting services offered by strategy consulting firms grows. The demand for strategists is escalating in the marketplace as firms want experts in the focus on mergers and acquisitions.

India is expected to have a GDP of USD 20.7 trillion in the coming years, while the IMF predicts it will become the world’s second-largest economy by 2038 with a GDP of USD 34.2 trillion. With rising growth, the strategy consulting sector in India is undergoing a drift from its core engagements towards the adoption of innovative technologies like AI, Cloud, and data analytics.

Talking about the announcement of the fifth batch, Dr. Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM Nagpur, said, “At IIM Nagpur, we translate strategic insight into effective action. The Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Strategic Management challenges and refines judgment and cultivates execution fitness by employing design thinking, frameworks, chamber consulting practices, simulations, and campus immersions. Students emerge as accountable leaders to synchronize vision with results, shape change across functions, and deliver long-term value to organizations operating in increasingly complex, uncertain, and transformed digital landscapes.”

“The Executive Education Department at IIM Nagpur is dedicated to providing modern-day decision-making programmes for executives at all levels within any organization.” – Dr. Alok Kumar Singh, Dean – Executive Education, IIM Nagpur

With this programme, practitioners will be able to translate their strategic thinking into something meaningful for their organisations. Our Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Strategic Management will help students develop an ability to diagnose complex business environments and take evidence-driven and data-driven decisions to implement successful change initiatives.”

"Professionals require agile and rigorous learning that enhances and does not disturb their professional journey. With TimesPro’s Interactive Learning and Direct-to-Device model of delivery, participants get exposed to famous faculty, cases, simulations, and collaborative working. This builds analytical rigor, executional skills, fluency in areas of data, AI, and cloud – so that learners can achieve growth and optimize costs and lead transformations confidently and competently in industries operating in a volatile economy shaped by technology,” said Sridhar Nagarajachar, Business Head – Executive Education, TimesPro.

The Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Strategic Management consists of three modules, Strategy & Environmental Scanning, Strategy Formulation and Implementation, and Strategic Leadership & Sustainable Development, totalling 19 courses. The course includes a business simulation and resolution of organizational cases through projects, besides which a three-day immersion at the IIM Nagpur will take place. The participant will then be able to apply for roles in consulting, set up business support systems, devise mechanisms for generating revenue and cutting costs, and implement efficient processes for management, post completion of the programme. The programme shall be offered on TimesPro’s Interactive Learning platform and in Direct-to-Device mode. The learning method includes lecture, case discussion, simulation game, role-play, group projects, and other experiential activities. The participants shall gain alumni status on successful completion of the programme. Those applicants, who possess a bachelor's degree or a two-year master's degree, with a minimum of three years of professional experience, obtained from an identified university (UGC, AICTE, DEC, AU, State Govt.), will also be eligible to apply.