3 INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) BANGALORE

AS IIMB moves to capture industry’s changing needs, digital, sustainability and entrepreneurship are its focus areas. Accordingly, it has launched a course for digital; ESG is now integrated into an existing core course; and programmes on entrepreneurship are being further strengthened. Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Director of IIMB, believes the notion of product management is fast changing in the digital world. As digital companies collect data constantly, managers will be expected to use data to tweak product offerings and features based on demand, lead product innovations, and also experiment with pricing. The institute has introduced a new core course on digital businesses this year, while electives like gamification, Web 3.0 and Metaverse respond to some of the latest technology trends.

In the case of sustainability, IIMB believes all of its MBA students need to have a basic understanding of ESG issues, so that they are able to integrate them into their decisionmaking. “That’s why we made sure that ESG-related topics go into the core of the curriculum. I don’t think people are looking for sustainability managers. What they are looking for are managers who are also wired to take care of sustainability issues in their decision-making,” he says.

IIMB also made entrepreneurship a compulsory part of its MBA course about five years ago, and uses simulations and games to develop entrepreneurial skills in students. “Students should be able to identify opportunities, imbibe a growth mindset, which is looking at different ways at growing not only the business, but the people they work with, and imbibe typical entrepreneur traits such as quick execution, design thinking, and being able to fail fast and learn quickly,” he adds. The institution will launch a digital entrepreneurship programme in 2023, its golden jubilee year.