Leadership in a Management institute exemplifies academic excellence, innovation, and unwavering commitment. Delve into the educational lives of such leaders as we list the Deans of some of the most excellent business schools in India:
Prof. Madan Pillutla (Dean & Professor, ISB Hyderabad): Madan Pillutla has one of the most sterling academic credentials, consisting of a PG degree from XLRI, Jamshedpur and the University of Illinois, as well as a PhD from the University of British Columbia. He boasts over 30 years of academic experience in prestigious institutes like London Business School and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Madan has served on the editorial boards of top management journals. He was also conferred with several teaching awards at the London Business School for his direction of successful executive education programs.
Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi (Director—IIPM Bangalore, Dean—IIFT New Delhi): Professor Rakesh Mohan Joshi’s name shines brightly among the academicians of Indian B-schools. He is nominated by the President of India as the Member of the University Court, DU. He is also a distinguished author; his works on Business and Marketing are published internationally. He has extensive international exposure from training programs, research, and consultancy. The London Business School awarded him his case studies, published by the ECCH.
Prof. Sourav Mukherji (Dean & Professor—IIM Bangalore): An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIM Bangalore, Saurav Mukherji specializes in inclusive business modelling, organization design, and processes. He has worked with IT giants like IBM and Oracle, employing his Product management expertise. Saurav has been honoured with Faculty awards from IIM-B and IBM for inspiring a generation of scholars with his teaching.
Prof. Vikas Srivastava (Dean – Programmes & Professor, IIM Lucknow): Professor Vikas Srivastava, an expert in Finance and Accounting, has over two decades of experience in the academic realm. He has conducted over 120 Management Development Programmes in Asia, Europe, and Africa, impacting scholars worldwide. Due to his excellence in finance and consulting, he has worked with IFC Washington and provided consulting support to RBI, Axis Bank, and other central banks in different countries.
Dr Githa Heggde (Dean, MICA): Dr Githa Heggde is a testament to an unwavering commitment to academic excellence. Her glowing credentials, consisting of prestigious management awards and journals appreciated internationally, speak of her academic rigour. She is the former Dean of UPES School of Business and the Director of IFIM BSchool, Bangalore. Her experience of over 29 years in Industry and teaching inspires generations to come.
Prof. Avinash Kapoor (Dean & Professor, MDI Gurgaon): Professor Kapoor exemplifies integrity and professionalism. His extensive research on marketing, consumer experience, and strategic decision-making has been published in reputed international journals and presented globally. He has over 15 years of experience in Industry, Teaching and Consultancy.
Prof. Amit Sareen (Dean—Academics, IMT Ghaziabad): An alumnus of FMS Delhi and IIT Roorkee, Professor Amit Sareen’s career is a scholarly oeuvre. His decades of Industry experience with renowned firms like Aircel and TCS are evidence of his prowess in the management world. His widespread areas of expertise include Business relationships, Business development, Human resource management, Account management, and more. He has also led the adoption of case-based teaching to foster an improved pedagogy in Business schools.
Prof. Sanghamitra Buddhapriya (Dean & Professor, FORE School of Management, New Delhi): With close to 3 decades of experience, Professor Buddhapriya is one of the leading Women in Business Education. She was conferred with the ’50 Women Leaders in Education awards to honour her rich tapestry of academic achievements. She completed her post-doctoral at McMaster University, Hamilton, and conducted MDPs for reputed organizations like ONGC, IOC, SAIL, and NBCC.
Prof. Ranjeet Nambudiri (Dean—Faculty, IIM Indore): Professor Ranjeet Nambudiri is an acclaimed figure in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management. His career is a rich tapestry of various management domains, spanning over 25 years of experience. His seminal publications about Conflict management, Consumerism, and HRD have graced refereed journals published internationally.
Prof. Anirban Adhikary (Dean—Faculty and Research, IIM Udaipur): Prof. Anirban is one of the younger faculty members among the tapestry of elite B-school academicians. Beyond his prolific research on supply chain and operations management, he was also awarded the Wipro Sustainability Fellowship. His publications on Supply Chains, featuring in top international journals, are a testament to his scholarly excellence.
Dr Varun Nagaraj (Dean & professor, SPJIMR Mumbai): With a career spanning over three decades, Dr Varun Nagraj is a distinguished figure with expertise in Product Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He is an alumnus of IIT-B and pursued his MBA in Finance and Strategy from Boston University. His books illuminate the intricacies of the entrepreneurial world and provide solutions based on the integrated application of analytics and business design.
Prof. Neena Sondhi (Dean – Research and Accreditations, IMI New Delhi): With a diverse career in Teaching, research and consultancy, Prof. Neena Sondhi is known for her consumer behaviour and insights prowess. She has also evaluated the effectiveness of social programs as a certified trainer for ISB and UNICEF. Her experiential learnings can be found in her book, “Research Methodology”, among the finest management education books.
Prof. Chandrasekhar M (Director, IIM Vishakhapatnam): Prof. Chandrashekhar M has four decades of experience, making him an influential figure in the management world. He has been the dean of ASCI and worked with BOI as the deputy general manager. His engaging research work, published in journals, justifies his spectacular academic credentials.
Prof. Suresh Ramanathan (Dean, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai): Specializing in Marketing and Consumer Insights, Prof. Suresh Ramanathan is an exceptional educator and mentor. After over a decade of experience in the industry, he embarked on his academic journey at the University of Chicago, followed by Texas A&M University. He has nurtured a cadre of scholars from teaching and a string of quality research papers, conferences, and panel discussions on multifaceted topics.
Prof. Sonu Goyal (Dean – Academics, IMI New Delhi): Prof. Sonu Goyal is a revered scholar specializing in Strategy and General Management. She received her doctorate in Business Policy and Corporate Strategy from FMS Delhi. A certified Goldman Sachs – NEN Scholar, Prof. Goyal has authored books and chaired international conferences about Sustainable Development and CSR. With a pedagogical approach based on case studies and real-world relevance, Prof. Sonu Goyal is the ethos of academic leadership.
Prof. Mahima Gupta (Dean – Academics, IIM Amritsar): To understand E-Commerce and information Organization, Prof. Mahima Gupta elucidates the application of Analytical concepts like MCDM and Fuzzy logic through her insightful research. PhD holder from IIM-L, Prof. Gupta’s work focuses on improving product selection and decision-making with the help of Fuzzy theory. She has teaching experience in reputable institutions like Great Lakes Institute, IMT Ghaziabad, and IIM Amritsar.
Prof. Jabir Ali (Dean—IIM Jammu): Prof. Jabir Ali has over 17 years of experience in reputed institutions like IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and MANAGE Hyderabad. His excellence in domains such as International Trade, CSR, and Policy Analysis has created a transformative impact among his peers and students alike. His pioneering research on FDI, CSR, and Environmental Sciences is a testament to his brilliance.
Dr Prashant Gupta (Dean – Faculty, Academics & Alumni Affairs, IIM Nagpur): Prof. Prashant Gupta is a trained faculty member by the prestigious Ivy Business School, Canada, and the International Finance Corporation on Corporate Governance. He advocates the integrated study of academics and industry, so he actively involves himself in training programs for almost all leading PSUs of the country. His illustrious work in accounting, corporate finance, and taxation hurl his name among the top finance academicians in our country.
Dr Naga Venkatesh Devaguptapu (Dean – Academics, Goa Institute of Management, Goa): Apart from his glowing academic pursuits, Dr Venkatesh brings to bear a wealth of industry experience garnered from various organizations like ING Vysya Bank, IDRBT, SITEL, Standard Chartered and more. Two decades of Industry presence helped him foster a deep understanding of Organizational dynamics and Strategic decision-making. This facilitates Dr N Venkatesh’s profound pedagogical methods in his quest for academic brilliance.
All the above individuals are ideals of academic leadership and service, inspiring generations of scholars and organizational leaders to strive for excellence and ethical stewardship in their quest for managerial effectiveness and societal impact.
