'Goal is to extend full or partial freeships to 40% of our students'

Bharat Bhasker, director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, in an exclusive interview with Aeshwarya Tiwari, discusses his vision for the coming years, aiming to offer full or partial freeships to around 40% of their students, covering their tuition fees. He also talks about the institute’s fee refund policy and explains why management research at IITs is often ranked higher compared to IIMs and other management institutions. Edited excerpts:

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Q. What are the key challenges you're facing as a director at the institute?

A. I actually see challenges as opportunities. There's immense potential here, so much to be done in this country, and only a limited number of IIMs with such strong competence. What some might call challenges, I view as opportunities for growth.

Our goal is to contribute not only to India's development but also to the global growth story. Of course, there are limitations, especially in terms of infrastructure and expansion of full-time programmes, but these have pushed us to innovate. That's why we introduced the blended MBA programme last year. This year, we're launching a Business Analytics and AI programme with MBA capabilities integrated into it.

We also recognised the need for India to emerge as a global leader, particularly in the Global South. To support this vision, we have established the IIM Ahmedabad campus in Dubai. The idea is to be present in the heart of the Global South, developing leadership capabilities there, inspired and influenced by India's growing global role.

Q. Are you also receiving a full grant from the UAE government?

A. Unlike the IITs, we don't receive a full grant. Our model is quite different. The host government is providing support for capital expenditure. So far, all capital costs have been fully funded by them. However, when it comes to operational expenses, we are entirely self-sustained and manage those costs independently.

Q. What is your perspective on Indian accreditation systems for IIMs such as NAAC, compared to international ones like AACSB, EQUIS etc.?