INSIGHT MEETS IMPACT

INDIA'S TOP PRIVATE B-SCHOOL GROOMS MANAGERS WHO CAN NAVIGATE TECHNOLOGY, STRATEGY AND RESPONSIBILITY WITH EASE

- M.G. Arun

THERE IS A QUIET INTENSITY IN VARUN NAGARAJ'S VOICE as he speaks about the way forward for S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR). As the dean of this 44-year-old Mumbai-based institute, he exudes both urgency and assurance when discussing how prepared the school is to meet the technological demands reshaping management education.

“There are two kinds of initiatives that we undertake, and both are aligned to SPJIMR’s vision, which is to create next-generation managers,” he explains. The first reflects the institute's enduring ethos over the past four decades: ensuring that students leave with not just knowledge, but the tools and mindset to innovate responsibly.

"Systems thinking becomes a big element of a manager's toolkit," Nagaraj elaborates. Introduced as a mandatory first-year course, it is paired with design thinking to help students comprehend the full picture and make judicious decisions. Students are also encouraged to interview innovators and study what the institute calls 'wise innovations. Under this ethos, the WISE Tech India Pitchathon 2025 reached nearly 700 start-ups across 12 cities.

Thirty-five 'wise innovations' were selected to present in Mumbai, with five emerging as winners.