From BHU to LU and IIM (C), the business prof who also mastered the art of communication

The appointment of Lucknow University vice chancellor Prof Alok Kumar Rai as the director-designate of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta despite having no firsthand experience of how an IIM works is viewed by his peers as a first of its kind appointment and a testament to his skill set.

- Rajeev Mullick

IIM Ahmedabad director Prof Bharat Bhasker said, “To the best of my limited knowledge, Prof Alok Kumar Rai is perhaps the first from a state-run university who has been appointed director. There aren't too many examples.”

Rai, who hails from Varanasi but has spent more than five-and-a-half years at Lucknow University, held a professorial position at the Faculty of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University, in Varanasi.

He was appointed the 41st vice chancellor of University of Lucknow in December 2019 and given a second term in December 2022. He has concurrently held additional charge as the vice chancellor of several prestigious institutions, including Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University,