'AI literacy: Key differentiator for MBA graduates'

Management education must now venture into emerging areas like agriculture and agri-tech, especially in the context of climate change and sustainability, said professor Ajit Parulekar, director of the Goa Institute of Management, during an interview with Shradha Chettri. He also highlighted how proficiency in AI and related technological tools has become a universal expectation from recruiters. Edited excerpts from the conversation:

- Shradha Chettri

Q. In the three decades of existence as a management institute, how do you view the growth of the institute?

A. Over the past three decades, the institute's journey has been one of consistent and robust growth. It is an evolution that has been grounded in academic rigour, innovation, and purpose. In recent years, this momentum has accelerated significantly. The institute today stands on the strength of its 93 full-time faculty members who form a formidable pool of intellectual capital, producing a remarkable number of research publications in top-tier journals (109 ABDC A* & A papers have been published in the past 5 years) and attracting over Rs 7 crore in sponsored research funding from leading organisations such as World Health Organization (WHO), Erasmus+, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), etc.

Equally significant has been the institute's pioneering spirit in management education, evident in its early introduction of cutting-edge programmes such as PGDM in Health Care Management and PGDM in Big Data Analytics both among the first of their kind in the country. These initiatives have positioned the institute at the forefront of contemporary management education, blending industry relevance with academic excellence.

The result of this sustained effort is reflected not merely in numbers, but in human impact. Our alumni community now includes over 77 CXOs who exemplify the institute’s ethos of responsible and transformative leadership.

Q. How has management education evolved over the years?