In a World Defined by Disruption, it is Imperative to Reimagine B-schools

The challenge lies in how swiftly institutions can redesign curricula to reflect the changing landscape.

- By BHARAT BHASKER Director, IIM Ahmedabad

IS MANAGEMENT education becoming obsolete? This question resurfaces repeatedly in debates. However, the impact of management education is far-reaching. Several CEOs, policy leaders, and changemakers continue to emerge from management institutions, contributing to India’s growth story.

The real question that we must deliberate on is not whether business schools will survive but how they must transform to lead in a world defined by disruption, as they play an instrumental role in shaping the next generation of leaders.

India’s management education ecosystem has strong foundations, yet the scale and speed of change unfolding around us are unprecedented. AI, blockchain, robotics, and autonomous systems are rapidly reshaping workplaces, services, industries, supply chains, and manufacturing. Management education must mirror the realities and trends of the contemporary business and industries. The challenge lies in how swiftly institutions can redesign curricula to reflect this shifting technological and economic landscape. Apart from integrating new tools and methods, our programmes must prepare graduates for a world marked by uncertainty, including volatile global trade practices, evolving regulatory structures, and continuously reorganising supply chains.

While many Indian management institutions have made progress in updating programmes and strengthening industry linkages, the pace of transformation must accelerate and happen at smaller management institutions as well. To remain relevant in a business environment that is changing in real time, institutions must strengthen efforts to innovate, experiment, and update their pedagogies.

REIMAGINING CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY