TECHNO LEADERSHIP

COME 2026, IIMA'S FLAGSHIP TWO-YEAR PGP IN MANAGEMENT WILL COME IN A NEW AVATAR, WITH A BLEND OF AI.

- BY AJITA SHASHIDHAR

THE LOUIS KAHN PLAZA is the most iconic part of the country's premier business school, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). Named after the architect (Louis Kahn) who designed the eye-catching brick façade of the country's first business school way back in 1961, LKP as it is popularly called, has been witness to myriad convocations that have produced thousands of corporate luminaries over decades. Cut to 2025, the old-world charm of the IIMA campus is intact, as is the excitement of the current batch of students to get the coveted Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) degree in the ramparts of LKP.

As they pose for a picture with director Bharat Bhasker on the steps of LKP, a student fondly calls him 'pookie' (a Gen-Z terminology that signifies endearment and cuteness). An outburst of laughter follows. When asked how different the new generation of soon-to-be managers is, Bhasker has a term for them—‘Techno Managers’—people who not only strategise, but also have the skills to navigate uncertainties and most importantly, are equipped with new-age technology skills such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics.