IIM welcomes executive MBA batch 2026–28 with experienced professionals

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kashipur has inaugurated its Executive MBA (EMBA) Batch 2026–28, welcoming 24 working professionals from diverse academic and industry backgrounds to its two-year management programme aimed at developing future business leaders.

The new batch brings an average of more than seven years of professional experience, reflecting the programme’s focus on peer learning, leadership development and practical business perspectives. The cohort comprises 17 men and seven women, with women accounting for 29.2 per cent of the class.

Participants come from seven states and Union Territories, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Uttarakhand accounts for the largest share of the batch at 33.3 per cent, followed by Uttar Pradesh (29.2 per cent) and Delhi NCR (16.7 per cent). The academic profile of the cohort is equally diverse. While 58.3 per cent of participants have engineering and technology backgrounds, the batch also includes graduates in law, management, commerce, science, computer applications and humanities, creating an interdisciplinary learning environment.

Professionals from multiple sectors have joined the programme. Manufacturing and Automotive, and Information Technology each contribute 29.2 per cent of the participants, while Banking, Finance and FinTech account for 16.7 per cent. The batch also includes professionals from the public sector, education, hospitality, e-commerce, supply chain, sustainability and telecommunications.

Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. Neeraj Dwivedi, Director, IIM Kashipur, said the programme was designed to shape leaders rather than functional specialists.

“Experience brings you baggage. Experience brings you certain rigidities. This programme is meant to make leaders, not just functional experts. An equally important part of this journey will be unlearning old ways of thinking and staying open to new ones,” he said.

Prof. Kunal Ganguly, Chairperson-Executive Education and Dean (Development), emphasised the importance of developing a holistic business perspective.

“Our real contribution isn’t giving you knowledge once—it’s transforming the way you think, so you learn to see the business as a whole, not just your own function,” he said.

Prof. Safal Batra, Chairperson, Executive MBA, encouraged participants to cultivate curiosity and sound judgment.

“What this programme can truly impart is a mindset—the ability to ignite curiosity, ask the right questions, and exercise sound judgment amid uncertainty. It’s about thinking beyond yourself and understanding the implications of your actions on society at large,” he said.

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The Hans India