IIMA Inaugurates Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence

IIMA Launches AI School to Bridge Technology, Management, and Society

Chandrika Tandon Leads Launch of AI School at IIMA with ₹100 Crore Endowment

Pankaj Patel Highlights AI’s Transformative Role at IIMA’s New AI School Launch

Bharat Bhasker Calls IIMA’s AI School a ‘Forward-Looking Initiative’

 

• Bilkul Online
• Ahmedabad | 27 March 2026

 

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) inaugurated the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence on March 26, 2026, at its campus. The inauguration was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Chandrika Tandon, a business leader, humanitarian, Grammy Award-winning musician, and alumna of IIMA’s PGP Class of 1975.

She was joined by Pankaj Patel, Chairperson of the Board of Governors, IIMA; Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA; and Ramesh Mangaleswaran, Founding Member of the IIMA Endowment Fund, in the presence of faculty members and industry practitioners.

Endowment and Purpose

The School has been established through a generous endowment of ₹100 crores by Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and her husband, Ranjan Tandon. It aims to translate advancements in artificial intelligence into practical tools and solutions that enhance decision-making, improve productivity, and address complex challenges across industry, government, and society.

Vision and Mission

The School is envisioned as a world-class platform that combines artificial intelligence with IIMA’s management expertise to benefit business and society. By bridging advanced AI research with managerial, institutional, and societal challenges, it seeks to generate knowledge that is globally relevant while rooted in Indian contexts.

Through research, education, and engagement, the School will prepare leaders who possess technical understanding, managerial judgment, and a strong sense of societal responsibility.

Insights from Leadership

Chandrika Tandon

Chandrika Tandon described the rise of AI as both transformative and exciting. She emphasized the importance of applied research in industry sectors and highlighted how AI can help address real-world challenges while strengthening collaboration between academia and industry.

Pankaj Patel

Pankaj Patel stated that artificial intelligence is reshaping organizations, economies, and communities globally. He noted that the School represents a significant step in fostering industry-academia collaboration and will help develop future leaders who operate at the intersection of technology, management, and societal impact.

Professor Bharat Bhasker

Professor Bharat Bhasker called the initiative timely and forward-looking, emphasizing its role in integrating AI into organizations to enhance leadership, decision-making, and productivity through research, education, and partnerships.

Deep Kalra

Deep Kalra highlighted that the School will apply AI to real-world business and societal challenges, empowering decision-makers and contributing to India’s long-term economic and societal progress.

Prof. Ankur Sinha

Prof. Ankur Sinha noted that future challenges in AI will extend beyond computation to include ethical, institutional, and organizational aspects, requiring strong leadership and responsible governance.

Key Focus Areas

The School will function at the intersection of technology, management, and public systems. It will focus on how AI is adopted, governed, and integrated into organizations and public institutions.

Research Report Launch

Alongside the inauguration, the School released its first research report titled “Navigating the Failure Trap with AI Value Compass,” developed in collaboration with Persistent Systems. The report is based on an analysis of approximately 100 enterprises.  

Key Findings of the Report

The study reveals that while investments in AI are increasing, most organizations remain focused on short-term efficiency rather than long-term transformation. It identifies several gaps, including lack of clear leadership, weak strategic vision, poorly defined success metrics, and inadequate governance frameworks.

AI Value Compass Framework

To address these challenges, the report introduces the AI Value Compass, a structured decision-making framework. It helps organizations evaluate AI initiatives across multiple dimensions such as risk and governance, data readiness, operating model alignment, and workforce preparedness, enabling more holistic and scalable adoption of AI.

The establishment of the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence marks a significant milestone for IIMA. It reflects a strong commitment to advancing applied AI research, fostering industry collaboration, and developing responsible leaders who can leverage AI for business innovation and societal impact.

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