Mahima Gupta is a Professor in the IIM, Amritsar. She completed PhD from IIM Lucknow and started her professional career in 2014. Later, she joined as an assistant professor in IIM Amritsar. She was given responsibility of Student affairs Chairperson, later she was MBA Chairperson and now, she is professor and Dean Academics and Program.

IIM, Amritsar

You have been into the academics for quite some time. What keeps you motivated?

My profession gives me ample opportunity to interact with the curious and sharp minds of the country. I get to develop new content integrating cutting-edge research and best industry practices and constantly adapt the pedagogy based on the different learning styles of the students. There is considerable freedom to pursue research in the areas of interest. These aspects keep me motivated to build my career in the education sector.

What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

It will be a bit early for me to talk about my leadership philosophy/style. I believe Leadership should strive to build a synergistic, fair, and inclusive ecosystem where institution growth brings in individual development and vice versa.

What programs IIM Amritsar is offering now and what other programs the institute plans to launch in future? 

IIM Amritsar has been offering a two-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) program since 2015 and launched two niche specializations in Human Resources and Business Analytics in 2021.

IIM Amritsar also launched its first Executive MBA program (EMBA) in 2021 for working professionals. The institute launched its doctoral program in 2020 and Post -Doctoral Fellowship Program in 2021 to promote research activities and help address the shortage of highly qualified faculty members facing the Indian educational system.

The institute plans to start an MSc program in Data Science and Management in collaboration with IIT Ropar and a five-year integrated MBA program with multiple exit options.

We started offering executive education programs from AY 2020-21. We have delivered various MDPs on Leadership, Behavioural Science, Communication, and Analytics in this short period. We have been successfully running a customized long-duration analytics program. From this year, the institute will start an open certificate program Post Graduate Certificate Program in Data Science & Business Analytics (DSBA).

What do you think will be the institute’s top priority over the next 10 years?

We, as an institute, focus on offering quality management education, advisory, and research. We will continue to increase the student capacity to meet the growing demands for industry leaders from domestic and international markets. We will work to attain international standards in student-faculty ratio, research output, publication in quality journals, and placement of students.

We endeavour to stay globally connected but also locally responsive. In this pursuit, IIM Amritsar organized its first international conference on MSME. MSMEs contribute significantly to the country's economic and social development by fostering entrepreneurship and generating enormous employment opportunities at comparatively lower capital costs, next only to agriculture. We would continue to support such initiatives and provide various other interfaces for industry, academia, and policymakers to interact and collaborate. Our students have participated in several social welfare initiatives, go-green plantation drives, blood donation camps, flood relief fundraising, and a marathon for drug abuse awareness, among others. We have incorporated Social Involvement Project as an integral and mandatory part of the MBA curriculum. We want to deepen the impact of our social welfare actions by integrating socially responsible initiatives in other critical activities and programs of the institute.

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What do you see as your institute’s greatest strengths?

We get our country's brightest minds from diverse demographic and educational backgrounds as our students. The institute boasts of faculty from reputed national and international premium institutions. The institute is located in an internationally attractive cultural and tourist city that provides excellent connectivity and proximity to significant industries and businesses. The institute is fortunate to work under the dynamic leadership of the Director, who is taking the institute to new heights while striking a balance between the institute’s growth and quality of education.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see for higher education in general?

Many environmental and technological changes around us call for transformation in the education system. Building on what we have achieved, we need to prepare our systems for imparting skills required in 21st-century workplaces.

What are some plans that you’re currently designing for international affairs and/or students?

We have signed an MOU with Kedge Business School in France for international Immersion programs. Some of our students will be going for a dual degree program in the coming academic year. We are actively seeking such opportunities with other reputed international institutes.

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Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

There is no substitute for hard work and perseverance in life. Stay motivated and keep working hard to make the best use of the opportunities available to you.