IIM-Udaipur launches 1-year course to prepare managers for digital businesses

The Indian Institute of Management-Udaipur (IIM-U) on Saturday launched a one-year MBA programme in Digital Enterprise Management (DEM).

The programme, first such by any IIM, comes at a time when growing digital disruptions in a variety of businesses have necessitated a dedicated course to create management professionals who can be agile to implement digital transition for businesses.

The one-year, full-time residential programme — beginning from April 2020 — will have admission through GMAT/GRE with an intake of 50 students. The first round of online application starts from September 7.

The DEM programme, prepared in consultation with the industry experts, will provide students an opportunity to develop a working knowledge of emerging technologies and use of acclaimed practices.

“New technology using Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, etc is changing the way people manage businesses. We look at it in three broad categories: First, the digitally native or born digital companies such as Amazon, Google, etc. Second, businesses that are transitioning from traditional model to digital, and the third is entrepreneurs starting new businesses. We will prepare students to fit into all of these categories,” said Janat Shah, Director, IIM-U.

The core part of the course will be to work with data, taking advantage of new technology and managing transformation. It also provides students with a foundation in management fundamentals and exposes them to contemporary practices of data-driven decision making.

The Chairperson of the Board Pankaj Patel expressed optimism about the new course saying that the institute is “trying to focus on the current wave (of digital technology) and they way changes are taking place in management and business in terms of digital wave.”

Noted cricket commentator and IIM-U board member Harsha Bhogle said that having a curriculum that is devoted to today and tomorrow, is the need of the hour. “A specialisation programme on digital enterprise management would be critical. Not just for technique, but for people in finance, marketing, and supply change, and all those functions that are impacted by the digital revolution that is taking place,” Bhogle told BusinessLine.