IIM Ahmedabad signs MoU with UAE to launch Dubai campus

Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to establish a new campus in Dubai.

The formal agreement was exchanged between Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIMA, and His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

The exchange ceremony took place in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE; and Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Bhasker highlighted the strategic significance of the partnership: “The IIMA Dubai campus represents a major milestone in our journey towards becoming a globally recognised management institution. With Dubai’s dynamic business environment and world-class infrastructure, we aim to nurture leaders who can thrive in complex global markets.”

The IIMA Dubai campus will be located within the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), a leading regional hub for higher education that brings together a vibrant multicultural student population and world-class infrastructure.

The move marks IIMA’s first international foray and reinforces India’s growing educational footprint abroad.

The first programme to be launched at the Dubai campus will be a full-time One-year MBA, designed specifically for global working professionals and entrepreneurs.

Structured across five academic terms, the programme promises rigorous academic training, skill enhancement, and international exposure.

The initiative aims to bridge the growing demand for executive-level education in the Middle East and surrounding regions. India currently has 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), spread across different states, making up a robust network of premier public business schools offering postgraduate, doctoral, and executive management programmes.

These institutes were established by the Central government with the aim of developing world-class leaders and managers through high-quality education, research, and training.

The oldest and most renowned IIMs, often referred to as the first generation, include IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, and IIM Bangalore, established in the 1960s and 1970s. These are considered the “top three” in the IIM ecosystem and are globally recognised.

IIM Lucknow, established in 1984, followed by IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore in 1996, form the second tier of the older IIMs. These institutes have built strong reputations in various domains such as HR, operations, entrepreneurship, and finance.

Notably, IIM Indore introduced the five-year Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), which combines undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

In the 2008–2011 phase, the government established several second-generation IIMs to expand access to management education. These include IIM Shillong, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi, IIM Raipur, IIM Tiruchirappalli, IIM Udaipur, and IIM Kashipur.

Each of these institutions has carved a niche for itself—for instance, IIM Shillong is known for its focus on sustainability, while IIM Udaipur has gained attention for its emphasis on global exposure and academic rigor.

IANS