From satellite urban learning centres in India’s corporate hubs to overseas branch campuses, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are rethinking geography to capture executive demand, launch undergraduate degrees, and build global footprints.
The IIM model was built around self-contained, fully residential campuses. Most IIMs were designed as academic sanctuaries — often situated away from bustling commercial centres — and relied on a secluded environment to foster learning. But that model is changing. Driven by demands of working professionals, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 regulations, and the desire for global relevance, IIMs are stepping out of their walls.
Breaking the isolation
On July 18, IIM Kozhikode inaugurated its Gurukula Urban Learning Centre at Kalamassery in Kochi. While IIMK had operated out of a temporary space at Infopark Kakkanad for over a decade, the move to a purpose-built urban hub is a structural pivot.
Situated 30 minutes from Kochi International Airport and adjacent to a metro station, the campus offers a strategic connectivity advantage. “It brings the formidable advantage of superb connectivity and access,” Prof Debashis Chatterjee, director of IIM Kozhikode, told FE. “Beyond the slew of innovative programmes that IIMK will be managing from this campus, the iconic campus structure and location also affords us a much higher level of visibility and prominence.”
IIM Kozhikode is using its Kochi footprint not just for executive education, but also as the launchpad for its four-year Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) — a departure from the traditional postgraduate-only focus of older IIMs. Addressing why an undergraduate programme was placed in an urban hub rather than the main campus, Prof Chatterjee said that the urban ecosystem itself acts as the infrastructure. “For BMS and the other many programmes that will be launched in Kochi, the city itself is the ‘campus’. Every conceivable convenience is available and easily accessible,” he said, adding that the location aids in attracting top global and Indian faculty.
The Noida precedent
IIM Kozhikode’s expansion is part of a broader trajectory pioneered two decades ago. In 2005, IIM Lucknow became the first premier IIM to set up a full-fledged satellite campus in Noida to tap into the Delhi-NCR corporate belt. That blueprint proved that physical proximity to industry centres was vital for executive education, consulting, and applied research. Since then, multiple institutes have adopted multi-campus strategies — from IIM Indore’s presence in Mumbai to satellite outposts established by IIM Ranchi and IIM Rohtak.
But the current wave of expansion goes well beyond domestic urban centres, and top IIMs — those that are known globally — are now setting up branch campuses in foreign locations.
Taking IIM brand to Dubai
In September 2025, IIM Ahmedabad opened a full-fledged international branch campus in Dubai. Offering its flagship one-year full-time MBA, the institute has tailored its academic delivery to fit the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle Eastern corporate landscapes.
“Building on our legacy of case-based pedagogy, we also established two Centres of Excellence (CoE) at the IIMA Dubai campus, focusing on case writing and startup incubation,” IIMA director Prof Bharat Bhasker told FE. “Through these, our faculty members actively engage and collaborate with regional industries and organisations in Dubai, the GCC, and Middle Eastern countries.”
To reflect regional dynamics, IIMA has integrated cases focused on local sectors such as oil, finance, technology, and tourism into its Dubai curriculum. Operating an overseas branch also requires a distinct operational model compared to domestic satellites. “Since IIMA Dubai is a branch campus, it follows the same models as its mother campus in Ahmedabad,” Prof Bhasker said. “We have deployed some of our faculty members at the IIMA Dubai campus for a longer time, while others keep travelling between the two campuses.”
Dual campuses and ASEAN
Meanwhile, IIM Bangalore is leveraging a dual-campus model domestically to expand into undergraduate education, while simultaneously eyeing an overseas footprint in Southeast Asia.
Domestically, IIMB’s new Jigani campus — about 20 km from the main Bannerghatta Road campus — allows the institute to introduce four-year undergraduate programmes in science and liberal arts without overcrowding its flagship facility. “The Jigani campus enables IIMB to execute a dual-campus growth strategy,” Prof U Dinesh Kumar, director in-charge at IIMB, told FE. “It gives IIMB the flexibility to grow its academic footprint and pioneer undergraduate education without compromising the quality of its flagship MBA ecosystem. In fact, the UG programme will complement the PG programme by cross-pollinating ideas among faculty across both cohorts.”
On the international front, IIM Bangalore is planning an overseas campus in Indonesia’s Singhasari Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The rollout will begin with short-duration executive education programmes before expanding into degree-granting courses tailored for senior leadership across ASEAN markets.
“With several global firms having their regional headquarters in the Global South region, and a significant share of their top leadership being IIM alumni, these synergies can be leveraged to attract top-tier students,” added Prof Jitamitra Desai, member of the Board of Governors at IIM Bangalore. He noted that faculty deployment will initially rely on IIMB professors traveling to Indonesia, alongside plans to train local Indonesian faculty to ensure seamless academic standards.
At a time when foreign universities are coming to India, IIMs are taking the India brand global, and whether through urban satellite campuses in India’s metro cities or branch locations across Dubai and Southeast Asia, the strategy is clear: geography is no longer a constraint for India’s premier management institutions. By positioning themselves directly inside major economic corridors, IIMs are ensuring that their academic offerings remain intimately linked to the global business landscape.
