The Indian Institute of Management - Udaipur (IIM-U), on Saturday, launched an ambitious 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 50 students intake. 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 technologies, management fundamentals
Janat Shah, Director, IIM Udaipur, said,“New technology using artificial intelligence and blockchain 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 and Google. Second, businesses that are transitioning from traditional model to digital, and the third is entrepreneurs who are starting new businesses. We will prepare students to fit into all of these categories.”
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.
“This is to make future managers understand the use of digital technology from a business perspective,” Shah said after the meeting of the Board of Governors of the institute at Udaipur.
Current wave of digital technology
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, commented 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 .
Expressing his excitement on the new course, Bhogle said, “A lot of managers had trouble adapting to change. It will be good to provide industry with a lot of young people who are ready to take on tomorrow.”
Shah, further added that for new managers being agile is more important. “New age businesses need agility. They will make mistakes, but how to quickly correct those mistakes and bounce back will be important. We intend to cover that in our teaching,” he said.