IIM Calcutta Opens Admissions for the 10th Batch of its Executive Leadership Programme for Women

On 26 October 2026, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta), in collaboration with the higher‑edtech platform TimesPro, announced that admissions are now open for the tenth cohort of its twelve‑month Executive Leadership Programme for Women. The programme is designed for experienced women professionals and entrepreneurs who have a minimum of five years of managerial or professional experience and wish to strengthen their strategic, digital, and analytical fluency while developing personal leadership capabilities.

The curriculum is delivered through a blended format that combines live online sessions via TimesPro’s Interactive Learning platform with two three‑day campus immersions at IIM Calcutta’s 135‑acre Kolkata campus. Participants will complete eight core modules that integrate contemporary managerial competence—covering strategy, technology and artificial intelligence, marketing, finance, sustainability, and cross‑functional management—with personal‑leadership modules focused on self‑awareness, emotional resilience, executive presence, communication, and career management. A third component provides interaction sessions with accomplished women leaders, and the programme culminates in a capstone project where participants apply their learning to a substantive business problem.

Eligibility criteria stipulate that candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree under the 10+2+3 pattern (or an equivalent qualification) with at least 50 percent aggregate marks. Applicants who scored below 50 percent at the undergraduate level may still qualify if they possess a postgraduate degree with an aggregate of 50 percent or higher.

The announcement referenced two external surveys to underscore the need for stronger women’s leadership pipelines. McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report indicates that women constitute 48 percent of university enrolments in India but only 33 percent of entry‑level roles and 24 percent of managerial positions. The AIMA–KPMG Women Leadership Survey 2026 found that 79 percent of women professionals aspire to leadership positions, yet merely 1 percent currently occupy board‑level roles, with the mid‑career stage identified as a critical point where advancement often stalls.

Prof. Abhipsa Pal, Faculty of Management Information Systems at IIM Calcutta, and Prof. Anupama Kondayya, Faculty of Organisational Behaviour, highlighted that “Women are entering organisations with strong professional ambition, yet progression into senior roles still demands broader business judgement, visibility and confidence across functions. This programme brings those elements together, helping experienced women strengthen strategic thinking, engage with emerging technologies and develop a leadership voice suited to increasingly complex organisational responsibilities.”

Sridhar Nagarajachar, Vice‑President & Business Head – Executive Education at TimesPro, added that the collaboration aims to provide “experienced women access to rigorous management learning, strong peer networks and practical perspectives that can help them navigate larger mandates and sustained career progression.”

Previous cohorts have drawn senior managers, directors, vice‑presidents, senior consultants, and other experienced professionals from sectors such as information technology, banking and financial services, healthcare, education, human resources, finance, and software, creating a classroom environment enriched by diverse functional and industry perspectives.

Upon successful completion of all programme requirements, participants will receive a Certificate of Successful Completion from IIM Calcutta and will be granted IIM Calcutta Executive Education Alumni status.

Programme Highlights

  • Duration: 12 months, blended online and on‑campus delivery.
  • Target audience: Women with ≥5 years of professional experience.
  • Core academic focus: Strategy, AI, technology, marketing, finance, sustainability, cross‑functional management.
  • Personal leadership focus: Self‑awareness, emotional resilience, executive presence, communication, career management.
  • Immersions: Two three‑day campus sessions at IIM Calcutta.
  • Capstone: Applied project addressing a real‑world business problem.
  • Certification: Certificate of Successful Completion and Executive Education Alumni status.

Eligibility

  • Minimum 5 years managerial/professional experience.
  • Bachelor’s degree (10+2+3) with ≥50 percent aggregate, or postgraduate degree with ≥50 percent if undergraduate score is lower.