Programme Announcement
On June 23, 2026, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta) announced, in collaboration with the Higher EdTech platform TimesPro, the launch of the 33rd batch of its Executive Programme in Business Management (EPBM). The programme spans twelve months and follows a blended learning model that combines Direct‑to‑Device digital delivery with two immersive five‑day campus modules held at the IIM Calcutta campus in Kolkata.
Target Audience and Rationale
The EPBM is designed for mid‑to‑senior professionals and emerging business leaders who seek to strengthen strategic thinking, leadership, decision‑making and enterprise‑wide management capabilities. It addresses the heightened need for management competence as organisations adapt to a decade of workforce and skills transformation, a trend highlighted by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, which projects 170 million new jobs by 2030 and emphasizes AI, big data and technology‑led skills. LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report 2025 similarly identifies business strategy as the most at‑risk skill globally, underscoring the programme’s focus on strategic and analytical capabilities.
Curriculum and Learning Experience
The EPBM curriculum covers foundational and advanced domains, including Financial Reporting and Cost Accounting, Marketing, Operations, Leadership and People Skills, Strategic Management, Decision‑Making, Digital Transformation and Business Analytics. Learning is delivered through rigorous pedagogy, simulations, peer engagement and faculty‑led insights. A capstone project enables participants to collaborate on real‑world business challenges, applying the concepts and analytical tools acquired during the course.
Eligibility and Alumni Status
Applicants must possess a recognised bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50 percent marks and at least five years of full‑time work experience post‑graduation. Successful graduates receive IIM Calcutta Executive Education Alumni Status, joining a network of senior managers, directors, vice‑presidents, general managers, COOs and consultants who have previously enrolled in the programme. Over 40 percent of EPBM learners bring more than fifteen years of professional experience.
Industry Representation
Participants have come from a broad spectrum of sectors, including Information Technology, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), automotive, fast‑moving consumer goods (FMCG), healthcare, logistics, hospitality and e‑commerce, reflecting the programme’s cross‑industry relevance.
Partner Profiles and Quotes
Professor Ritu Mehta (Marketing) and Professor Megha Sharma (Operations Management) of IIM Calcutta emphasized the need for managers to interpret complexity with judgement and clarity amid technology‑led disruption. Sridhar Nagarajachar, Business Head – Executive Education at TimesPro, highlighted the partnership’s aim to blend academic rigour with peer exchange and applied insight, enabling learners to translate management frameworks into measurable business outcomes.
About IIM Calcutta and TimesPro
IIM Calcutta, established in November 1961 through collaboration between the Government of India, the Government of West Bengal, the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management (MIT), the Ford Foundation and Indian industry, is India’s first national institute for postgraduate management studies. It holds triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, positioning it among Asia’s leading business schools. TimesPro, founded in 2013, is a Higher EdTech initiative of The Times Group that delivers a variety of employment‑oriented programmes across sectors and provides executive education in partnership with premier institutions such as IIMs and IITs.
Programme Impact
The EPBM aims to equip professionals with the strategic, analytical and leadership skills required to navigate evolving business models, technological shifts and complex organisational priorities, thereby supporting the development of a skilled managerial workforce aligned with emerging global job trends.