IIM Lucknow COO Programme Overview
The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow announced the launch of its Chief Operating and Transformation Officer (COO) Programme on Monday, 26 October 2026. The press release, issued under an arrangement with NRDPL, states that the programme is intended to equip senior operations leaders with the skills required to drive enterprise‑wide transformation rather than focusing solely on efficiency.
Programme Curriculum
The curriculum integrates a broad set of topics, including operations strategy, operating‑model design, AI‑enabled operations, value creation, resilience, data and analytics, governance, and executive leadership. It is structured around case studies, simulations, practitioner perspectives, and guided projects to help participants examine interconnected decisions in realistic contexts.
Changing Role of the COO
Historically, the COO’s mandate centered on improving efficiency, controlling costs, and ensuring execution. The release notes that this mandate is evolving as AI becomes embedded in core workflows, supply networks experience greater volatility, and customers demand faster, more responsive experiences. The modern COO is now expected to rethink how the organization operates, balancing efficiency with agility, resilience, and long‑term value creation. The operating model is described as the bridge between strategy and execution, translating business priorities into processes, capabilities, technology, and ownership.
AI as an Operating‑Model Decision
According to PwC’s 2025 Digital Trends in Operations Survey cited in the release, 57% of operations and supply‑chain leaders have integrated AI into selected functions or across their organisations. However, 92% of respondents identified at least one reason why technology investments had not fully delivered expected results, with integration complexity and data issues highlighted as common barriers. The release emphasizes that AI should be viewed not merely as a tool for automating repetitive tasks but as a strategic operating‑model and organisational design decision, influencing workflow automation, employee augmentation, exception handling, and outcome ownership.
Resilience as an Ongoing Capability
Recent disruptions have shifted the perception of resilience from a contingency exercise to an ongoing operating capability. The COO must now consider responsiveness, continuity, scenario planning, inventory, network design, and sustainability alongside traditional efficiency metrics, ensuring the organisation can adapt when market conditions change.
Cross‑Functional Leadership
The release underscores that operational transformation cannot be delivered by the operations function alone. Technology teams influence architecture and AI adoption; finance determines investment priorities; HR shapes workforce transition; commercial teams drive customer requirements; and boards and CEOs expect a coherent view of how these decisions fit together. Consequently, stakeholder alignment, executive communication, and change leadership are central to the modern COO role.
Programme Objective
By bringing together AI‑enabled operations, transformation strategy, governance, value creation, and change leadership, the IIM Lucknow COO Programme aims to develop leaders who can act as architects of how the business works—deciding where to automate, where to invest, how to respond to disruption, which capabilities to build, and how technology should reshape work.
Disclaimer
The press release includes a disclaimer that it comes under an arrangement with NRDPL and that PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the content.