The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) has inaugurated the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence on its campus. The launch ceremony featured Chandrika Tandon – business leader, humanitarian, Grammy-winning musician, and IIMA alumna (PGP 1975), alongside Pankaj Patel, chairperson of IIMA’s board of governors; director Professor Bharat Bhasker; and Ramesh Mangaleswaran of the IIMA Endowment Fund, with faculty and industry leaders in attendance.
The new school has been established through a Rs 100 crore endowment from Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and her husband, Ranjan Tandon. It aims to convert advances in artificial intelligence into practical tools that enhance decision-making, boost productivity, and address complex challenges across sectors, including business, government, and society.
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Envisioned as a global platform, the school will combine AI research with IIMA’s strengths in management to produce insights that are both globally relevant and rooted in Indian contexts. It will focus on translational research, education, and industry engagement to develop leaders who balance technical expertise with managerial judgment and social responsibility.
Sharing her vision, Chandrika Tandon highlighted the transformative potential of AI, describing the initiative as both “exciting” and “imperative.” She emphasised the school’s focus on applied research in industry-specific contexts to solve real-world problems and prepare future-ready leaders.
Pankaj Patel noted that AI is reshaping organisations and economies worldwide, adding that the new school represents a significant leap in industry-academia collaboration. He said it will help nurture professionals who can operate at the intersection of technology, management, and societal impact.
Calling the launch a milestone, Director Bharat Bhasker said the initiative will bridge the gap between rapid AI advancements and their effective application in organisations. He also acknowledged the Tandon family’s support in scaling IIMA’s AI ambitions.
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The school will focus on how AI is adopted, governed, and embedded within organisations and public systems, emphasizing responsible and strategic deployment.
The school has also released its first research report, “Navigating the Future Trap with AI Value Compass,” in collaboration with Persistent Systems. Analyzing around 100 enterprises, the study finds that while AI investments are rising, most businesses focus on short-term efficiency rather than strategic transformation.
It highlights gaps such as weak AI leadership, unclear vision, poorly defined metrics, and limited governance. To address this, the report introduces the AI Value Compass, a framework guiding leaders to evaluate AI initiatives holistically— considering risk, governance, data readiness, operating models, and workforce preparedness. These insights align with the School’s mission to advance responsible, strategic, and value-driven AI adoption in India through research and training.
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