IIM Bangalore welcomes first batch for its UG course in Data Sciences & Economics
The batch has students from 20 states, with Maharashtra contributing the highest number at 18, followed by Karnataka with 13 and Uttar Pradesh with 10.
- Sep 3, 2026,
- Updated Sep 3, 2026 1:52 PM IST
IIM Bangalore has welcomed its first-ever batch of undergraduate students, with 80 students joining its BSc (Hons) programmes in Data Sciences and Economics for the 2026-30 academic year.
The inaugural cohort was welcomed at a ceremony on August 31 at the IIM Bangalore – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies.
The launch marks IIM Bangalore’s entry into undergraduate education. The first batch has been selected from nearly 12,000 applicants, with students coming from 20 states across India.
The inaugural cohort has been divided equally between the two programmes, with 40 students in Data Sciences and 40 in Economics. The batch comprises 56 male and 24 female students.
The selection process was highly competitive. Of the nearly 12,000 applicants, 453 candidates were shortlisted for interviews before 80 students were finally admitted.
The academic profile of the batch is also diverse. As many as 39 students have studied Commerce, 39 Science and two Arts and Humanities.
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More than half of the students scored above 90% overall in their Class 12 examinations, while 24 scored above 80%. As many as 44 students scored above 90 marks in Mathematics.
The majority of the students, 51, come from a CBSE background. Another 23 are from State boards, four from the IB curriculum, and one each from NIOS and ICSE.
The batch has students from 20 states, with Maharashtra contributing the highest number at 18, followed by Karnataka with 13 and Uttar Pradesh with 10.
25% of first batch on full or partial scholarships
Scholarships have also been a part of IIM Bangalore’s first undergraduate cohort.
Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, and Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health, said 25% of the founding batch of 80 students are studying on full or partial scholarships.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shetty described the launch as an important moment for India's education system and said the school would prepare students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He said the aim was to train bilingual minds who could move between business and public policy as well as economics and science.
Shetty also placed the new school within the Tata legacy of institution-building, referring to institutions including the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and the Tata Memorial Centre for cancer care.
Quoting Jamsetji Tata, he said, "In a free country with its vast natural resources, an intellectual revolution is the only thing that can elevate the condition of the people," Dr. Shetty said.
He congratulated the students after their selection from among roughly 12,000 applicants.
Must Read: John Ternus salary: How much will he earn as Apple CEO?
Tata Trusts asks first batch to shape institution’s culture
For the 80 students, being the first cohort also means they will be part of shaping the culture of the new school.
Siddharth Sharma, CEO, Tata Trusts, told the students that they had the opportunity to shape the institution from its first day. Drawing on his experience across government, the corporate sector and the development space, he urged them to focus on honesty, integrity, hard work and continuous learning and re-learning.
He also asked students to take it easy and learn to relax despite the wide range of choices available to young people today.
Sharma said personal development should be given as much importance as career growth.
"Institutions are not about bricks and mortar. Institutions are not about amenities and facilities, but institutions are about faculty. Institutions are about teaching. Institutions are about learning. And institutions are about the culture of excellence," Sharma said.
The institution is expected to expand significantly over the coming years. Sharma said the founding cohort of 80 students is expected to grow to about 2,400 students, supported by 150 faculty, by 2034.
However, he said scale was not the main objective. Reflecting on the Tata Group’s approach to institution-building, Sharma said, “We’ve always thought the idea is to look at the future, do the right thing, do what is right for India.”
He also asked students to prepare for a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change.
IIM Bangalore highlights employment challenge
U. Dinesh Kumar, Director-in-charge, IIM Bangalore, thanked the people and institutions involved in setting up the school, including the Government of Karnataka, which granted more than 100 acres of land for the upcoming campus.
He also acknowledged Dr. Shetty and the Board of Governors, former IIM Bangalore directors Prof. Raghuram Rajan and Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Prof. Nayana Tara, former faculty, IIMB, the Tata Trusts, and partners including Axis Bank, State Street and Wipro.
Kumar highlighted the wider challenge facing India's higher education system, citing data that shows that of India's roughly 43.3 million undergraduate students, only about 46% go on to find employment.
He said his vision for the school draws from the legacy of Nalanda University, a name he said translates to "giver of the lotus of knowledge."
Linking this with IIM Bangalore’s motto to study, to enlighten and to co-create knowledge, Kumar told students that their four years at the school would not be "one-way traffic", but a process of creating knowledge together with faculty.
Students urged to make most of four years
Abhejit Agrawal, Head of Sustainability and CSR, Axis Bank and an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, also addressed the first batch.
Agrawal encouraged students not to feel burdened by the reputation of IIM Bangalore and asked them to make full use of their professors and the campus.
He ended with a line from Shakespeare, "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me", reminding students to make the most of their four years.
The inauguration also featured a tribute video recognising the people involved in setting up the school.
The event highlighted the Campus Integration Run, which brought members of the IIMB community together across its two campuses. Led by Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Faculty, the run traced the route from the Bannerghatta Road campus to the IIMB – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies campus in Jigani, bringing members of the IIMB community together in support of the new school.
IIM Bangalore has welcomed its first-ever batch of undergraduate students, with 80 students joining its BSc (Hons) programmes in Data Sciences and Economics for the 2026-30 academic year.
The inaugural cohort was welcomed at a ceremony on August 31 at the IIM Bangalore – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies.
The launch marks IIM Bangalore’s entry into undergraduate education. The first batch has been selected from nearly 12,000 applicants, with students coming from 20 states across India.
The inaugural cohort has been divided equally between the two programmes, with 40 students in Data Sciences and 40 in Economics. The batch comprises 56 male and 24 female students.
The selection process was highly competitive. Of the nearly 12,000 applicants, 453 candidates were shortlisted for interviews before 80 students were finally admitted.
The academic profile of the batch is also diverse. As many as 39 students have studied Commerce, 39 Science and two Arts and Humanities.
Don't Miss: Dell Technologies launches new AI-focused commercial portfolio in India
More than half of the students scored above 90% overall in their Class 12 examinations, while 24 scored above 80%. As many as 44 students scored above 90 marks in Mathematics.
The majority of the students, 51, come from a CBSE background. Another 23 are from State boards, four from the IB curriculum, and one each from NIOS and ICSE.
The batch has students from 20 states, with Maharashtra contributing the highest number at 18, followed by Karnataka with 13 and Uttar Pradesh with 10.
25% of first batch on full or partial scholarships
Scholarships have also been a part of IIM Bangalore’s first undergraduate cohort.
Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, and Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health, said 25% of the founding batch of 80 students are studying on full or partial scholarships.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shetty described the launch as an important moment for India's education system and said the school would prepare students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He said the aim was to train bilingual minds who could move between business and public policy as well as economics and science.
Shetty also placed the new school within the Tata legacy of institution-building, referring to institutions including the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and the Tata Memorial Centre for cancer care.
Quoting Jamsetji Tata, he said, "In a free country with its vast natural resources, an intellectual revolution is the only thing that can elevate the condition of the people," Dr. Shetty said.
He congratulated the students after their selection from among roughly 12,000 applicants.
Must Read: John Ternus salary: How much will he earn as Apple CEO?
Tata Trusts asks first batch to shape institution’s culture
For the 80 students, being the first cohort also means they will be part of shaping the culture of the new school.
Siddharth Sharma, CEO, Tata Trusts, told the students that they had the opportunity to shape the institution from its first day. Drawing on his experience across government, the corporate sector and the development space, he urged them to focus on honesty, integrity, hard work and continuous learning and re-learning.
He also asked students to take it easy and learn to relax despite the wide range of choices available to young people today.
Sharma said personal development should be given as much importance as career growth.
"Institutions are not about bricks and mortar. Institutions are not about amenities and facilities, but institutions are about faculty. Institutions are about teaching. Institutions are about learning. And institutions are about the culture of excellence," Sharma said.
The institution is expected to expand significantly over the coming years. Sharma said the founding cohort of 80 students is expected to grow to about 2,400 students, supported by 150 faculty, by 2034.
However, he said scale was not the main objective. Reflecting on the Tata Group’s approach to institution-building, Sharma said, “We’ve always thought the idea is to look at the future, do the right thing, do what is right for India.”
He also asked students to prepare for a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change.
IIM Bangalore highlights employment challenge
U. Dinesh Kumar, Director-in-charge, IIM Bangalore, thanked the people and institutions involved in setting up the school, including the Government of Karnataka, which granted more than 100 acres of land for the upcoming campus.
He also acknowledged Dr. Shetty and the Board of Governors, former IIM Bangalore directors Prof. Raghuram Rajan and Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Prof. Nayana Tara, former faculty, IIMB, the Tata Trusts, and partners including Axis Bank, State Street and Wipro.
Kumar highlighted the wider challenge facing India's higher education system, citing data that shows that of India's roughly 43.3 million undergraduate students, only about 46% go on to find employment.
He said his vision for the school draws from the legacy of Nalanda University, a name he said translates to "giver of the lotus of knowledge."
Linking this with IIM Bangalore’s motto to study, to enlighten and to co-create knowledge, Kumar told students that their four years at the school would not be "one-way traffic", but a process of creating knowledge together with faculty.
Students urged to make most of four years
Abhejit Agrawal, Head of Sustainability and CSR, Axis Bank and an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, also addressed the first batch.
Agrawal encouraged students not to feel burdened by the reputation of IIM Bangalore and asked them to make full use of their professors and the campus.
He ended with a line from Shakespeare, "I wasted time, and now doth time waste me", reminding students to make the most of their four years.
The inauguration also featured a tribute video recognising the people involved in setting up the school.
The event highlighted the Campus Integration Run, which brought members of the IIMB community together across its two campuses. Led by Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Faculty, the run traced the route from the Bannerghatta Road campus to the IIMB – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies campus in Jigani, bringing members of the IIMB community together in support of the new school.