With its focus on promoting entrepreneurs, IIM Lucknow has emerged as the Start-Up School

On a weekday morning at Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, a group of students can be seen running a small canteen on campus, balancing cash books, managing vendors, and learning first-hand what it means to run a business.

A scene like this at India’s leading management school in the capital of Uttar Pradesh shows how it is changing the way business education works and perhaps the reason it has been featured at the third place in the BT-MDRA Best B-Schools study. “We have tried to make learning more connected with the world outside the classroom,” says Manmohan Prasad Gupta, Director of IIM Lucknow.

“Our direction has been to widen the learning experience through new programmes, industry collaborations, and areas of study that reflect how business and society are changing.”

The CURRICULUM

Over the past few years, the institute has been rethinking both what it teaches and how. From adding courses in areas like AI and sustainability to supporting more than 250 start-ups, IIM Lucknow has been expanding steadily, with a focus that goes beyond growth to creating wider impact.

The institute now offers a blended MBA, an executive PhD, and specialised executive programmes in AI and digital transformation, aimed at working professionals.

Two new Centres of Excellence, one focused on well-being and happiness and the other on blockchain technology, reflect this academic ambition.

Entrepreneurship has also found a strong footing. The Enterprise Incubation Centre has evolved into one of the most active start-up hubs across the IIM network. It houses more than 250 start-ups collectively valued at Rs 3,500 crore and runs over 100 training programmes.

Among its key collaborations are projects with NABARD, Suzuki India Foundation, Action Tesla, DRDO, and the UP Government.

The learning format has also changed. In courses such as Business Simulation in Finance, students use board-game-based tools to understand financial decision-making.

Programmes in information technology, analytics, AI, and risk management have been added to meet the demands of a digital economy. It also runs a dedicated MBA in Sustainable Management, which trains students to integrate environmental and social responsibility into business strategy.

Start-up culture

Start-up culture is now an essential part of the IIM Lucknow ecosystem. The Enterprise Incubation Centre supports ventures across sectors such as agriculture, clean tech, education, and healthcare. The institute focuses on identifying ideas that can scale up and solve real problems.

“It is not about chasing valuation,” says Gupta. “It is about creating enterprises that make sense in the Indian context.”

Students also gain exposure through internships with social enterprises and government-linked innovation programmes, giving them an understanding of both market-based and community-driven entrepreneurship.

Changing hirings

Placement data reflects a broader shift in industry demand. Consulting, technology, finance, FMCG, and analytics remain strong, while new roles in general management and product strategy are gaining traction.

The latest placement season saw participation from 25 new recruiters, including Ather Energy, NAFED, GMR Group, Mankind Pharma, PhonePe, HPCL, Javis, and Jefferies. Gupta says placements are just one part of the student journey. “Our focus is on long-term employability,” he says.

IIM Lucknow has been steadily building its global and industry collaborations to widen learning opportunities for students and faculty.

Partnerships include an alliance with Financial Planning Standards Board India for a certification programme in Financial Planning and with IIT Kanpur for a joint course in Healthcare Management.

As IIM Lucknow looks toward the next five years, it plans to strengthen applied research, build deeper partnerships with industry, and expand its international visibility. The goal, Gupta says, is not just growth but relevance.

@neetu_csharma