~ The MoU was exchanged in the esteemed presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Government of India, in New Delhi, and Ambassador Shri Vinay Kwatra virtually in the USA
~ The School will be established through a generous endowment of ₹100 crores by Ms. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, an alumna of IIMA’s PGP Class of 1975, and her husband, Mr. Ranjan Tandon
~ As a pioneering School of Artificial Intelligence housed within a management institute in India, the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence will operate at the intersection of technology, management, and public impact
January 29, 2026: The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) today exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ms. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Mr. Ranjan Tandon for the establishment of the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence at IIMA. The MoU was exchanged in the esteemed presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Government of India, in New Delhi, and Ambassador Shri Vinay Kwatra virtually in the USA.
The School will be established through a generous endowment of ₹100 crore by Ms. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, an alumna of IIMA’s PGP Class of 1975, and Mr. Ranjan Tandon.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his happiness to witness the exchange of the MoU for setting up Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence at IIM Ahmedabad. He said that the MoU in the lead-up to the India—AI Impact Summit 2026 is a solid reflection of the concrete actions Bharat is taking under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to become a global AI superpower.
Shri Pradhan said that AI will be an enabler for powering people, progress, and planet. India’s AI leadership will not only be shaped by technology but by the strength of our institutions and human capital. Hon’ble Minister appreciated Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon ji, a proud alumna of IIM Ahmedabad, and her husband Ranjan Tandon ji for their benevolent gesture of setting up this AI school with an endowment fund of ₹100 crore. This philanthropic initiative sets and strengthens a fine tradition of alumni giving back to their alma mater.
He stated that Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence will work towards boosting India’s AI capabilities, democratising AI, creating jobs from India for the global AI economy, harnessing AI for creating a global impact in improving lives and advancing social good, as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. As a pioneering School of Artificial Intelligence housed within a management institute in India, the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence will operate at the intersection of technology, management, and public impact. With a strong global outlook, the School will focus on addressing India’s unique and complex challenges through the responsible and effective application of AI.
Anchored in IIMA’s long-standing legacy of leadership, governance, and institution-building, the School aims to shape how artificial intelligence is developed, deployed, and governed to create enduring business and societal value. It will serve as a natural extension of IIMA’s mission to advance the future of management education in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Envisioned as a hub for business-focused and translational AI, the School will bring together world-class faculty, industry leaders, policymakers, and global partners to redefine the frontiers of AI research and application. Its research agenda will be application-led and case-based, rooted in real-world managerial, institutional, and societal challenges. The School will focus on translating cutting-edge AI research into deployable solutions, tools, frameworks, and scalable systems that enhance decision-making, improve productivity, and address complex challenges across industry, government, and society.
Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Dr Vineet Joshi; Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Joint Secretary, Higher Education, Shri Purnendu Banerjee, and senior officials of the ministry and IIMA were also present on the occasion.
Sharing his thoughts on this landmark partnership, Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, said, “The world is at an unprecedented inflection point where data and artificial intelligence are reshaping how businesses think, decide, and grow. At IIM Ahmedabad, we are committed to building leaders who stay ahead of the curve and can harness these technologies to make strategic decisions, drive innovation, and create greater impact. We are grateful to Ms. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Mr. Ranjan Tandon for their generous contribution, which reflects their deep commitment to advancing education, institution-building, and the responsible application of artificial intelligence for societal good. Through its focus on translational AI, management-anchored research, and cross-sector partnerships, the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of AI will make a meaningful contribution to business and society, setting a global benchmark for AI research aligned with real-world impact.”
Sharing her motivation behind establishing the School at IIMA, Ms. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, said, “It is an honour and privilege to be able to contribute to my beloved alma mater, IIMA, in such a pivotal area - one that I believe will redefine business and society in the years to come. I hope the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence will allow us to train a new generation of far-thinking visionary leaders and help India address some of the most significant needs using the best technology and minds. Many of these lessons and learning will also be relevant to the world. It promises to be an exciting journey ahead.” Ms. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon is a distinguished business leader, philanthropist, and global advocate for education and the arts. An alumna of IIM Ahmedabad (PGP 1975) and former partner of McKinsey, she is the founder of Tandon Capital Associates, a firm focused on strategic advisory and investment. She is also an internationally acclaimed Grammy®- Award–winning musician, and her philanthropic work spans education, culture, and institutional development across the world. She is a trustee of New York University (NYU) and has served on the board of many schools and institutions, including NYU Stern and the NYU Langone Health system. She established the Tandon School of Engineering at NYU, where she served as Chair of the Board until December 2025, as well as the Boyd Tandon School of Business at Madras Christian College, Chennai. Mr. Ranjan Tandon, an IIT Kanpur and Harvard Business School alumnus, is the founder and chairman of Libra Advisors and manages the Tandon family office. The Tandons have established faculty chairs and programs at Harvard Business School, Yale University, and the Berklee College of Music.
About IIM Ahmedabad:
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) is a premier global management Institute that is at the forefront of promoting excellence in the field of management education. In more than six decades of its existence, the Institute has been acknowledged for its exemplary contributions to scholarship, practice, and policy through its distinctive teaching, high-quality research, nurturing future leaders, supporting industry, government, social enterprise, and creating a progressive impact on society.
IIMA was founded as an innovative initiative by the Government, industry, and international academia in 1961. Since then, it has been consolidating its global footprint and today it has a network with over 80 top international institutions and a presence in Dubai. Its eminent faculty members and around 46,000 alumni, who are at the helm of influential positions in all walks of life also contribute to its global recognition. Over the years, IIMA’s academically superior, market-driven, and socially impactful programmes, have earned a high reputation and acclaim globally. It became the first Indian institution to receive international accreditation from EQUIS. The Institute is also placed first in the Government of India’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), India Rankings 2025. The Institute has been ranked 35th globally in the Financial Times (FT) Executive Education (Open) Rankings 2025. The renowned flagship two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) is ranked 39th in the FT Masters in Management Ranking 2024 and the Full-Time One- Year Post Graduate Programme in Management (MBA-PGPX) has been ranked 31st in the FT Global MBA rankings 2025.
IIMA offers consultancy services and more than 200 curated executive education programmes in customised, blended, and open enrolment formats for a diverse audience comprising business leaders, policymakers, industry professionals, academicians, government officials, armed forces personnel, agri-business, and other niche sector specialists and entrepreneurs.
To know more about the Institute, please visit: https://www.iima.ac.in/
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