IIM Calcutta starts 18th batch of MBA for Executives programme

With in MBAEx witnessed a growing representation from ISRO, including the inclusion of Srinath Ravichandran, Co-Founder and CEO of Agnikul Cosmos, to think through the managerial potential in space startups.

IIM Calcutta startup hackathon that included 80 ideas, 48 investor-supported ventures and 3 winners (Credit: IIM Calcutta)

The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta) conducted the inauguration ceremony for the 18th batch of the MBA for Executive (MBAEx) programme on April 26, 27, and 28. The MBA for executives programme is a residential programme meant for executives with more than five years of professional experience. As many 80 industrial professionals have joined the one-year residential MBA programme at IIM Calcutta and constituted the MBAEx Class of 2025.

These professionals in this batch have come from various sectors including manpower solutions, mining, aerospace, re-commerce, power and energy, ITES, insurance, healthcare, government – defence and space, financial services, consumer durables, construction and infrastructure, and automotive.

The 18th MBAEx inauguration was designed to serve as both an ode to the institute’s entrepreneurial alumni and a nudge to the future aspirants that the India growth story coincides with MBAEx growth story as well, an IIM Calcutta statement said.

The inauguration started with an address by professor Saibal Chattopadhyay, Director-in-Charge, IIM Calcutta, highlighting the EQ factor of the batch – mother with twins, students whose spouses are immediate seniors, the emerging PSU-space entrants, with an apt retrospecter: “we must be offering something good for all of you to have come here.”

Several keynote speakers were present during the inaugural ceremony including Vijay Singh Rathore, co-founder and CEO of Soonicorn Ventures; Alina Alam, founder and CEO of Mitti Cafe; Nishant Sinha, founder of Roastery Coffee House; Ramaswamy Sankar, founder of Trayac Entrepreneurs Pvt. Ltd; and Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO of Agnikul Cosmos.

Professor Ramendra Singh from the marketing group at IIMC delved into the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) context, illustrating it with 3 compelling case studies, the statement added.

He highlighted the staggering statistic of 99% wealth as concentrated in the hands of only 45% of the population, problematising concepts like prosperity polarisation and reverse innovation.

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The 18th inauguration, the institute statement said, saw an unprecedented spread of keynotes across industries – VC, beverage, BoP and space startups with a two-day startup hackathon that included 80 ideas, 48 investor-supported ventures and three winners.