NEW DELHI — The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday to establish the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, the first AI school within a management institute in India, funded by a Rs 100 crore endowment from alumna Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and her husband Ranjan Tandon, according to the institution’s official statement, positioning the school as a hub for translational AI research addressing real-world business and governance challenges.
The MoU was exchanged in New Delhi in the virtual presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra. Tandon, a member of IIMA’s Post Graduate Programme Class of 1975, won a Grammy Award in February 2025 for her album “Triveni” in the Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album category.
Leadership Positions School as Strategic AI Asset
Pradhan stated the initiative reflects India’s commitment to becoming a global AI superpower under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “AI will be an enabler for powering people, progress and planet,” the education minister said, adding that “India’s AI leadership will not only be shaped by technology but by the strength of our institutions and human capital”.
The announcement comes three weeks before the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for February 19-20 in New Delhi, which will be the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South. The five-day event will bring together policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and international organizations at Bharat Mandapam.
School Focuses on Application-Led Research Framework
The school will operate at the intersection of technology, management, and public impact, according to IIMA’s statement. Its research agenda will be application-led and case-based, focusing on translating AI research into deployable solutions, frameworks, and scalable systems that enhance decision-making and improve productivity across industry, government, and society.
Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIMA, said the school would prepare future leaders to harness data and AI for strategic decision-making and innovation. “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,” Bhasker stated.
The school will bring together faculty, industry leaders, policymakers, and global partners to advance research and teaching in AI from a management and governance perspective. It will examine how artificial intelligence is developed, deployed, and governed to create long-term business and societal value.
Donor’s Philanthropic Track Record in STEM Education
Chandrika Tandon, a former partner at McKinsey and founder of Tandon Capital Associates, said the initiative aims to nurture a new generation of leaders who can apply AI responsibly to address pressing national and global challenges. “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,” Tandon stated.
The Rs 100 crore donation marks Tandon’s continued commitment to STEM education. In 2015, she and her husband donated $100 million to the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, which was subsequently renamed the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in recognition of their gift, representing the largest donation by an Indian American in the United States at that time.
School Addresses India-Specific Challenges Through AI
The institution will serve as an extension of IIMA’s mission to advance management education in an AI-driven world, officials stated. The school’s mandate includes translating advanced AI research into deployable solutions rooted in managerial, institutional, and societal problems specific to India’s development context.
Pradhan emphasized the school would work toward boosting India’s AI capabilities, democratizing AI, creating jobs for the global AI economy, and harnessing AI for improving lives and advancing social good. The minister described the MoU as “a solid reflection of the concrete actions Bharat is taking” to establish AI leadership globally.
The initiative positions IIMA as the first Indian management institution to establish a dedicated AI school, differentiating it from technology-focused institutes that have traditionally led AI research in the country.
