Professor Manoj Tiwari’s tenure as director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai has been extended for another five years, reinforcing his leadership at the institute. Having originally joined the institution when it was still known as the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Tiwari played a pivotal role in its transition to IIM Mumbai, serving as its founding director. His tenure has been marked by a strong emphasis on industry-oriented education, and he now aims to further enhance this approach by introducing new courses tailored to various industries while strengthening industry-academia partnerships.
In January this year, as reported by this newspaper, Tiwari announced the introduction of seven new courses in the logistics sector designed for the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s (MHRD) Study Webs of Active-learning for Young Aspiring Minds (Swayam) initiative. In recent months, IIM Mumbai has also collaborated with several industries to design bespoke courses catering to the specific requirements of different sectors. Notably, the institute has launched 16 customised courses under the PM Gati Shakti initiative, along with several other courses designed specifically for logistics corporations.
These efforts have garnered national recognition, with the institute winning the Logistics Excellence, Advancement & Performance Shield (LEAPS-2024) Award in the ‘Institutions: Education and Skill Development in the Logistics Sector’ category, where 34 institutions from across the country competed.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal on Friday, Tiwari affirmed the institute’s commitment to developing new courses and fostering stronger industry-academia relationships. "We will also introduce certain city-focused courses. As Mumbai is the financial capital of India, we will come up with courses in finance and portfolio management which are trust-based and digitally secure."
He further highlighted plans to diversify into new and emerging fields to support the changing industry landscape. "In the next five years, we will also work towards stepping into newer areas, where the demand is growing. That will not only help the upcoming industries, but will also benefit our students to procure better placements in the sectors that are growing and are in demand," he stated.
Discussing the institution’s role in contributing to the public sector, he remarked, "We will continue to develop courses that help India achieve the goal of Visit Bharat by 2047." He also revealed that several industry-focused courses in cybersecurity, healthcare, and logistics are in the pipeline.
Welcoming the move to extend Tiwari’s term, Shashi Kiran Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Mumbai, said, “We are thrilled to have Prof. Tiwari continue his leadership at IIM Mumbai. His proven academic insights and strategic vision have been instrumental in shaping the institute’s growth. With Prof. Tiwari at the helm, we are confident that IIM Mumbai will reach new heights in innovation, research, and education.”
