The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), which is known for its PG programmes, has announced undergraduate programmes for the first time ever since it was established 50 years ago. The two undergraduate programmes, BSc Honours in Economics (with a minor in Data Science and Business) and BSc Honours in Data Sciences (with a minor in Economics and Business), under the umbrella of the School of Multidisciplinary Studies, will be launched from the next academic session.
The full-time, four-year residential programmes have been designed in keeping with the National Education Policy (NEP) and will be delivered at the Institute’s upcoming Jigani campus, located about 27 km from its main campus.
“The most impactful time to guide and shape students is during their formative years. India has a shortage of high-quality undergraduate programmes in non-tech disciplines. A strong undergraduate program in foundational disciplines will offer a comprehensive educational experience. A minor in Business will enable students to complement foundational knowledge with real-world skills. It will equip students with a broad range of skills and knowledge for their future careers,” remarked Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIMB.
He explained that the two 4-year programmes have been kept aligned with the NEP, with an option to exit at the end of three years. In the subsequent years, it has been proposed to have undergraduate programmes in Behavioural Sciences and Sustainability.
The launch programme in August 2026 will be in the existing infrastructure at its new campus, and the new infrastructure will start becoming available from 2027. The programme will start with one section (40 students each) for two years, using the existing facility, and will start with 15 faculty members, and will be enhanced in sync with student strength. Progressively, the Institute will add more sections to reach a capacity of 640 by 2031.
The admission to the programme will be through a national test plus an interview, and the fees will be ₹8.5 Lakhs per annum. The age of the candidate should not be over 20 years (General category) or 22 years (Reserved category) as of August 1 2025. The academic qualification should be a pass in Class XII or equivalent from a recognised board. Mathematics in Class XII with a minimum of 60 per cent marks is mandatory for both majors. Overall score of 60 per cent or above in Class X.
The curriculum will integrate economics, data science, philosophy, communication, and ethics, with a flavour of business education, to establish a strong application-based orientation. The programme will have two internship cycles and an international exchange term.
Applications for the inaugural cohorts will open in September 2025, with the first batch scheduled to commence in August 2026. Each programme will begin with an intake of 40 students, bringing the total cohort size to 80 students per year for the first two years.
“At a time when global immigration is tightening, the demand for high-quality, locally available education is rising. We, as an Institute of National Importance (NI), have the ability to address this challenge. We have been providing an analytics course as part of our PGP in Business Analytics (PGPBA) programme for a few years now,” said Krishnan.
As part of the programme, the students will receive structured placement support and the Institute will leverage its extensive industry and international connections, including over 100 institutional partnerships globally, for this. Internships, exposure to core disciplines, and an exchange term will be part of the programme.
