NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Ahmedabad is going global, as it is all set to establish its campus in Dubai.
The first IIM would set its global campus abroad. The announcement come after IIM-Ahmedabad and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Mumbai.
The first programme the campus will offer will be a full-time, one-year MBA programme designed to cater to global working professionals and entrepreneurs' advanced management learning and upskilling needs.
The admission process will start soon, and the first batch will begin in September 2025.
Apart from IIM-Ahmedabad, the first overseas campus of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade will also be set up at the India Pavilion in Expo City Dubai.
The IIMA Dubai campus will be established in two phases.
In the first phase, IIMA will be provided space in the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region’s premier higher education hub with a multicultural environment.
The campus will provide access to cutting-edge academic resources to inspire innovation and foster excellence.
In the second phase, IIMA will be provided with land on which the permanent campus will be built and will be operational in 2029.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on X platform said, “IIM Ahmedabad expands its global footprint! The signing of the MoU between @IIMAhmedabad and the UAE Government for establishing an international campus of IIM Ahmedabad in Dubai is a proud moment for India’s #HigherEducation. This marks a significant milestone towards the globalisation of world-class Indian education institutions as envisioned in the #NEP.”
“This collaboration will open new vistas for learning, innovation and empowering future leaders for global good. IIM Ahmedabad’s presence in Dubai will drive prosperity and economic development in the region and further strengthen #IndiaUAE relations in the years to come,” he said.
IIMA Director Bharat Bhaskar and Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.
Pankaj Patel, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMA, said, “As a leading global management institution, IIMA has constantly expanded the frontiers of management research, leadership, and education. We are delighted to start our full-fledged campus in Dubai with the support of the Government of Dubai this year."
“Over the next decade, we envision it to be a thriving centre where young leaders of tomorrow will hone their skills, innovate and become pathfinders. As we create new learning experiences globally, we remain committed to transformative learning, leadership, and creating enduring impact in the community.”
Professor Bhasker said Dubai has emerged as a thriving global epicentre for innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship, making it the ideal location to establish the first international campus.
“Our objective is to provide high-quality management education to aspiring leaders in the Middle East and surrounding regions,” he said, adding that he is confident that the synergy will set new benchmarks for academic and research collaboration in Asia and the Middle East.
“While this collaboration strengthens IIMA’s commitment to offering world-class management education, it will also foster cross-cultural exchanges that will prepare our graduates to thrive in a globalised environment,” he added.
“Our presence in Dubai offers unparalleled access to international markets, world-class faculty, and a diverse, high-achieving peer group alongside IIM Ahmedabad’s legacy of academic rigour and international exposure for personal and professional growth,” he asserted.
He said the two campuses, “will help us become a global leader in management education with a seamless exchange of innovation and knowledge.”
He further said that the Centre has successfully grown its full-time one-year MBA programme for the last 20 years, and it will be the first programme we will offer at the Dubai Campus.
Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), said, “The launch of IIM Ahmadabad’s Dubai Campus is poised to further underline the city’s global reputation as a hub for talent, innovation, and entrepreneurship, providing a platform to elevate business leadership skills not just within Dubai but across the wider region.”
“This partnership underlines the strong economic and social links between Dubai and India, and we look forward to working with IIMA to firmly establish the institution within Dubai’s academic and business landscape,” he said.
Sunjay Sudhir, the Indian ambassador to the UAE, described it as “truly a watershed moment in the India-UAE bilateral partnership.”
“This development epitomises the close traditional friendship, the robustness of the economic partnership, and the strong trust the two countries have for each other. With a resident Indian diaspora strength of 4.36 million at the end of 2024, the largest concentration of Indian nationals outside the country, UAE seems to be a natural destination for iconic temples of higher learning from India who intend to expand their footprint globally,” he said.
Admission to the full-time one-year MBA program at IIMA’s Dubai campus will follow a rigorous two-stage process based on the standardised GMAT/GRE score taken within the last five years, according to a statement.
Spread over five terms, the programme will provide rigorous academics and international exposure within an elite learning environment that mirrors the excellence of IIM Ahmedabad’s globally renowned MBA.
It will also offer an extensive portfolio of electives, expanding ample scope for personalized learning and specialisation.