The initiative brought students into close engagement with the complexities that define modern-day leadership
A defining feature of the IIMB learning experience is its emphasis on rigorous, practice-oriented management education.
As part of this approach, 26 students from the graduating PGP Class of 2026 participated in the Shadow a Leader initiative, an experiential programme designed to place students in real-world decision-making areas prior to their graduation.
Over a two-month period, participating students engaged closely with experienced leaders across corporate, government and social sectors. Through direct observation and interaction, they gained insight into the complexity of high-stakes decision-making, organizational priorities and the evolving challenges shaping contemporary business contexts. Some of the country’s most exciting thinkers, many of them IIMB alumni, worked closely with the students through this one-of-a-kind tactical industry interaction.
The initiative was conceived and executed by Prof. Manaswini Bhalla, Chairperson, PGP and PGPBA, and supported by Prof. Sankarshan Basu, Prof. Pulak Ghosh, Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Utanka Sarma, and the Alumni Relations Office.
The effort enabled students to engage with leaders who were generous with their time and insights, and who offered a close view of make-or-break moments that shape enterprise outcomes over a period of time. Two consistent takeaways emerged. First, effective leadership is closely linked to the ability to listen with patience and empathy, and to incorporate diverse stakeholder perspectives in decision-making. Second, leadership requires a sustained balance across competing priorities, including innovation and profitability, organizational and individual goals, and short-term execution with long-term orientation.
Students and organizations that were part of the initiative include: Prahlad Srinivasan, who shadowed Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor of India; Manasi Mertia, who shadowed Archana Tripathi, CEO, Sahaas; Bharathi Krishna Gajula, who shadowed Ashish Rai, JSW Paints; Riddhi Dugar, who shadowed Bert Mueller, Founder, California Burrito; Akshay Kumar Lakra, who shadowed Dipesh Shah, President & CTO, Havells Centre for Research & Innovation; Lavanshi, who shadowed Hari Gangapathy, Founder, PickYourTrail; Chaitanya Surya Gupta, who shadowed Dr. Hasmukh Adhiya, former Finance Secretary of India; Sai Gopi Krishna D., who shadowed KVS Manian, MD & CEO, Federal Bank; Tapish Gupta, who shadowed Shashank Jha, CEO and Board Director, Artson; Parth Trivedi, who shadowed Manish Tiwary, Chairman & MD, Nestlé India; Sanjana R, who shadowed Richa Singh, CFO, Pernod- Ricard; Aryan Sharma, who shadowed Pankaj Raj, Group Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Aditya Birla Group; Vanshika Goswami, who shadowed Parikshit Kabra, Founder, Pkeday Investments; Srushti Ruparel, who shadowed Pavithra Shankar, Brigade Group; Majeti Sampath, who shadowed Rajit Punhani, CEO, FSSAI; Sahil Rajesh Kumar, who shadowed Rajiv Srivatsa, Founding Partner (India), Antler; Gauri Nair Vinod, who shadowed Ravishankar Kallayil, Founder, Plaeto; Sandipan Saha, who shadowed Sameer Shetty, Director – Head of Digital Business & Transformation and Strategic Programs, Axis Bank; Naikit Atul Mehta, who shadowed Sameer Shisodhia, CEO, Rainmatter; Anmol Sharma, who shadowed Santosh Kumar, Regional Manager – South Asia, Bookingdotcom; Nikita Bansal, who shadowed Saugata Gupta, MD & CEO, Marico; Sai Venkata Gnaneswari Chitikela, who shadowed Sengupta Suvojoy, CEO, AECOM; Tirvaji Malika Rani, who shadowed Shruthi Harikrishna, Director – Analytics & Innovation, Adobe; Sivabaala M, who shadowed Sudarshan Lodha, Co-founder, Strata; Mayank Dharmendra Bandewar, who shadowed Yashoraj Tyagi, CASHe; and Jasmine Mehta, who shadowed Vishal Kapoor, CEO, Bandhan AMC.
