The First IIM of India: The Legacy of IIM Calcutta

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are widely regarded as India’s most prestigious business schools, producing top-tier professionals across sectors. Among them, IIM Calcutta holds a special place in history as India’s first IIM, established in 1961. Its formation marked a significant milestone in India’s post-independence efforts to build a strong managerial and economic foundation for the nation.

After gaining independence in 1947, India’s focus shifted toward industrial development and economic planning. The launch of the Five-Year Plans highlighted the growing need for trained administrators and professional managers who could lead public and private enterprises. However, the country lacked institutions capable of delivering world-class management education.

To bridge this gap, the Planning Commission of India invited the Ford Foundation, a US-based philanthropic organization, to assess the need for management education in India and recommend a suitable approach.

In 1959, the Ford Foundation commissioned a study led by Professor George Robbins of the University of California. The team conducted a detailed evaluation of India's administrative and industrial challenges and submitted what came to be known as the Robbins Report.

The report proposed the creation of two world-class management institutes—one in western India (later IIM Ahmedabad) and one in eastern India (IIM Calcutta). These institutions would be built on the model of top US business schools and focus on leadership, innovation, and analytical thinking.

Following the Robbins Report, the Government of India collaborated with the Government of West Bengal, the Ford Foundation, and the MIT Sloan School of Management to establish the first Indian Institute of Management.

IIM Calcutta was officially established in November 1961, with its first classes conducted at the Emerald Bower campus of Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata. The institute later moved to its permanent campus in Joka, a southern suburb of the city, in the early 1970s.

The founding batch consisted of just 21 students enrolled in the Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (PGDBA), now known as the flagship MBA programme.

From the beginning, IIM Calcutta followed an academic model influenced by MIT Sloan. The institute adopted the case study method, emphasized quantitative techniques, and introduced management research as a central part of the curriculum.

The Ford Foundation and MIT not only helped in designing the curriculum but also facilitated faculty training and exchange programmes, ensuring global academic standards were upheld.

IIM Calcutta was registered as an autonomous institution under the Societies Registration Act of 1860, granting it academic and administrative independence. A board of governors comprising representatives from the government, industry, and academia was created to oversee its functioning.

This governance structure allowed IIM Calcutta to maintain high academic standards and innovate in curriculum development, faculty recruitment, and industry collaboration.

Over the decades, IIM Calcutta has played a key role in shaping India’s corporate and policy landscape. Its alumni include business leaders, policymakers, economists, and entrepreneurs who have made significant contributions both in India and abroad.

Today, IIM Calcutta:

Despite intense competition from newer IIMs and global B-schools, IIM Calcutta remains a pioneer and benchmark in Indian management education.

The story of IIM Calcutta, India’s first IIM, is not just about the creation of a business school—it is about a nation’s commitment to building intellectual and professional capacity in a newly independent era. Born out of vision, global cooperation, and timely execution, IIM Calcutta laid the foundation for what would become a world-renowned network of management institutions in India.