IIM Ahmedabad to set up dedicated school of artificial intelligence

IIM Ahmedabad is set to expand its academic footprint in artificial intelligence with the launch of a dedicated School of Artificial Intelligence, backed by a ₹100 crore endowment from alumna Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Ranjan Tandon.

The new entity will be named the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence and will be established on the IIM Ahmedabad campus. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, a member of the institute’s PGP Class of 1975, is also a Grammy Award-winning musician.

A memorandum of understanding for the initiative was exchanged virtually in the presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Ambassador Vinay Kwatra in the United States.

Pradhan said he was pleased to witness the MoU exchange for setting up the new school at IIM Ahmedabad. He said the agreement comes in the lead-up to the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The minister added that artificial intelligence will act as an enabler for powering people, progress, and the planet. He also noted that India’s AI leadership will be defined not only by technology but also by the strength of its institutions and human capital.

According to an official statement, the School of Artificial Intelligence will be housed within a management institute and will operate at the intersection of technology, management, and public impact. With a strong global outlook, the school will focus on applying AI responsibly and effectively to address India’s complex and distinctive challenges.

The institute said the new school aims to influence how artificial intelligence is developed, deployed, and governed, with the objective of creating lasting business and societal value.

It is positioned as an extension of IIM Ahmedabad’s broader mission to advance management education in a world increasingly shaped by AI.

An IIM Ahmedabad statement said, “Envisioned as a hub for business-focused and translational AI, the School will bring together world-class faculty, industry leaders, policymakers, and global partners to redefine the frontiers of AI research and application.”

The research agenda of the school will be application-driven and case-based. IIM Ahmedabad said the focus will be on converting advanced AI research into deployable solutions, tools, frameworks, and scalable systems that support better decision-making, improve productivity, and tackle challenges across industry, government, and society.