IIM Jammu to open satellite campus in Leh with 60-seat BBA programme

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu is set to bring management education closer to students in Ladakh, with its new satellite campus in Leh scheduled to begin classes in October.

The Ladakh administration and IIM Jammu signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday to establish the campus, which will offer a four-year BBA (Honours) programme with an initial intake of 60 students.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.

The response from prospective students has already been strong. Around 600 candidates have expressed interest in the 60 available seats, officials said, highlighting the demand for professional management education within the Union Territory.

The campus infrastructure has been established within two months of the initiative being taken up jointly by the Ladakh administration and IIM Jammu.

For students in Ladakh, the new campus could mean pursuing a management degree without having to leave the Union Territory. Until now, those seeking quality management and other professional courses have often had to move outside Ladakh, adding the cost of travel, accommodation, food, books and other living expenses to the burden of higher education.

Saxena said the satellite campus marked a significant step in strengthening Ladakh’s higher education ecosystem and would create new opportunities for young people in knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurship and professional development.

He said bringing quality management education closer to students would help reduce the financial and logistical barriers associated with moving outside the Union Territory for higher studies.

The Lieutenant Governor also linked the initiative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat, saying the campus would help expand opportunities for the region’s youth.

Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, IIM Jammu Board of Governors Chairman Milind Kamble, IIM Jammu Director B S Sahay, Secretary Higher Education Bhanu Prabha and senior officials of the UT Administration and IIM Jammu were present at the signing ceremony.

The launch of the Leh campus comes at a time when growing student interest is pushing demand for greater access to specialised higher education within Ladakh itself.