It is not always that a newly appointed IIM director replies to an email (that too sent to his official address) within two minutes. And it is almost never that he calls back in the next two minutes to answer queries. IIM Indore’s new director Prof Rishikesha Krishnan did just that. IIM Indore seems to be in good hands.
PaGaLGuY presents Prof Krishnan in an exclusive and his first interview, post the appointment.
When did know of your appointment?
I knew I was shortlisted and was in the reckoning. The government sent a letter to Chairman of IIM Indore board yesterday who then informed me.
Plans for IIM Indore?
The institute is credited for many innovative plans primary among them the five year programme. I would like to stress on those and carry the plans forward. Innovations need to be built on.
But IIM Indore has attracted a few controversies over the years?
Yes, am aware of them. But that’s fine since my way of working is going to be take everyone together and work. I would like to bring staff, students and all faculty on one platform and work as a single unit. That is the best way to go ahead.
You have taken a keen interest in disabled students in IIM-B, any particular reason?
That’s a long story. Sometime in 2000, all the IIMs were summoned by the Commissioner to look into providing facilities and opportunities for disabled students. I represented IIM-B then. We all made plans but nothing very strong came out of it. It was in 2009 when the former IIM-B director Pankaj Chandra decided to take this up in a big way that I got on the job and started work seriously. We got NGOs, students and many communities involved and came out with a pragmatic plan. We were the first IIM to do work in this sphere.
You enjoy teaching but it will have to take a back seat now
A director’s job is to manage the entire institute so it will be a lot of jobs together. I hope to use this opportunity to learn.
IIM-B, IIM-I, they are both different?
Yes, but no institute is built overnight. In 1990, it was only IIM Ahmedabad and Calcutta. But those who took over the institute from 1991 onwards made the institute what it is today. All institutes need time to grow bigger and better. IIM-I is also growing.
How will you handle the perpetual faculty shortage and sad approach to research?
There are a number of good students coming out of the Fellow programmes in different IIMs. I hope to be able to attract these fresh doctorates to faculty positions in IIM Indore.
Same with research, now even the government has acknowledged that research and knowledge creation are crucial. Am sure with the ease in faculty numbers, research will also get its due.
Is your family ok with the shift?
On it.