With an annual fee of ₹8.5 lakh and built-in financial aid, the initiative aims to make high-quality undergraduate education more accessible.
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The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) has announced the launch of two new full-time, four-year undergraduate degree programmes—BSc (Hons) in Economics and BSc (Hons) in Data Science, marking a significant expansion of its academic portfolio. Each programme will include minors in Business and either Economics or Data Science, respectively, and will be housed under IIMB’s newly formed School of Multidisciplinary Studies.
The UG programmes are set to begin in August 2026 at the upcoming Jigani campus, located about 27 km from the main campus.
“Our vision is to nurture critical thinkers and problem solvers capable of driving positive change,” said Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIMB. “To actualize this vision, we believe it is important to engage young learners early… and equip them with analytical, contextual, and ethical perspectives.”
The full-time, four-year residential programmes have been designed to reflect the ideals of the National Education Policy (NEP), integrating economics, data science, communication, ethics, and philosophy with an application-driven orientation. It will also include two internship cycles, an international exchange term, and an optional three-year exit with a degree.
The move comes amid a broader institutional vision to contribute meaningfully to India’s undergraduate education landscape, especially in non-technical disciplines. “India is a young country with a large demographic dividend,” Prof. Krishnan noted. “The demand for high-quality, locally available education is rising.”
Applications for the inaugural cohort will open in September 2025, with an initial intake of 80 students. IIMB plans to gradually scale up the cohort to 640 by 2031. A faculty pool of 15 members will be drawn from IIMB and global institutions.
“This is a degree being offered by a management school,” said Prof. Mukta Kulkarni, Dean of Programmes. “Students will receive structured placement support. We have extensive industry and international connects, including over 100 institutional partnerships globally.”
The annual fee is set at ₹8.5 lakh, with 20% financial aid already built into the model. “Every deserving student will have the opportunity to access financial support,” Krishnan said.
Calling it an “inflection point” for IIMB, Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean of Alumni Relations, emphasised the importance of balancing IIMB’s postgraduate strengths with a recalibrated UG experience. Two additional UG programmes in Sustainability and Behavioural Sciences are planned for future launch.
Published on July 14, 2025
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