Milestones | ISB 25

The Dream takes shape

In the mid-1990s, as India embarked on one of the most transformative periods in its modern history, a bold vision began taking shape: to build a business school that could stand alongside the world's finest institutions, while remaining deeply connected to the aspirations of a changing nation.

Conceived by leading business leaders, policymakers and globally renowned academic institutions, ISB was envisioned not simply as another management school, but as a new model for management education in India.

It is once in a lifetime that you build an institution that has been conceived by the world's most respected corporations in collaboration with the best of the academia. I am proud to be a part of this endeavour.

Rajat Gupta, Founding Chairman, ISB

Stone Laying Ceremony

Founding the institution

A strong institutional foundation emerged through collaboration between industry leaders, policymakers, and academic advisors across India and abroad.

ISB formally constituted its Board, establishing the governance and strategic framework for a globally benchmarked business school in India.

Building the Campus

The sprawling 250-acre Hyderabad campus was designed as a fully residential learning environment that encouraged collaboration, community, and immersive learning.

The foundation stone for the Hyderabad campus was laid by Andhra Pradesh Governor Chakravarthy Rangarajan in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

1999

The The foundation stone for the Hyderabad campus was laid
by Andhra Pradesh Governor Chakravarthy Rangarajan in
the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

World Class Faculty

Even before welcoming its first students, ISB had begun attracting the world's finest minds and strongest supporters.

ISB assembled an exceptional roster of visiting faculty, including Philip Kotler, C.K. Prahalad, Raghuram Rajan, Krishna Palepu, David Besanko, Sumantra Ghoshal, Bala Balachandran, Srikant Datar, and several other globally renowned scholars from institutions such as Kellogg, Wharton, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, and London Business School.

Global academic partnerships established.

Philip Kotler

Raghuram Rajan

David Besanko

ISB assembled an exceptional roster of visiting faculty, including Philip Kotler, C.K. Prahalad, Raghuram Rajan, Krishna Palepu, David Besanko, Sumantra Ghoshal, Bala Balachandran, Srikant Datar, and several other
globally renowned scholars from institutions such as Kellogg, Wharton, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, and
London Business School.

2000

Opening The Doors

ISB welcomed its first class in 2001 with a distinctive proposition: a globally benchmarked one-year management programme designed for ambitious professionals.

Over the next five years, the School evolved rapidly, strengthening its academic foundations, building a close-knit community, expanding executive education, forging international partnerships, and emerging as a globally connected institution.

We were really driven by a need to see more leadership in management thought coming from India.

Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha