IIMB inaugurates BBA in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship

The session brought together eminent speakers including—IIMB Director Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan; Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of India; Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health; Mukesh Bansal, CEO of Curefit & Founder of Meraki Labs; Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan, OB&HRM area, and Chairperson, Digital Learning; and Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, Entrepreneurship area, and Chairperson BBA (DBE), to address the inaugural cohort attending the session. 

IIM Bangalore inaugurated the BBA in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship (BBA DBE) program on September 16 in a virtual session. 

The session brought together eminent speakers including—IIMB Director Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan; Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of India; Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health; Mukesh Bansal, CEO of Curefit & Founder of Meraki Labs; Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan, OB&HRM area, and Chairperson, Digital Learning; and Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, Entrepreneurship area, and Chairperson BBA (DBE), to address the inaugural cohort attending the session. 

“Our goal is to extend high-quality education to undergraduate students nationwide,” said Prof. Krishnan in his opening address. He also emphasized the need to merge traditional business management with the evolving demands of digital businesses, ensuring a rich, interactive learning experience for the inaugural cohort of over 1,000 students.

Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula outlined BBA DBE’s focus on blending digital awareness with core business skills. “Our aim is to prepare students for a digitally-driven world,” he said.

“The curriculum includes 30% on emerging digital business technologies, 30% on core business topics like finance, operations & marketing, and emphasizes an entrepreneurial mindset. It features community-building through internships and projects with NSRCEL, one of India’s leading business incubators, offering flexible exit options and highly engaging content—all while complying with UGC and other national guidelines,” he further added.

Dr. Devi Shetty celebrated the programme’s launch as a significant step toward making higher education more accessible in India. He remarked, “In an era where education has become elitist, IIMB’s new program opens doors for students who previously could only dream of such opportunities”.

Mukesh Bansal discussed the program’s potential to revolutionize education by ensuring high standards and accessibility. Drawing on his experience in e-commerce, he stressed the “importance of understanding consumer behavior through a digital-native lens and encouraged students to take ownership of their learning journey.”