Prof. Muralidhara is the Director of IBS at ICFAI Business School. He is a Mechanical Engineer who holds a PGDM and is a Gold Medalist from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and a Chartered Financial Analyst. With an industry experience of more than 28 years, he has held several senior positions in reputed public sector and private sector organizations. Prior to his stint as Campus Head at IBS Bangalore, he was the Dean Case Research Center at IBS Hyderabad. In this position, he led a team of talented case writers at the globally renowned center of excellence, which won several international awards and accomplishments.

Prof. Muralidhara has authored/co-authored more than one hundred case studies in management. Several of these have won awards at international competitions and are also reprinted in international textbooks. He has been a jury for a number of competitions and a reviewer for many international conferences. He has conducted a number of faculty development workshops as well as Management Development Programs.

ICFAI Business School

What is that one thing that excited you to be a part of IBS and share your experience of 10+ years of journey in IBS?

During my long association with IBS, the one thing that stood out and excited me was the entire organization’s focus on being student-centered. All the processes at IBS are centered around the student and the effort of the entire institution is to make the students’ learning journey interesting, exciting, smooth, and memorable. We believe in providing each and every student with opportunities for development, irrespective of his/her background. This is evident from the transformation that every student goes through during her two-year stay at the campus. My journey at IBS has been highly rewarding and exciting. The organization has provided me with opportunities to learn and develop on a continuous basis. I could try new initiatives, and resources were never a problem. The management has been highly supportive of my effort to develop myself and grow in the academic world. The environment is highly conducive to learning, sharing, and disseminating knowledge. Because of the positive environment provided by the institution, I have been able to accomplish significant achievements in the academic world.

What motivated you to pursue a career in academia and leadership in management?

I have had a long stint in the corporate world before joining academia, and a career in academia provides me with opportunities to share my experience with students. The most interesting aspect of being in the academic field is that you get to interact with the youth and help in their development. You share the energy and excitement of the younger generation, and we remain young and energetic in the process. I have always been interested in the development of people, and this career has provided me the opportunity to fulfill the same. A leadership position in management provides me with a larger scope to contribute to institution building and the institution’s growth. It also allows me to innovate and try out new initiatives for the betterment of the students.

As a director of - IBS School of Business, what do you feel is the USP or the differentiating factors that make IBS stand out from other Business schools?

Our USP is in how we transform our students during their stay at the campus. Every student who enters our campus becomes industry-ready and is ready to embark on a successful career in organizations and grow. This is reflected by the fact that most companies who visit our campus for recruitment have been visiting our campus for many years.

What steps would you take to ensure the business school's curriculum remains relevant, aligns with industry demands, and prepares students for successful careers?

We have a strong industry interface with the industry and regular dialogue with industry experts on the latest trends and developments. We also obtain their feedback on our curriculum on a regular basis and incorporate their suggestions. Industry experts also vet new course content before introduction. I will continue with all these practices and ensure that our curriculum meets industry expectations.

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How would you engage with faculty to promote research excellence, encourage innovation in teaching, and support their professional development?

We provide a highly conducive environment for our faculty members to undertake research in their area of interest and develop professionally. We provide several opportunities for them to attend training programs, faculty development programs, and conferences. In addition, we provide them access to state-of-the-art resources for pursuing research. For example, we are establishing a Bloomberg Finance Lab to help them in this direction. We also provide our faculty members incentives for consistent performance in research.

How do you plan to leverage technology and online platforms to enhance the delivery of business education and adapt to changing educational landscapes?

We have established a state-of-the-art infrastructure to leverage technology in teaching and learning. We keep updating the same on a regular basis. We encourage our faculty members to try out new innovations using technology in pedagogy. We keep abreast of the latest developments and explore how these could be incorporated quickly into our systems.

What are the challenging part of being in the Director of business school role and how do you handle them?

In the ever-changing technology landscape, we must always be on our toes to keep learning. I regularly interact with the industry and my peer group in other institutions to keep myself updated. I keep looking for new opportunities to learn. Openness to learning and growth is my mantra to achieve this.

Can you describe What is the significance and support IBS provides for entrepreneurship and innovation?

We offer a course on Entrepreneurship as an elective to interested students. We have an incubation center that provides guidance and mentorship for students who have entrepreneurial ambitions. We are part of the Innovation Council of the university. Most importantly, we provide an environment that encourages entrepreneurship.

How do you envision the role of the Director in shaping the strategic direction and growth of IBS Business School?

The role of the Director is to provide a vision and direction to the team to achieve excellence continuously and meet the expectations of our stakeholders. With a strong emphasis on the development and growth of our people, we are confident of achieving our goals and retaining our leadership position.