Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal today said that technology-enabled, bilingual management education can help bridge the rural-urban divide and make quality education accessible to talented and needy students irrespective of their circumstances. Virtually addressing the inauguration of a newly launched course at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Udaipur from New Delhi, the Minister said the online bilingual Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme is a unique initiative that can have a wide-ranging impact by delivering management education in simple and easily understandable language.

Shri Goyal said the bilingual nature of the programme, in Hindi and English, would help make the credibility and quality of IIM education accessible to a wider section of people. He expressed confidence that the undergraduate programme would serve India and Indian industry and emerge as a successful initiative.

The Minister said India has around 100 crore internet users and stressed the need to use technology and digital means to deliver good-quality education on a larger scale, in line with the New Education Policy. He said the virtual learning paradigm must be expanded across the country, adding that digital technology and online education are growing rapidly.

“The classrooms of IIM will now be visible on the screen,” the Minister said, noting that the programme could reach people from a small shop in Bhilwara to those living in Baster. He said the programme could be accessed on a screen, laptop or even a smartphone and would therefore be of great importance. He added that while the programme would be delivered online, examinations would be conducted offline, ensuring that there was no lack of accountability.

Shri Goyal outlined four suggestions for strengthening the programme. As his first suggestion, he said that, as far as possible, the hybrid model should include monthly visits by faculty and provide opportunities for students to meet at different locations. He said management education is not limited to school, college or classroom learning, but also involves interactions and dynamics among students. He added that organising such gatherings at different locations and incorporating them into the hybrid model would benefit students.

As his second suggestion, Shri Goyal emphasised the importance of soft-skill development, including in-depth knowledge of technology, communication skills, teamwork, cultural exchanges and human interaction. He said a focus on these areas would definitely benefit students.

As his third suggestion, the Minister called for experiential learning, including on-site visits to factories, ports and industrial clusters. He said that providing such facilities would benefit students and enable them to gain practical management experience.

As his fourth suggestion, Shri Goyal urged the institute to adopt global best practices, including the use of audio-visual and digital tools and credit transfers through the New Education Policy. He suggested that the institute could tie up with good institutions and conduct joint programmes in both physical and virtual formats. He added that if students undertake research in the fourth year and are provided research internships, it would have a positive impact on them and benefit their future careers.

The Minister said that for Viksit Bharat, the doors of the world are open to the students. He urged the students to make use of the opportunities arising from new free trade agreements, which are giving a new boost to manufacturing and prioritising innovation. He wished the students success in their studies and encouraged them to combine education with practical experience to prepare themselves for the challenges of the world.

Highlighting the role of technology in transforming education, Shri Goyal said that while COVID-19 had many harmful effects, it also connected education with technology and gave EdTech an important role. During the lockdown, when schools and colleges were closed, many educational programmes moved online. As a result, EdTech companies emerged not merely as supplementary tools but as a necessity. He said EdTech had enabled India to build a bridge between villages and cities in the digital world.

The Minister said the world is changing rapidly, with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies transforming the needs of management. Dynamic learning is becoming increasingly prominent, while requirements at skill development centres and in placements are also changing continuously, from conventional jobs to unique requirements.

Shri Goyal said virtual interactions across different time zones have made it possible to provide education in a fast, simple and efficient manner. Drawing a parallel with India’s free trade agreement negotiations, he said free trade agreements are negotiated with countries across different time zones and most of the work is now done virtually. Along with physical meetings, large teams working across different sectors and tracks use virtual negotiations to bring speed and improve quality. He expressed confidence that IIM Udaipur’s hybrid model, combining virtual and physical modes, would make the programme successful.

Referring to the global standing of the Indian Institutes of Management, Shri Goyal said the IIM brand is recognised across the world of management. Whether in the boardrooms of Mumbai or Manhattan, New York, he said, the IIM brand represents institutions that prepare young people for the challenges of management. He said IIMs would enhance India’s pride in the country and abroad and play an important role in encouraging people to become future leaders and entrepreneurs.

Addressing the students, faculty members and, in particular, the BBA students joining the new course, Shri Goyal said he was happy to hear about the programme, describing it as unique. He said its bilingual management education would reach people in simple language and expressed hope that the language used would be easy for everyone to understand. As the programme is online, he said it could have a very extensive impact.

Shri Goyal expressed confidence that the first batch would make history. He said the students had an important opportunity and expressed confidence that they would use it well and prepare themselves for the future.

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Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas