Classroom to Boardroom: IIMB’s ‘Shadow a Leader’ puts MBAs in the hot seat

Across February, PGP ‘2025 students shadowed top executives, many of them IIMB alumni, gaining firsthand exposure to high-impact decision-making

In a unique experiential learning opportunity, PGP students from the graduating batch of 2025 stepped out of classrooms and into corporate boardrooms, policy chambers, and executive decision-making arenas as part of the Shadow a Leader initiative at IIM Bangalore. The premise of the program is to embed students into the field, among industry front runners, decision makers and innovators to better understand the complex changes and challenges shaping the business world.

Throughout February, the students witnessed high-impact strategies unfold, engaged in candid conversations, and experienced the dynamic realities of leadership firsthand.

A significant highlight of the initiative was the participation of several alumni—industry leaders who once walked the halls of IIM Bangalore and have gone on to shape trajectories of their respective fields.

Students and organizations that were part of the initiative include: Gitanshu Rai, SELCO Foundation; Mridul Summan, JSW Paints; Vedika Manish Manek, Blume Ventures; Sakshi Agrawal, Marlabs LLC; Ishwari Dhondge Chandrakant, Quantiphi; Shubhanshu Gour, Artson Ltd; Deepika Ramesh Mantri, Randstad; Vishakha Shambhu Ghadi, Saahas; Anwesha Dash, Vymo; Diyea Robin K, Strata; Akshay Prashant, Berger Paints; Ayush Agrawal, Marico; Manan Samdani, ICICI Prudential AMC; Aman Priyaraj, Akshayakalpa Organic; Prakriti Sehgal, Brigade Group; Manthan Dhabriya, TPG Capital Asia.

An idea conceived by Dr. Manaswini Bhalla, Chairperson PGP & PGPBA and Dr. Sourav Mukherji, Dean Alumni, and promoted by Dr. Venkatesh Panchapagesan, Finance & Accounting area; Dr. Debolina Dutta, OB&HRM area; and Dr. Gopal Naik, Economics area, the competitive voluntary program acts as a bridge to connect theory to the action of organizational leadership.

SAC President Shubham Jagtap and Sarthak Garg, Executive Board Member, IIM Bangalore Alumni Association, served as the student coordinators for the program.