Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan
Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, Professor, Strategy Area and former Director of IIMB is superannuating from the services of IIM Bangalore on 31st July 2026. He joined IIMB as a full-time visiting faculty in May 1996 and has been a member of the regular faculty since February 1998.
Professor Krishnan is a Fellow in Management from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and holds Master of Science (Engineering-Economics Systems) from Stanford University, USA and MSc in Physics (5-year Integrated Programme) from IIT Kanpur. Before his doctoral studies, he worked in the industry for four years as General Manager and Partner, Helios Antennas & Electronics and was co-founder of Helios Systems & Software. He served as the Director & Professor of Strategic Management at IIM Indore during January 2014- December 2018 while on leave from the institute. He was also the Mentor -Director of IIM Sambalpur for two years. He also had brief stints as Visiting Fellow /Scholar at ISB, Hyderabad and University of Pennsylvania while serving at IIMB.
Professor Krishnan’s main areas of interest are Strategy and Innovation, in the context of emerging markets with a special focus on India. His work has been published in leading international journals in Management, Economics, Development, and Science Policy. Apart from research papers, he has published widely and they include conference papers, articles in popular press, case studies, book chapters and working papers. His books on innovation – From Jugaad to Systematic Innovation: The Challenge for India and 8 Steps to Innovation: Going from Jugaad to Excellence (co-authored with Vinay Dabholkar) – have received wide acclaim, with the latter winning the Best Book Award for 2013 from the Indian Society for Training and Development. He also wrote popular columns for Outlook Business Magazine, The Hindu Businessline and Edu Magazine. He has also delivered several prestigious lectures across the country at several Business Summits and leading academic institutions.
At IIMB, Professor Krishnan taught core and elective courses such as Corporate Strategy, Competition & Strategy, Business, Government & Society, International Business, Business & Ethical Values, Entrepreneurial Management etc. During his career at both IIMB and IIM Indore he guided 14 students as either DAC Chair or Member.
Along with his commendable record as a researcher and teacher, Professor Krishnan’s significant contribution was as an institution builder and academic administrator. During his stint as Director, IIM Indore he led initiatives resulting in triple accreditation and improvement of NIRF ranking. As its Director, Professor Krishnan led IIMB to greater heights in terms of its global ranking and reputation. His leadership especially during the Covid time and golden jubilee year were particularly noteworthy. During his tenure as Director, he had a pioneering role in the forthcoming launch of the Undergraduate Programme of IIMB’s School of Undergraduate Studies. Earlier, he served in various institutional service roles at IIMB, and the notable ones include Member – FDEC, PGP- Chair, Chairperson -Research, Chairperson-Placement, Area Chair etc. He served as the Ram Charan Chair Professor in Innovation & Leadership (2022-25) and Jamuna Raghavan Chair Professor of Entrepreneurship (2007-10) at the institute.
Professor Krishnan has also been deeply engaged with national policy having served on several committees under GOI Ministries such as DST, MHRD, DBT etc. They include membership in Committee to draft financial rules for ANRF and Justice Srikrishna Committee to evolve a Data Protection Framework for India. He also served on various corporate boards, juries of industry associations, boards of non-profit organisations and academic boards of several prestigious institutions in the country.
Over the course of his long academic career, Professor Krishnan received numerous prestigious recognitions/awards for his contributions to academia, innovation, research, and management education. His major accolades include the Bharat Asmita Acharya Shreshtha Award, the Thinkers50 India Special Innovation Award, featured among the Thinkers50 India list during multiple years, the Dewang Mehta Award for Best Teacher in Strategic Management, Distinguished Alumni Award from IIT Kanpur etc.
During his distinguished service in academia, Professor Krishnan made outstanding contributions to management education, research, innovation, and academic leadership. His illustrious career has inspired generations of students, faculty, and practitioners, leaving an enduring impact on the institute and the broader academic community.
On behalf of the Institute, I thank Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan for his dedicated service and contributions. I wish him the very best in his new role as the Vice Chancellor of Ashoka University.