IIM Udaipur powers India’s data future

The Indian Institute of Management Udaipur (IIMU), one of India’s fastest-growing and globally recognised management schools, has entered into a series of landmark collaborations with key national institutions to strengthen India’s data, monitoring, and artificial intelligence ecosystem. These agreements are aimed at fostering innovation, building capacities, and driving evidence-based policymaking to address national development challenges.

IIM Udaipur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) Data Informatics & Innovation Division. Under this agreement, IIMU will serve as a Knowledge Partner for the Data Innovation Lab, engaging students, faculty, and researchers in tackling real-world statistical and data analytics challenges. The collaboration will also promote knowledge exchange and applied research, while supporting capacity-building through hackathons, workshops, and joint projects.

Further, through its Centre for Development Policy and Management (CDPM), IIM Udaipur signed a Joint Statement of Intent (SOI) with the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) of NITI Aayog. This partnership seeks to strengthen India’s monitoring and evaluation framework by adapting international best practices to the Indian context. The focus areas include developing specialised toolkits, designing training curricula, and providing technical assistance to policymakers and ministries in evaluation, data collection, and monitoring system design. CDPM will also conduct training programs for practitioners and researchers to build a robust ecosystem for evidence-based governance.

Together, these collaborations are designed to:

• Promote innovation and problem-solving in statistical systems and policy design.

• Strengthen data-driven governance and evidence-backed policymaking.

• Enhance capacities of students, policymakers, and practitioners through training and joint research.

• Integrate global expertise with local priorities to bridge academia and policy.

IIM Udaipur has also joined hands with Bhashini, the National Language Translation Mission, becoming an empanelled member under the Anusandhan Mitra programme. This initiative focuses on advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for Indian languages. It will establish regional hubs to strengthen datasets for under-represented languages, foster research in speech and language technologies, and build skills among students and researchers to co-develop innovative linguistic solutions in collaboration with local communities.

Commenting on the initiatives, Prof. Ashok Banerjee, Director of IIM Udaipur, said, “Our collaborations with MoSPI, NITI Aayog’s DMEO, and Bhashini reflect IIM Udaipur’s vision of being a future-facing institution that creates meaningful social impact. By combining academic strength, policy imperatives, and technological innovation, we aim to strengthen India’s data and evaluation ecosystem while advancing AI-driven solutions for linguistic diversity and inclusion.”

These partnerships position IIM Udaipur as a critical knowledge partner in advancing India’s national priorities of digital innovation, governance reforms, and inclusive development.

IIM Udaipur’s global standing

Founded in 2011, IIM Udaipur has established itself as a globally recognised institution in a relatively short span. It received AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation within just eight years, a distinction achieved by very few business schools worldwide. The institute has consistently featured in global rankings, securing a spot in the Financial Times Global MIM Ranking for seven consecutive years (2019–2025). It is also listed in the QS Global MIM Rankings for the sixth year in a row, ranking as the sixth-highest IIM in 2025.

Notably, IIM Udaipur is the youngest business school globally to be listed in both the FT and QS rankings. The institute also ranks 4th in India for research in management, according to the UT Dallas methodology, which measures publications in top-tier international journals.

Importance of the partnerships

The agreements with MoSPI, NITI Aayog, and Bhashini are expected to have far-reaching impacts on India’s data ecosystem, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and AI-driven language technologies. For students and researchers, these collaborations offer hands-on opportunities to work on mission-critical challenges at the intersection of policy, technology, and innovation. For policymakers, the partnerships provide access to advanced research, technical expertise, and practical toolkits for implementing robust evaluation and governance frameworks.

By combining its growing international stature with these strategic domestic collaborations, IIM Udaipur is positioned as both a driver of academic excellence and a partner in national development priorities, reinforcing India’s pursuit of data-driven governance, innovation, and inclusive growth.