The Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam expanded the reach of its Post Graduate Program in Management for Centrally Funded Technical Institutions and Institutions of National Importance (PGPMCI) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Technology Patna (NIT Patna). With this collaboration, NIT Patna becomes the 22nd institution to join the PGPMCI initiative.

The event commenced with a welcome by Prof. M. Shameem Jawed, Chairperson, PGPMCI, IIM Visakhapatnam, followed by opening remarks from Prof. Sanjay Kumar, Dean, Outreach & Alumni Affairs, NIT Patna. Prof. Shameem Jawed presented an overview of PGPMCI and its objective of bridging technology and management education to develop future-ready techno-managers.

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Pradip K. Jain, Director, NIT Patna, described the collaboration as a win-win opportunity and highlighted the value of equipping technical students with management skills to strengthen their professional capabilities and career prospects.

Prof. M. Chandrasekhar, Director, IIM Visakhapatnam, described the partnership with NIT Patna as a matter of pride and privilege. He highlighted how combining students’ strengths in technology and engineering with management knowledge and entrepreneurial skills could broaden their prospects across employment, higher education and entrepreneurship.

Highlighting IIMV’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, he shared that the Institute’s initiatives have supported 210+ startups since 2020, with more than 70% women-led enterprises and around 30% high-social-impact ventures.

The PGPMCI offers a modular pathway through which eligible students can earn a Diploma in Business Management (DBM) after the first year, with the option to continue into the second year and earn an MBA from IIM Visakhapatnam.

The MoU marks the beginning of the collaboration between IIM Visakhapatnam and NIT Patna under the PGPMCI initiative.