The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad / IIMA) is gearing up to host the third edition of the India Management Research Conference (IMRC 2026) from December 4–6, 2026. Building on the resounding success of its previous two editions, IMRC 2026 promises to be the most expansive and intellectually ambitious iteration yet, uniting leading researchers, scholars, industry practitioners, and policymakers on a single platform to advance the frontiers of management knowledge.
The Call for Submissions for IMRC 2026 is now officially open, with the submission deadline set for July 20, 2026. Researchers across disciplines are invited to contribute their best work and be part of this landmark event at one of the world’s most prestigious business schools.
From Inaugural Edition to a Growing Legacy
The IMRC 2026 is the third chapter in a rapidly growing conference legacy. The inaugural edition, IMRC 2024, marked the successful launch of what would become IIMA’s flagship annual research conference, bringing together a diverse community of scholars and practitioners and setting high standards for academic excellence and intellectual exchange. The second edition, IMRC 2025, held from December 5–7, 2025, further consolidated this foundation — witnessing expanded participation, high-quality research contributions across multiple tracks, and rich interdisciplinary dialogue on contemporary economic and organisational challenges under the theme “The Future of the Economy: People, Organizations, and Policy.”
With this strong momentum behind it, IMRC 2026 aims to further elevate the conference’s impact and global engagement, drawing on the depth of IIMA’s world-class research ecosystem.
Theme: Reimagining Organisations in the Age of AI
The central theme of IMRC 2026 is “Reimagining Organisations: Transformation and Value-Creation in the Age of AI.” This theme reflects the profound disruptions that Artificial Intelligence is bringing to organisations across every sector.
As AI fundamentally alters organisational strategy, structure, and competitive advantage, it is simultaneously transforming skill requirements, task allocation, and the very nature of work. IMRC 2026 recognises that these changes necessitate new approaches to leadership, talent development, and organisational culture — with an emphasis on continuous learning, human–AI collaboration, and ethical responsibility.
Critically, the growing dependence on AI also raises pressing concerns around ethics, bias, data privacy, and societal impact. Organisations must balance innovation with responsibility, embedding principles of responsible AI into their operational and strategic frameworks. IMRC 2026 invites scholarly inquiry that critically examines all these dimensions through diverse theoretical lenses and rigorous methodological approaches.
Twelve Research Tracks Across Key Domains
A defining feature of IMRC 2026 is the active involvement of IIMA’s Centres of Research Excellence, which jointly organise and anchor the conference’s twelve thematic tracks. These tracks span a comprehensive range of management domains:
- Creating Value for India’s AI Startup Ecosystem
- Management in Health Services
- Gold & Precious Metals: Business and Economic Policies
- Finance, Accounting, and Economics
- Behavioural Science in Management
- Transportation and Logistics
- Digital Transformation
- Corporate Sustainability and Corporate Governance (IRCC 2026)
- Leadership and Organisational Development with the Advent of AI
- Data Science & Artificial Intelligence
- Low Emission Development Strategies
- Marketing
Each track is chaired by senior IIMA faculty and is designed to foster rigorous inquiry in both foundational and emerging areas of management scholarship. Additionally, the conference features an IIMA–JPIM Paper Development Workshop and a dedicated Networking Forum for PhD Students and Early Career Researchers.
Conference Leadership
IMRC 2026 is anchored at the highest institutional level:
- Conference Patron: Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad
- Conference Convener: Prof. Samrat Gupta, Co-Chair, Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and AI (CDSA)
Submission Guidelines and Key Dates
IMRC 2026 welcomes three types of submissions:
- Full Papers — Completed research with substantial results
- Working Papers — Ongoing research with promising contributions
- Extended Abstracts — Early-stage research or conceptual work
All submissions must demonstrate originality, methodological rigour, and relevance to theory and/or practice. They will undergo a thorough peer-review process coordinated by the respective Centres of Research Excellence at IIMA, with only high-quality contributions selected for presentation.
Key IMRC 2026 Timeline:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Submissions Open | May 5, 2026 |
| Submission Deadline | July 20, 2026 |
| Decision on Acceptance | August 20, 2026 |
| Conference Dates | December 4–6, 2026 |
Submissions can be made through the official EasyChair portal linked on the IMRC 2026 website at conference.iima.ac.in/imrc2026.
Why IMRC 2026 Matters
The IMRC 2026 arrives at a pivotal moment for Indian management research. With the global discourse on AI-led transformation accelerating rapidly, India’s businesses and institutions face unique pressures and opportunities that demand rigorous, evidence-based inquiry. By convening the sharpest minds in management science under one roof at IIMA, the conference aims to generate insights that directly inform practice and policy — both within India and globally.
For researchers, IMRC 2026 offers an unparalleled opportunity to present their work, engage with domain experts across disciplines, and build lasting collaborations within India’s most dynamic management research community.
