Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 7 July 2026 that the IIM Bangalore international campus will be established in Indonesia, marking the institute’s first-ever overseas centre. The announcement came during a joint press statement with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, following bilateral talks between the two nations. The proposed IIM Bangalore international campus will come up at the Singhasari Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Malang, East Java, and is designed to serve students from Indonesia as well as the wider ASEAN region.
A Landmark Step for India-Indonesia Educational Ties
The IIM Bangalore international campus initiative follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed a day earlier, on 6 July 2026, between IIM Bangalore and the Singhasari SEZ’s development authority, PT Intelegensia Grahatama. Describing the broader package of agreements signed during the visit, PM Modi called it the start of a “golden chapter” in India-Indonesia relations, spanning cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, telecommunications, and startup ecosystems, alongside the education initiative. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also described the move as a new chapter for India’s education sector.
Two-Phase Rollout: Executive Education First, Degrees Later
The IIM Bangalore international campus will be launched in two distinct phases:
- Phase 1: Short-duration Executive Education Programmes (EEPs) for senior leaders, business executives, and public sector professionals
- Phase 2: Introduction of full degree-granting management programmes, contingent on the successful implementation of Phase 1 over roughly two years
The curriculum will focus on five emerging areas — artificial intelligence, digital transformation, global supply chains, climate and sustainability, and healthcare management — combining core management disciplines with future-focused fields. Participants will also gain access to IIMBx, the institute’s digital learning platform, along with course offerings through the government’s SWAYAM MOOC platform.
Part of a Larger Push to Globalise Indian Higher Education
The IIM Bangalore international campus adds to a growing list of Indian institutions expanding abroad, including IIM Ahmedabad’s campus in Dubai, IIT Delhi’s campus in Abu Dhabi, and IIT Madras’s campus in Zanzibar. This aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages leading Indian institutions to build an international academic footprint. Participants at the Indonesia campus will also have the opportunity for short academic immersion visits to IIM Bangalore’s Bengaluru campus, allowing them to experience India’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem firsthand. The campus is expected to position Indonesia as a regional hub for quality management education while deepening long-term academic and industry collaboration between the two countries.
