Professor Bharat Jhunjhunwala served as Assistant Professor in the Economics and Social Sciences area at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) from 9 July 1973 to 17 August 1979. Among the earliest faculty members, he played a formative role during IIMB’s nascent years, contributing to both academic and institutional development. His teaching at the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) included courses such as Problems of Indian Economic Development, Economic Analysis (Microeconomics), Economic Development, and Indian Political Economy. He also taught Industrial Management and Labour Economics and Philosophy of Social Work at Bangalore University and contributed to the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) through courses in Research Methodology and Econometrics.

Prof. Jhunjhunwala’s work extended beyond classrooms through action-oriented research and consultancy in areas such as rural and urban development, including projects like the Village Study on Rural Poverty and a Slum Development Project in Bangalore, during which he lived in the community. His ICSSR and KSCST-funded projects explored technology, cooperatives, and participatory development. He coordinated seminars on Rural Social Organisation and led the Village Adoption Scheme. His engagement in institutional life included roles on the Admissions Committee, Curriculum Committee, and Faculty Seminars Committee, and his initiative in forming the IIMB Employees’ Association reflected his strong socialist ethos.

His interview highlights IIMB’s early ethos, sectoral focus on under-managed areas like agriculture and energy, and his commitment to socially relevant management education.

Snippets from Interview