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IIMB Archives
The IIMB Archives team will share updates to the Archives, and snippets about IIMB’s history from time to time.
The IIMB Archives is happy to share that the Golden Jubilee publication, ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’, was reprinted in March 2026.
‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’ celebrates the iconic architecture of the campus and also recounts the stories of the people who inhabit it, making it the ‘place’ that it is.
The release of the first edition of the book was one of the mega events which were part of the Golden Jubilee Foundation Week celebrations held in October 2023. The celebrations were graced by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu and the Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, who released the book.
For more on the release of the Golden Jubilee publication, ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’, check this link: https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/making-campus.php
‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’ has been well received and commended by readers, including architects and alumni among others. Following are excerpts from reviews of the first edition of the book:
"...more than 31 years after I graduated from IIMB, I had the opportunity to read this marvellous book that brings back many memories, but also lays out in great detail, an incredible “behind the scenes” story, of how this amazing campus came about, and how it has evolved over the last 40-plus years."
Siva Kumar Padmanabhan, 'IIMB: How an iconic campus was built', The Hindu Businessline, Aug 2024.
"While most institutional architecture books focus on master planning, typologies, iconic design, and technical innovation, Keswani foregrounds how spaces are lived and felt—how corridors become social condensers, how silence and light shape behavior, how stone floors register footsteps as memory. This human-centered lens restores user agency and repositions architecture as an experiential, responsive practice."
Megala Gurumurthi, 'Plural Voices, Singular Place', Sub:version Issue 2. Sept 2025.
"The book neatly locates itself in an interesting encounter – between architecture and life. In locating itself, it examines and redefines for many architects, and perhaps other readers, the institution of IIMB beyond its architectural expression. It simulates a search: for more purpose and meaning, and towards an ask, as the author outlines, “In an institutional campus, how does one allow for change and simultaneously express a continuity with the past?” In this effort, it emerges as an important record of an expanding vision and of an archive of material cultures, and lived experiences."
V V Kusum Priya, ThinkMatter Sept 2024
Following is a link to a photo essay by Kiran Keswani, the author of the book, titled ‘A Book, A Walk’ which revisits several landmarks on the campus that are featured in the book : https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/making-campus-iimb.php
In April, we bring you updates to our Golden Jubilee Interviews and our Oral History Narratives.
1. Interview with Professor Pankaj Chandra
Professor Pankaj Chandra, who served as Director of IIM Bangalore from 3 December 2007 to 3 September 2013, was interviewed on the occasion of IIMB’s Golden Jubilee which was celebrated in 2023. Currently the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmedabad University, Professor Pankaj Chandra spoke about the privilege and the challenges of steering IIMB as director, the process that he guided to put in place the Long Term Vision for the institute, and the strategy he developed along with some of the senior leadership at IIMB to achieve the long term goals. In conclusion, Professor Chandra spoke about the Institute’s experience in hosting a film crew on campus, an exercise that he visualised as a means for building alumni pride in their alma mater, and connecting with the entertainment industry.
You can view excerpts from Professor Pankaj Chandra’s Golden Jubilee interview here
https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/pankaj.php
2. Interviews with Professor V. Nagadevara and Professor M. R. Gopalan
Our Oral History Narratives Page has added interviews with Professor V. Nagadevara who served the institute from 1976 to 2013, and Professor M. R. Gopalan whose term extended from 1978 to 2003.
Professor V. Nagadevara was affiliated with the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) and the Quantitative Methods and Information Systems Area, and his association with IIMB included the roles of Dean (Academics) and Director in-Charge: 12th Oct 2007 – 3rd Dec 2007. In a free ranging interview with Professor N. Bringi Dev, he spoke about the circumstances of his appointment, the early orientation of the institute towards the public sector and the challenges it brought in its wake, the move from the temporary premises on Langford Road to the current Bannerghatta Road campus in the early 1980s, the period of turnaround and upswing from the 1990s onwards, as also his own role as Dean; faculty nominee to the Board of Governors, and Director In Charge.
Video snippets from the IIMB Oral Histories interview with Professor V. Nagadevara can be viewed here https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/nagadevara.php
For a list of Professor V. Nagadevara’s publications as received from him, please refer to the following link: List of Publications - Prof. V. Nagadevara-edited.doc
Professor M. R. Gopalan, affiliated with the Production and Operations Management area, shared his experiences on the opportunities for growth and development provided by the IIMB academic culture and ecosystem and how it enabled him in offering his Management Development Programs, his teaching and his Consultancy projects, as also his role in the academic administration as Coordinator, Placement.
Video snippets from the IIMB Oral Histories interview with Professor M. R. Gopalan can be viewed here https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/mr-gopalan.php
For Professor M. R Gopalan’s Curriculum Vitae, as received from him, please refer to the following link CV- Prof. M.R. Gopalan- Edited.doc
Professor J. Philip
(21 May 1936 -- 21 February 2026)
Director, IIM Bangalore 15 April 1985 – 5 January 1991
Message from Professor U. Dinesh Kumar, Director (In charge) to the IIMB community
Dear Colleagues & Students,
It is with deep regret that we inform you the passing of our former Director, Prof. J Philip. Prof. Philip played an important role in shaping IIMB as it is today.
Professor Philip was Director of IIM Bangalore from 15th April 1985 to 5th January 1991. He took over as Director from Professor N Krishnaswamy and was succeeded by Professor KRS Murthy.
Educated at XLRI, Jamshedpur and Harvard Business School, USA, Professor Philip had a rich blend of experience in management, both in public and private sectors, in human resources development and in educational administration.
Professor Philip started his career at Xavier Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur in 1960, where he became Dean and Professor of Management in March 1970. He was one of the founders of the MBA programme of XLRI. From XLRI he joined Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) in 1971 as the Principal of its Central Management College. In January 1980 he joined the Oberoi Group of Hotels, India, as its Vice President (Human Resources), managing its Human Resources world-wide. It was from the Oberoi that Professor Philip was selected as Director of IIMB in April 1985.
He was the President of the Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD) during 1979-1980 and was the Founder President of the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) – the national association of Indian business schools. Professor Philip founded XIME in 1991 and built it as a top B-School of India.
He was the recipient of several awards such as the Ravi. J. Mathai National Fellow Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Cause of Management Education in India and XLRI’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Profession and Societal Contribution.
On behalf of the Institute, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Professor Philip’s bereaved family, friends, and colleagues. We fondly remember his contributions to the Institute and his lasting legacy.
May his soul rest in peace.
With best regards,
Dinesh Kumar
Professor U Dinesh Kumar
Director (In charge)
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560 076
Professor J. Philip – Golden Jubilee Interview
Professor J. Philip was interviewed on the occasion of IIMB’s Golden Jubilee which was celebrated in 2023 where he spoke about the challenges of steering the Institute when he joined in 1985, and what he considered to be his major contributions.
You can view excerpts from Professor Philip’s Golden Jubilee interview here (https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/philip.php)
Professor J. Philip -- Reminiscences of Faculty
From the library of oral history narratives, there are memories of and perspectives on Professor Philip’s achievements from his faculty colleagues who commended his leadership qualities, noting that he joined the institute as director when the institute was going through a difficult time, and he dealt with the industrial relations and discipline issues firmly and effectively.
He also effected the required “course correction” to the PGP and FPM programs, steering them away from the sectoral orientation and enabling the PGP towards a business administration orientation.
Sharing his perspective on the progress of the Institute and the contributions of the early directors, Professor V. Nagadevara summed up:
“NSR (Professor N. S. Ramaswamy) set the vision. (Professor) Philip got the environment ready for the academics. KRS (Professor K. R. S. Murthy) brought in the academics. MR (Professor M. R. Rao) could bring the research focus. And that's when we became number one.”
Following is a link to the Oral History Narratives interview with Professor V. Nagadevara: https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/nagadevara.php
Following are excerpts from interviews with former directors Professor M. Rammohan Rao and Professor Prakash Apte, from the 2019 Golden Jubilee publication, “The Evolution of IIMB: Directors’ Perspectives”.
Professor M. Rammohan Rao, who served as Director of IIMB from 1 March 1997 to 31 May 2002, said
“ … I must give him credit for taking the strong stand that he did, of taking out the sectoral specialisation. … my view is that Professor Philip did the right thing.” (P 151)
Professor Apte, who had served the institute as Director from 7 October 2002 to 6 October 2007, remarked that Professor Philip was
“a very effective leader”, who “… improved the administrative activities of the Institute tremendously and acted very firmly in those matters.” He added, “After Professor Philip joined, more and more freedom was given to faculty. He started giving them more freedom in terms of what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to do it. He also dealt effectively with the unions.” (P 186)
To the question whether he had any reservations about the institute turning the corner in the 1980s given the challenges it faced, he said,
“To some extent, but not after Professor Philip joined. He provided a very effective leadership. I was not worried about those things.” (P 189)
For more from “The Evolution of IIMB: Directors’ Perspectives”, which features interviews with former Directors Professors J. Philip, K. R. S. Murthy, M. Rammohan Rao, Prakash G. Apte and Sushil Vachani, and a foreword by the then Director Professor G. Raghuram, and an essay (reproduced from an earlier collection) by the first Director Professor N. S. Ramaswamy visit (https://www.iimb.ac.in/archives/directors-perspectives.php)
Our snippet for February 2026 highlights the formal launch of the IIMB Archives and the interview with Prof. T. Krishna Kumar which is part of our Oral History Narratives.