IIM Bangalore welcomes 75 students to the 2026-27 batch of Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management
Programme alumni Ms. Kanika Garg and Mr. Sabitabrata Banerjee delivered the inaugural address
25 March, 2026, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore welcomed 75 participants to the 2026–27 batch of its one-year full-time MBA for experienced professionals, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), on 25 March, 2026. The inaugural session underscored academic rigour, responsible use of emerging technologies, and the importance of personal and professional transformation.
Inaugural Address by Kanika Garg and Sabitabrata Banerjee
Kanika Garg, Founder of CXOIIM, former COO of Future Generali Central Insurance, and EPGP ’16 alumna, shared insights from her professional journey and reflected on her time at IIM Bangalore. She described the EPGP as a transformative experience, noting, “It’s a place where you can reboot yourself both personally and professionally.”
Encouraging students to focus on authentic relationships, she emphasized the importance of making genuine relationships, true friends that are not transactional. She also stressed the importance of experiential learning over academic metrics.
She also stressed the importance of mentors, sponsors, and personal branding, stating, “I joined as a student, not as a CXO,” reinforcing the value of humility and continuous learning.
Sabitabrata (Sabi) Banerjee, a Partner at PwC India and an EPGP ’12 alumnus and industry leader, reflected on his own journey and the pivotal role IIM Bangalore played in shaping his career. Describing the decision to join the programme as a leap of faith, he acknowledged the courage of the cohort, who have stepped away from their jobs and comfort zones to pursue new opportunities.
Drawing from his experience, he emphasized the importance of unlearning and openness to new perspectives. “Unlearn and learn, it is designed to make you confident,” underscoring the need to approach the programme with a fresh mindset.
He added, “The programme is not designed to make you the smartest person in the room, but someone who can understand discussions and contribute meaningfully.”
Reflecting on the evolving business landscape, he noted that increasing uncertainty driven by technological and economic shifts will require strong judgment and adaptability.
Batch profile and programme overview
Earlier in the session, Prof. Amar Sapra, Chairperson, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management and Faculty in the Production & Operations Management area, discussed the batch profile of the EPGP Class of 2026-2027. “Of the 75 students, 28% are women. The average age is 29 years; the average work experience is 6.8 years, and 12% have significant international work experience. The average GMAT score is 704. The highest number of students are from Engineering background (76%), followed by Commerce (16%), Science (4%), and others (4%). There is a lot of diversity in industry background led by Manufacturing (17%), followed by IT products and services, Banking and Finance, Energy, and others.”
Prof. Sapra gave an overview of the programme, adding that the Programmes Office coordinates activities between different programmes of the institute and manages the back-end academic processes, etc., and the students may seek their assistance whenever required. He then emphasized the importance of a balanced approach to the programme, advising students not to focus solely on academics, but encouraged them to participate in sports like Inter and Intra IIM, cultural events, and student committees, noting that such engagements enrich the overall learning experience.
He shared that EPGP is an accelerated MBA, where two years of learning are packed into one year. He advised the students to learn from one another, stating, “You will come across more than 1500 students… connecting with others should be an important priority.” To implement this for the first time, the programme office introduced the ‘Interaction with the Chief Guests’ session for the cohort. The key takeaway for the batch is that success at IIMB is not just academic; it's built on balance, participation, and networks.
Prof. Dinesh Kumar, Director-in-charge, IIM Bangalore, welcomed the students and shared a few expectations that the Institute has from them. Addressing the batch, he highlighted the Institute's global standing and academic excellence, noting that IIMB continues to be ranked among the top institutions globally.
Emphasizing the growing role of AI, he urged the students to adopt a critical approach, saying, “AI models are probabilistic models…and there is a probability that the answer could be wrong.”
He then invoked the philosophy of Socrates, reminding that true learning begins with humility. “Don’t go to class with your biases; you may not learn much.”
Click here for photo gallery
IIM Bangalore welcomes 75 students to the 2026-27 batch of Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management
Programme alumni Ms. Kanika Garg and Mr. Sabitabrata Banerjee delivered the inaugural address
25 March, 2026, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore welcomed 75 participants to the 2026–27 batch of its one-year full-time MBA for experienced professionals, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), on 25 March, 2026. The inaugural session underscored academic rigour, responsible use of emerging technologies, and the importance of personal and professional transformation.
Inaugural Address by Kanika Garg and Sabitabrata Banerjee
Kanika Garg, Founder of CXOIIM, former COO of Future Generali Central Insurance, and EPGP ’16 alumna, shared insights from her professional journey and reflected on her time at IIM Bangalore. She described the EPGP as a transformative experience, noting, “It’s a place where you can reboot yourself both personally and professionally.”
Encouraging students to focus on authentic relationships, she emphasized the importance of making genuine relationships, true friends that are not transactional. She also stressed the importance of experiential learning over academic metrics.
She also stressed the importance of mentors, sponsors, and personal branding, stating, “I joined as a student, not as a CXO,” reinforcing the value of humility and continuous learning.
Sabitabrata (Sabi) Banerjee, a Partner at PwC India and an EPGP ’12 alumnus and industry leader, reflected on his own journey and the pivotal role IIM Bangalore played in shaping his career. Describing the decision to join the programme as a leap of faith, he acknowledged the courage of the cohort, who have stepped away from their jobs and comfort zones to pursue new opportunities.
Drawing from his experience, he emphasized the importance of unlearning and openness to new perspectives. “Unlearn and learn, it is designed to make you confident,” underscoring the need to approach the programme with a fresh mindset.
He added, “The programme is not designed to make you the smartest person in the room, but someone who can understand discussions and contribute meaningfully.”
Reflecting on the evolving business landscape, he noted that increasing uncertainty driven by technological and economic shifts will require strong judgment and adaptability.
Batch profile and programme overview
Earlier in the session, Prof. Amar Sapra, Chairperson, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management and Faculty in the Production & Operations Management area, discussed the batch profile of the EPGP Class of 2026-2027. “Of the 75 students, 28% are women. The average age is 29 years; the average work experience is 6.8 years, and 12% have significant international work experience. The average GMAT score is 704. The highest number of students are from Engineering background (76%), followed by Commerce (16%), Science (4%), and others (4%). There is a lot of diversity in industry background led by Manufacturing (17%), followed by IT products and services, Banking and Finance, Energy, and others.”
Prof. Sapra gave an overview of the programme, adding that the Programmes Office coordinates activities between different programmes of the institute and manages the back-end academic processes, etc., and the students may seek their assistance whenever required. He then emphasized the importance of a balanced approach to the programme, advising students not to focus solely on academics, but encouraged them to participate in sports like Inter and Intra IIM, cultural events, and student committees, noting that such engagements enrich the overall learning experience.
He shared that EPGP is an accelerated MBA, where two years of learning are packed into one year. He advised the students to learn from one another, stating, “You will come across more than 1500 students… connecting with others should be an important priority.” To implement this for the first time, the programme office introduced the ‘Interaction with the Chief Guests’ session for the cohort. The key takeaway for the batch is that success at IIMB is not just academic; it's built on balance, participation, and networks.
Prof. Dinesh Kumar, Director-in-charge, IIM Bangalore, welcomed the students and shared a few expectations that the Institute has from them. Addressing the batch, he highlighted the Institute's global standing and academic excellence, noting that IIMB continues to be ranked among the top institutions globally.
Emphasizing the growing role of AI, he urged the students to adopt a critical approach, saying, “AI models are probabilistic models…and there is a probability that the answer could be wrong.”
He then invoked the philosophy of Socrates, reminding that true learning begins with humility. “Don’t go to class with your biases; you may not learn much.”
Click here for photo gallery