IIM Bangalore seeks to strengthen citizen leadership at grassroots of urban governance
Valedictory ceremony marks successful completion of inaugural certificate program for office bearers of Resident Welfare Associations in the City
April 13, 2025, Bengaluru: The Real Estate Research Initiative (RERI) at IIM Bangalore, in collaboration with the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF), hosted the valedictory ceremony for the inaugural cohort of the Certificate Programme for Resident Welfare Association (RWA) Office Bearers, this afternoon.
The first cohort comprised 23 participants, ranging from individuals with less than a year of experience on their respective MCs to seasoned RWA leaders with 15+ years of service. Participants represented communities of varying sizes, from 20-unit apartments to 3,000+ unit complexes, helping create an environment rich in cross-learning and peer exchange.
The programme, jointly designed and delivered by IIMB and BAF, is led by Prof. Venkatesh Panchapagesan, Chairperson, RERI, and Vikram Rai, President, BAF. The first of its kind B-school initiative aimed at equipping RWA leaders with the knowledge and tools required for effective community governance and management. The four-week Programme was conducted on Sundays and brought together a diverse group of RWA members from apartment communities across Bengaluru.
The curriculum covered a comprehensive range of topics critical to RWA governance, including the legal framework for Management Committees (MCs), financial planning and budgeting, capital project execution, vendor and soft systems management, water and IT systems, multi-stakeholder communication, and compliance management. Participants also received hands-on exposure to the technical functioning of key infrastructure components such as electrical systems, fire safety, lift operations, and sewage treatment plants.
A key highlight of the programme was a group project initiative, where participants organized in teams of five and collaborated on real-world issues faced by apartment communities such as continuity challenges in MC to MC-handovers, low resident governance engagement, operational complexities as apartments scale, EV charging solutions in older apartments, and more. These group projects were presented to the cohort at the conclusion of the programme and are expected to form the basis of case studies for wider dissemination and knowledge sharing by IIM Bangalore and BAF.
Explaining the vision behind the initiative, Prof. Venkatesh Panchapagesan said: “The intent is to build capacity and community through structured training and a strong network with BAF, so residents feel empowered to take on leadership roles in their communities. Often, only a handful of residents step up to lead. While the goals are shared, self-governance remains a challenge. We believe having a larger support network and with the larger guiding hand of IIM Bangalore and other entities that we plan to bring on, we should see a lot more efficient governance, with a sustainable ecosystem of well-informed, connected, and confident RWA leaders”.
Mr. Vikram Rai spoke of the larger civic importance of strong RWAs, stating: “An apartment community is akin to a small village or town. In many ways, it functions as the smallest unit of local self-governance. When communities self-govern effectively, it enables governments to focus on broader civic issues. Moreover, RWAs represent the smallest unit of collective civic demand, and are thereby well-positioned to influence government action”.
Expert Speak
Subject Matter Experts supporting the delivery of the programme weighed in on the operational challenges that Bengaluru’s apartment communities continue to face, and the role structured training can play in addressing them.
Prof. R. Rajagopalan, L&T South City Apartments, made the assessment that RWAs need the most support in self-governance and building a future vision for the community.
According to Ganesh Pai, Sobha Magnolia Apartments, the “specialized content on demand” model of the programme will lessen reliance on external vendors through access to legal compliance, finance, technical systems, and conflict management training.
Satish Menon, Aquila Heights, spoke of how this initiative can influence policy or city-level governance in the future. “We need more general awareness and sensitivity over the need for policy change, yes, but also representing before government authorities will generate a collective push for the right policy reforms”.
Impact
Participants, too, shared their feedback on the programme’s relevance.
“Tough to say which part was the most eye-opening – every session has been spot-on,” said Nima Srinivasan from Sobha Althea & Azalea. Vinay Thangaraj of ParkWest Apartments shared, “We have already communicated the importance of these statutory requirements to the management committee members of our apartment complex”, when asked if he has already been able to leverage his insights into RWA work.
On whether the course will help influence how communities are managed going forward, Deepak Barolia, representing Icon Happy Living Apartments, said, “We are now better prepared for crises. The clarity on compliance also helps us engage with government officials more confidently.” LVA Prasad of Shiva Prakruthi Apartments added that he is eager to implement playbooks being developed by a newly formed subcommittee in his community.
Click here for photo gallery
IIM Bangalore seeks to strengthen citizen leadership at grassroots of urban governance
Valedictory ceremony marks successful completion of inaugural certificate program for office bearers of Resident Welfare Associations in the City
April 13, 2025, Bengaluru: The Real Estate Research Initiative (RERI) at IIM Bangalore, in collaboration with the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF), hosted the valedictory ceremony for the inaugural cohort of the Certificate Programme for Resident Welfare Association (RWA) Office Bearers, this afternoon.
The first cohort comprised 23 participants, ranging from individuals with less than a year of experience on their respective MCs to seasoned RWA leaders with 15+ years of service. Participants represented communities of varying sizes, from 20-unit apartments to 3,000+ unit complexes, helping create an environment rich in cross-learning and peer exchange.
The programme, jointly designed and delivered by IIMB and BAF, is led by Prof. Venkatesh Panchapagesan, Chairperson, RERI, and Vikram Rai, President, BAF. The first of its kind B-school initiative aimed at equipping RWA leaders with the knowledge and tools required for effective community governance and management. The four-week Programme was conducted on Sundays and brought together a diverse group of RWA members from apartment communities across Bengaluru.
The curriculum covered a comprehensive range of topics critical to RWA governance, including the legal framework for Management Committees (MCs), financial planning and budgeting, capital project execution, vendor and soft systems management, water and IT systems, multi-stakeholder communication, and compliance management. Participants also received hands-on exposure to the technical functioning of key infrastructure components such as electrical systems, fire safety, lift operations, and sewage treatment plants.
A key highlight of the programme was a group project initiative, where participants organized in teams of five and collaborated on real-world issues faced by apartment communities such as continuity challenges in MC to MC-handovers, low resident governance engagement, operational complexities as apartments scale, EV charging solutions in older apartments, and more. These group projects were presented to the cohort at the conclusion of the programme and are expected to form the basis of case studies for wider dissemination and knowledge sharing by IIM Bangalore and BAF.
Explaining the vision behind the initiative, Prof. Venkatesh Panchapagesan said: “The intent is to build capacity and community through structured training and a strong network with BAF, so residents feel empowered to take on leadership roles in their communities. Often, only a handful of residents step up to lead. While the goals are shared, self-governance remains a challenge. We believe having a larger support network and with the larger guiding hand of IIM Bangalore and other entities that we plan to bring on, we should see a lot more efficient governance, with a sustainable ecosystem of well-informed, connected, and confident RWA leaders”.
Mr. Vikram Rai spoke of the larger civic importance of strong RWAs, stating: “An apartment community is akin to a small village or town. In many ways, it functions as the smallest unit of local self-governance. When communities self-govern effectively, it enables governments to focus on broader civic issues. Moreover, RWAs represent the smallest unit of collective civic demand, and are thereby well-positioned to influence government action”.
Expert Speak
Subject Matter Experts supporting the delivery of the programme weighed in on the operational challenges that Bengaluru’s apartment communities continue to face, and the role structured training can play in addressing them.
Prof. R. Rajagopalan, L&T South City Apartments, made the assessment that RWAs need the most support in self-governance and building a future vision for the community.
According to Ganesh Pai, Sobha Magnolia Apartments, the “specialized content on demand” model of the programme will lessen reliance on external vendors through access to legal compliance, finance, technical systems, and conflict management training.
Satish Menon, Aquila Heights, spoke of how this initiative can influence policy or city-level governance in the future. “We need more general awareness and sensitivity over the need for policy change, yes, but also representing before government authorities will generate a collective push for the right policy reforms”.
Impact
Participants, too, shared their feedback on the programme’s relevance.
“Tough to say which part was the most eye-opening – every session has been spot-on,” said Nima Srinivasan from Sobha Althea & Azalea. Vinay Thangaraj of ParkWest Apartments shared, “We have already communicated the importance of these statutory requirements to the management committee members of our apartment complex”, when asked if he has already been able to leverage his insights into RWA work.
On whether the course will help influence how communities are managed going forward, Deepak Barolia, representing Icon Happy Living Apartments, said, “We are now better prepared for crises. The clarity on compliance also helps us engage with government officials more confidently.” LVA Prasad of Shiva Prakruthi Apartments added that he is eager to implement playbooks being developed by a newly formed subcommittee in his community.
Click here for photo gallery