IIM Calcutta opens admissions for 10th batch of Executive Leadership Programme for Women

Twelve-month women’s leadership programme integrates strategic management, AI, cross-functional business acumen, and executive leadership development

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 26: The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta), in collaboration with TimesPro, has opened admissions for the 10th batch of its Executive Leadership Programme for Women. The 12-month executive education programme will enable experienced women professionals and entrepreneurs to strengthen their understanding of business, prepare for larger leadership mandates and develop the judgement required to lead across functions. The programme places particular emphasis on strategy, digital and analytical fluency, organisational leadership and the entrepreneurial thinking required to identify opportunities and advance new ideas within established businesses.

Drawing on the institute’s academic depth in management and leadership, the Executive Leadership Programme for Women develops participants across two complementary dimensions. The first builds contemporary managerial capability across strategy, technology and AI, marketing, finance, sustainability and cross-functional management. The second focuses more closely on the individual as a leader, with learning around self-awareness, emotional resilience, executive presence, communication and career management. The programme addresses women preparing for more senior responsibilities as well as experienced professionals seeking to regain career momentum or broaden their managerial perspective.  

The case for strengthening women’s leadership pipelines remains clear. McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2025 found that women account for 48 per cent of university enrolments in India, but only 33 per cent of entry-level roles and 24 per cent of managerial positions. The AIMA–KPMG Women Leadership Survey 2026 found that 79 per cent of women professionals aspire to leadership positions, while only 1 per cent of respondents currently occupy a board-level role. KPMG also identifies the mid-career stage as a critical point at which advancement can lose momentum despite continued ambition, with leadership development, visibility, sponsorship and decision-making exposure playing important roles in progression. At the same time, hiring patterns in technology-led businesses are creating new avenues for women.  

Speaking at the announcement of the 10^th batch, Prof. Abhipsa Pal, Faculty, Management Information Systems, IIM Calcutta, and Prof. Anupama Kondayya, Faculty, Organisational Behaviour, IIM Calcutta, said, “Women are entering organisations with strong professional ambition, yet progression into senior roles still demands broader business judgement, visibility and confidence across functions. This programme brings those elements together, helping experienced women strengthen strategic thinking, engage with emerging technologies and develop a leadership voice suited to increasingly complex organisational responsibilities.”

Sridhar Nagarajachar, VP & Business Head – Executive Education, TimesPro, said, “Leadership development becomes meaningful when learning connects directly with the decisions professionals must make at work. Through this collaboration with IIM Calcutta, we aim to give experienced women access to rigorous management learning, strong peer networks and practical perspectives that can help them navigate larger mandates and sustained career progression.”

Previous cohorts of the programme have brought together experienced professionals from sectors including IT, banking and financial services, healthcare, education, human resources, finance and software, creating a classroom shaped by different functions, industries and leadership experiences. Participants have included senior managers, directors, vice-presidents, senior consultants and other experienced professionals in leadership and specialist roles. The learning experience also includes two three-day campus immersions at IIM Calcutta, where participants engage directly with faculty and peers and extend classroom discussions through intensive in-person interaction.

Participants undertake eight modules that connect managerial competence with the personal dimensions of leadership. Besides the two modules, a third component brings participants into interaction sessions with accomplished women leaders and culminates in a capstone project, through which they apply their learning to a substantive business problem.

IIM Calcutta faculty will lead the academic experience through live lectures, case discussions, assignments, assessments, and participative classroom conversations. TimesPro’s Interactive Learning platform will deliver the online sessions in a Direct-to-Device format, allowing participants to pursue the programme alongside their professional responsibilities. The combination of digital learning and campus immersion gives participants opportunities to examine ideas in depth, challenge assumptions with peers and relate management concepts to the realities of their own organisations. Participants who fulfil the programme requirements will receive a Certificate of Successful Completion from IIM Calcutta and qualify for IIM Calcutta Executive Education Alumni Status.

The programme welcomes women professionals with a minimum of five years of managerial or professional experience. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree under the 10+2+3 pattern or an equivalent qualification, in any discipline with at least 50 per cent aggregate marks. Candidates who secured less than 50 per cent at graduation may also qualify if they hold a postgraduate degree with an aggregate score of 50 per cent or above.

About Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

Spread across a 135-acre campus, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta) was established as the first national institute for Postgraduate studies and Research in Management by the Government of India in November 1961 in collaboration with Alfred P. Sloan School of Management (MIT), the Government of West Bengal, The Ford Foundation, and Indian industry. Over the years, IIM Calcutta gained global repute for imparting high-quality ‘Triple Accredited’ management school from India – with accreditations from Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and Association of MBAs (AMBA). It is also the only Indian business school that is a member of the Global Alliance in Management business community make it an effective mechanism for attracting India’s best Today, IIM Calcutta is one of Asia’s finest business schools. Its strong ties make it an effective mechanism for attracting India’s best talent and promoting management practices in Indian organisations.

About TimesPro

TimesPro, established in 2013, is a leading Higher EdTech platform dedicated to empowering the career growth of aspiring learners by equipping them with skills to rise in a competitive world. TimesPro’s H.EdTech programmes are created to meet the rapidly changing industry requirements and have been blended with technology to make them accessible & affordable.

TimesPro offers a variety of created and curated learning programmes across a range of categories, industries, and age groups. They include employment-oriented early career programmes across BFSI, e-Commerce, and technology sectors; executive education for working professionals in collaboration with premier educational institutions like IIMs and IITs; and organisational learning and development interventions at the corporate level.

TimesPro also collaborates with India’s leading organisations across varied sectors to provide upskilling and reskilling solutions to boost employability and create a robust workforce. TimesPro is a Higher EdTech initiative by The Times Group.

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