16th Indian Management Conclave (IMC) 2026: Theme, Speakers, Awards, Research Conference, Registration

The 16th Indian Management Conclave (IMC 2026) is scheduled for September 18–19, 2026. Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow is the Partner for IMC 2026 and shall host at its Noida Campus.

Organized by MBAUniverse.com, IMC is India’s definitive annual platform for management education. It convenes policymakers, global thinkers, corporate leaders, deans, directors, faculty, and researchers on one stage. Over fifteen editions, IMC has shaped the national conversation on curriculum, pedagogy, faculty development, learner outcomes, and the future of the Indian MBA.

The 16th edition carries forward this legacy into what is now the defining question of our time: how will Indian business schools reimagine teaching, learning, and research for the technology driven AI era?

Welcoming IIM Lucknow as Partner & Host
IMC 2026 is privileged to welcome IIM Lucknow as Partner and Host for the 16th edition. 

The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow is fourth in the prestigious IIM family of management schools to be established in India after IIM Calcutta, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore. The Institute was established in the year 1984. The institute undertakes a diverse range of academic activities aimed at creation, dissemination and application of management knowledge and practice. In 2005, IIM Lucknow expanded its area of influence in the realm of management education by becoming the first IIM to set up a satellite campus exclusively for Executive Education at NOIDA in Delhi NCR region.

IMC is grateful to Prof. Manmohan Prasad Gupta, Director, IIM Lucknow, and the institute’s leadership for agreeing to partner and host the 16th edition. 

THE IMC LEGACY: FIFTEEN YEARS OF CONTRIBUTIONS 
IMC was launched in 2010 with a single purpose to provide Indian management education a serious, fact-based, multi-stakeholder platform. At the time, Indian MBA education was expanding rapidly but without a forum where policy, industry, and academia could meet, debate, and co-create solutions. Fifteen editions later, IMC has earned its place as the definitive forum for Indian management education.

Past Chief Guests and High-Level Participation
Two Former Presidents of India have graced IMC as Chief Guests.

• Late Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India, was Chief Guest at the 10th IMC 2019 in New Delhi, which marked the 10th Anniversary edition.
• Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Former President of India, was Chief Guest at the 12th IMC 2022 at IIM Kozhikode.

At IMC 2025, Shri Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, delivered the Valedictory Address and recognized its contributions.

Past Host Institutions
IMC has been hosted by India’s most respected business schools. Each host has lent its academic strength to the edition.

• ISB Hyderabad (2015)
• IIM Ahmedabad (2016)
• IIM Lucknow (2017)
• IIM Bangalore (2018)
• MDI Gurgaon (2021)
• IIM Kozhikode (2022)
• SPJIMR Mumbai (2023)
• XLRI Jamshedpur (2024)
• IIFT New Delhi (2025)

Past Speakers: Voices That Shaped IMC
Thought Leaders @ IMC
Global academic leaders including Dr Henry Mintzberg, Management Guru; Dr Srikant Datar, Dean, Harvard Business School, Co-author of Rethinking the MBA; Dr Soumitra Dutta, Dean, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford; Dr David Schmittlein, Former Dean, MIT Sloan and Dr Edward A. Snyder, Former Dean, Yale School of Management have addressed  past conclave.

Corporate Leaders @ IMC
India’s leading business leaders including Mr R C Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India; Mr Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and MD, Nestlé India; Mr Dilip Shanghvi, MD, Sun Pharmaceutical; Mr Harsh Mariwala, Chairman, Marico and Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Former Jt. MD, Hero MotoCorp have shaped the IMC discourse.  

Policy Makers @ IMC
Education policy shapers Shri Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education; Dr Rajiv Kumar, Former Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Dr T G Sitharam and Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe have shared future directions at the IMC conclaves. 

IMC 2026: KEY INITIATIVES
Over the last decade, the Indian Management Conclave has evolved into a prestigious platform that hosts many initiatives, each designed to advance a distinct dimension of Indian management education.

1. IMC Conclave: A Policy Platform for Education Leaders
The flagship two-day Conclave convenes policymakers, global thinkers, CXOs, deans, and directors for structured dialogue. Sessions include Inaugural and Valedictory Addresses, Plenaries with CXOs and Thought-leaders, and the IMC Roundtable of Vice Chancellors & Directors.

2. IMC International Research Conference (IMC-IRC)
IMC-IRC is the only research conference in India devoted exclusively to promoting rigorous research in business and management education. Developed in partnership with XLRI Jamshedpur and inaugurated at IMC 2024, IMC-IRC has quickly become a prestigious outlet for scholars working on management learning and education.
IMC-IRC 2025 featured over 150 researchers. Participating authors came from IIMs, IITs, XLRI, SPJIMR, IRMA, NMIMS and many other leading institutions. Selected papers are offered publication opportunities in Scopus-indexed partner journals.

IMC-IRC 2026 will be held alongside the 16th IMC 2026. Details on theme, tracks, and submission calendar are on the dedicated IMC-IRC 2026 portal.

3. IMC Award for Excellence in Management Education
Launched in 2013, the IMC Awards are India’s most credible recognition for Best Practices and successful initiatives in Indian B-schools. Award winners are selected by an independent Jury on the merit of nominated initiatives. IMC Awards have been presented by a Former President of India, Higher Education Secretary, AICTE Chairman, and other senior dignitaries. Award-winning initiatives have been published by McGraw Hill and Pearson. There is no entry fee to participate.

4. IMC Distinguished Alumni Award (IMC-DAA)
Alumni achievers are the brand-ambassadors for management education. The IMC Distinguished Alumni Award recognises outstanding business leaders who graduated from Indian business schools and are now creating national and global impact.

IMC-DAA 2025 was conferred on Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, an IIFT Delhi alumnus. Past recipients include Mr Ravi Kumar S (Global CEO, Cognizant), Mr Ajay Kapur (CEO, Adani Cement), Mr R S Sodhi (Former MD, AMUL) and Mr Krishnakumar Natarajan (Co-founder, Mindtree). 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT IMC 2026
The 16th edition builds on recent conclave themes, focusing on shifts in business value creation models and the evolving nature of work and jobs in the age of AI and disruptive technologies. The broad theme is Reimagining Management Education for the AI Era. More details will be released soon. 

Delegates can expect:

• Keynote Addresses by Thought-leaders from India and abroad.
• Plenary sessions with global deans, policy makers, and industry CXOs.
• The IMC Roundtable of Directors, a dialogue with heads of top Indian B-schools.
• The IMC International Research Conference with new tracks on AI, curriculum, pedagogy, and more.
• Presentation of IMC Awards for Excellence in Management Education 2026.
• Presentation of IMC Distinguished Alumni Award 2026.
• Master Classes and Knowledge Sessions by globally renowned experts.
• Structured networking opportunity with policy, industry, and academic leaders.

Delegate registrations for the 16th IMC 2026 will open in the coming weeks. The Conclave is held exclusively in offline, in-person mode at the IIM Lucknow Noida Campus. Registration fees, delegate categories, and payment details will be published on the Registration page.

Separately, the Call for Papers for IMC-IRC 2026 will open shortly. Scholars, faculty, doctoral students, and practitioners are encouraged to plan their submissions. See IMC-IRC 2026 for the calendar, tracks, and submission guidelines.