Indian business schools are increasingly reconsidering their traditional MBA programmes as changing industry needs, evolving job roles and new employer expectations reshape management education. Business school leaders are highlighting the need to adapt existing courses to prepare graduates for a rapidly changing professional environment.

A survey involving 22 deans and academic leaders from Indian business schools, conducted by BITS School of Management (BITSoM) in collaboration with the global management education network EFMD, has highlighted these challenges. The findings were presented at BITSoM’s first All India Deans Conference in Mumbai.

According to the survey, 59.1% of respondents identified changing employer expectations and graduate responsibilities as a major concern. Meanwhile, 54.5% pointed to shifts in demand for conventional degrees and MBA programmes. Around half of the participants also highlighted changes in faculty responsibilities and workforce expectations.

Artificial intelligence is emerging as another important factor influencing the future of management education. Approximately 73% of respondents expect AI to bring significant or fundamental changes to the sector, indicating the growing importance of technology in business education.

Despite these expectations, the adoption of AI across institutions remains uneven. Among the 16 respondents who anticipated major changes from the technology, six said their institutions were still monitoring developments or conducting initial experiments rather than implementing broader changes.

The findings underline the growing need for business schools to review their teaching methods, course structures and technology strategies to keep pace with changing business requirements.