IIM-Ahmedabad to launch Dubai campus, marking major step in India's push for globalising higher education

NEW DELHI: In a significant step towards India's efforts to internationalise its higher education landscape, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) is set to establish a new campus in Dubai. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Mumbai between IIMA director Professor Bharat Bhasker and Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai’s department of economy and tourism, in the presence of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and India’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal.
With this move, IIMA becomes the third premier Indian institution, after IIT Delhi and IIT Madras, to expand its global footprint. The Dubai campus will be housed in the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region’s top higher education hub, offering a multicultural environment and access to top-tier academic infrastructure.
The launch marks a strategic partnership aimed at fostering leadership, innovation, and knowledge exchange in line with India's broader vision of becoming a global knowledge hub. "Dubai has emerged as a thriving global epicentre for innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship, making it the ideal location for us to establish our first international campus," said Bhasker. He added that the initiative would not only strengthen India’s global presence in management education but also open new avenues for collaboration and cross-cultural learning.
The flagship offering at the new campus will be IIMA’s One-year full-time MBA programme, known for its academic rigour and practical orientation. "This immersive programme will transform ambitious professionals into global leaders and change agents," said Bhasker.
Hadi Badri, CEO of dubai economic development corporation, said the IIMA campus “is poised to elevate business leadership skills not just within Dubai, but across the wider region,” aligning with Dubai’s D33 economic agenda.
India’s Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, called the development a "watershed moment" in bilateral ties. “With a large Indian diaspora and a dynamic global population, the UAE is a natural extension for India’s premier institutions,” he said.
The first cohort at the Dubai campus is expected to begin in September 2025.