IIM-B to Launch UG Economics & Data Science Programs in 2026

• IIMB will offer BSc (Hons) in Economics and Data Science from Aug 2026.
• The programs include internships, exchange terms, and a three-year exit option.
• Admission via national exam; 80 students to join the first batch.

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) will commence its first undergraduate degree programs in August 2026. The institute unveiled two four-year residential courses - a BSc (Hons) in Economics and a BSc (Hons) in Data Science, during a press conference at its Bannerghatta Road campus on Monday.

The programs will be offered at IIMB’s soon-to-open second campus in Jigani and will be part of its recently launched School of Multidisciplinary Studies.

Every degree will provide an optional minor in the related field alongside Business, aiming to give students a comprehensive education following the National Education Policy. Enrollment for the initial cohort will commence in September 2025.

The first group will consist of 80 students, 40 from each major, and the institute anticipates that total enrollment will increase to 640 students by 2031, as facilities at the new campus develop.

A committed faculty team of 15 members, comprising both recruits and current IIMB faculty, will instruct the first cohort. The latest offerings represent a major growth for IIMB, which has until now concentrated solely on postgraduate, doctoral, and executive education.

The institute’s director, Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, said the undergraduate initiative arises from the necessity to develop foundational academic skills and equip students to engage in critical and ethical thinking in a fast-evolving world. “Our vision is to nurture critical thinkers and problem solvers capable of driving positive change,” he said. “To actualise this vision, we believe it is important to engage young learners early; familiarize them with the intricacies of emerging and unfamiliar markets, and equip them with analytical, contextual, and ethical perspectives.”

Discussions about initiating undergraduate programs at IIMB began more than ten years ago and were subsequently incorporated into the institution’s Institutions of Eminence proposal sent to the government.

The programmes are designed with an interdisciplinary approach, merging economics, data science, communication, ethics, and philosophy, emphasizing practical learning. The curriculum features two internship phases, a term for international exchange, and a three-year exit option leading to a degree, in line with NEP regulations.

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The criteria for eligibility require at least 60% in Mathematics in Class XII and a total score of 60% or higher in Class X. The admission process will involve a national-level entrance examination and a subsequent personal interview. The age limit is set at 20 years for students from the general category and 22 for those from reserved categories, effective August 1, 2025.

Dean of Programmes Professor Mukta Kulkarni said organized placement assistance will be included in the program. “This is a degree being offered by a management school. We are looking at this from a practice and application point of view,” she said.

Kulkarni mentioned that students will gain access to internships, global collaborations, and curriculum components tailored to match market needs, with the ability to adjust as those needs change.

Professor Sourav Mukherji, Dean of Alumni Relations and Development, said the bachelor's program signifies a pivotal moment for the organization. “We have long been accustomed to working with older learners. We recognize that undergraduate education will require a recalibrated approach,” he said, adding that alumni from IIMB’s nearly 30,000-strong global network are actively supporting the initiative.