IIMB in Spotlight
Prof. Apurva Sanaria named inaugural AOM Global Ambassador for India
Prof. Apurva Sanaria, faculty in the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area at IIM Bangalore and Chairperson of the Library Committee, has been appointed the inaugural Organizational Behavior (OB) Division Global Ambassador for India by the Academy of Management (AOM). His two-year term begins in August 2026.
The appointment is part of the OB Division’s newly launched Global Ambassador Program, an initiative designed to strengthen connections between the Division and organisational behaviour scholars across the world. As the Global Ambassador for India, Prof. Sanaria will serve as a bridge between the Indian academic community and the global OB network, helping connect faculty, doctoral students and early-career researchers with opportunities offered by the Division while bringing regional perspectives to the global forum.
In his new role, he will facilitate research conversations, networking events, doctoral student engagements and community-building initiatives, while contributing to the Global Committee’s efforts to foster greater international collaboration within the organisational behaviour discipline.
From IIMB to the United Nations: PGPPM student selected for Geneva programme
Madhurya Tarafder, a student of the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM 2025–26) at IIM Bangalore, has been selected to participate in the 64th United Nations Graduate Study Programme (GSP64), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 29 June to 10 July 2026.
This year’s programme, themed AI and Emerging Technologies: Realities, Risks and Opportunities, brought together 57 graduate students from around the world to explore the policy implications of emerging technologies through lectures, discussions and collaborative research.
As part of the programme, Madhurya contributed to the AI & Supply Chains Working Group, which examined the labour, environmental and governance dimensions of AI supply chains while developing policy recommendations. Participants also engaged with senior representatives from leading international organisations, including the ILO, WHO, UNHCR, WIPO and the European Commission, besides visiting CERN and attending the AI for Good Global Summit.
Reflecting on the experience, Madhurya noted that the programme complemented the PGPPM’s emphasis on preparing public policy professionals to address complex governance challenges in an increasingly interconnected world.
IIMB research team wins top honours at ICFMCF 2026
A research paper co-authored by Doctoral Programme scholar M. Joel Christopher, along with IIM Bangalore faculty members Prof. Sankarshan Basu, Prof. Nitin Vishen and Prof. Abhinav Anand from the Finance & Accounting area, has won the First Prize – Best Paper Award in the Financial Markets Track at the 8th PAN-IIT International Conference on Financial Markets & Corporate Finance (ICFMCF 2026), hosted by IIT Madras.
The award-winning paper, Political Alignment and the Allocation of Credit: Evidence from Firm–Bank Lending in India, examines how political alignment influences corporate lending decisions, access to credit and the allocation of financial resources across regions. By analysing firm-bank lending relationships, the research offers important insights into the role of political connections in shaping financial intermediation and credit efficiency.
Expressing his gratitude, Joel Christopher acknowledged the guidance and mentorship of the faculty team throughout his doctoral journey, noting that their encouragement and feedback played a vital role in shaping the research.
The PAN-IIT International Conference on Financial Markets & Corporate Finance is among India’s leading academic conferences in the field of finance, bringing together scholars and researchers from the country’s premier IIT management schools.
