“Our journey for the next five years will be guided by the vision of ‘From India to the World’. A grand, full-fledged IIM Nagpur campus will come up in Pune. The State Government has allotted 70 acres of land on a nominal lease of just ₹1. Once developed, IIM Nagpur will be the only IIM in the country to have such a large second full-fledged campus,” Dr Metri said.

Dr Metri was recently reappointed as Director of IIM Nagpur for another five-year term. He said one of his major goals during the second tenure would be to take IIM Nagpur into the world’s Top 100 business schools.

The Institute is also looking beyond Pune. Dr Metri said expansion in Goa is on the future roadmap, while global academic partnerships will be taken to a new level.

At present, IIM Nagpur has an academic collaboration with the University of Lille, France, including student mobility opportunities. Over the next five years, the Institute aims to build partnerships with 20 leading universities across continents, giving students opportunities to study at international campuses, gain global exposure and pursue dual-degree pathways.

“We want our students to experience the world, study on international campuses and earn globally relevant qualifications. Our aim is to build meaningful partnerships across continents,” Dr Metri said.

This global ambition forms part of IIM Nagpur’s newly announced Strategic Roadmap 2026–31. The roadmap includes multi-campus growth, a place among India’s Top 3 institutions in Executive Education, AI-driven management education, India-centric research, energy and climate leadership, entrepreneurship, and a larger role in the development of Maharashtra and Vidarbha. The Institute has also set its sights on entering the world’s Top 100 business schools and Asia’s Top 10.

 The roadmap seeks to position IIM Nagpur as a growth engine for Maharashtra and Vidarbha. The Institute plans to use its expertise in entrepreneurship, public policy, rural development and industry partnerships to contribute more directly to regional growth.

Initiatives such as IVDP 2.0 and the District Development Strategy (DDS) are expected to support rural transformation and investment-led development.

“Our responsibility cannot end at the classroom door. IIM Nagpur must contribute to job creation, regional transformation, clean energy, public policy, entrepreneurship and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047,” Dr Metri said.

 Energy and climate action will be another important area in the coming years. IIM Nagpur plans to build on its Executive MBA in Energy Management with NPTI, engagement with ONGC Green Limited, and the proposed Centre of Excellence for Heat Resilience and Sustainable Cooling with NRDC.

The Institute will also take forward the second phase of campus development, its Net-Zero ambition, and the already operational solar power initiative.

70-acre Pune campus to drive next phase of growth

The proposed Pune campus at Moshi will be one of the biggest pillars of IIM Nagpur’s next phase. Dr Metri said the Maharashtra Government has allotted the 70-acre land on a ₹1 lease, while its estimated market value is more than ₹180 crore. He thanked the Chief Minister and Revenue Minister of Maharashtra for their support.

“Several IIMs have smaller satellite or extension centres, but our vision for Pune is fundamentally different,” Dr Metri said.

The Pune campus will focus on areas such as manufacturing, Industry 4.0, digital technologies, AI and IT management. Proposed academic offerings include an integrated BBA–MBA programme and a five-year BTech–MBA programme in collaboration with leading IITs.

“Pune gives us a unique opportunity to rethink management education and develop leaders who understand technology, management and industry as an integrated whole,” Dr Metri said.

During the ceremony, Union Minister Gadkari highlighted that the upgraded international airport would act as a massive catalyst for the tourism and mining sectors across the Vidarbha region, while actively urging the Civil Aviation Ministry to establish direct international flights from Nagpur to global hubs like Singapore and Dubai. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis echoed this optimistic vision, pointing out that significant investments are already flowing into the local aviation sector through the Indian Air Force’s Maintenance Command and various defense establishments. Fadnavis explained that the addition of a second runway will eventually transform Nagpur into a major Defense Aviation Manufacturing Hub, drawing further heavy industrial investments. Ultimately, the leadership expressed complete confidence that the newly managed airport will serve as a powerful economic growth engine not just for Nagpur, but for the entire Vidarbha region and Central India.