Mohali: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today laid the foundation stone for the new campus of the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Mohali, Punjab, marking the start of construction of the school's first campus outside Hyderabad.

"Today is a red letter day in the history of Punjab. We have laid the foundation stone of the ISB, a world class management education institution, at Mohali. The ISB's presence will help facilitate the emergence of Mohali as an important centre of higher learning and help generate more employment opportunities," said Badal.

Emphasizing that scale is critical to creating impact in a large country such as India, Ajit Rangnekar said, "Our expansion with the new campus at Mohali is an important step in this direction, while also allowing us to foray into areas critical for India's development."

The move underscores the ISB's belief in achieving scale to effect a greater impact on business and society. Gracing the occasion were Punjab Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur, ISB Dean Ajit Rangnekar, founding supporters of the Mohali campus Analjit Singh, Pawan Munjal, Sunil Kant Munjal, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Luv Chhabra and ISB Deputy Dean and Chief Executive of the Mohali campus Savita Mahajan.

Upinderjit Kaur said during the occasion, "This is a historic event for us and it has given us immense joy. The Indian education system has been witnessing unprecedented growth in recent years, with special focus on expansion, quality and equity. The ISB is a premier management institution and it is our proud privilege for us that we are going to have its second campus at Mohali."
 
The ISB campus at Mohali will house four institutes focusing on areas critical to India's development, viz. Max India Institute of Healthcare Management, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, BML Munjal Hero Honda Institute of Manufacturing Excellence and Innovation, and Punj Lloyd Institute of Physical Infrastructure Management.

Analjit Singh, Chairman of Max India Group said, "It is highly satisfying to have contributed to the development of ISB's Mohali campus as a founder supporter. We have had strong linkages with Punjab and it is a feeling of joy to see a World Class management institution taking root in the state."

Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises, Rakesh Bharti Mittal called it a great day for Punjab and said, "Bharti Enterprises is supporting ISB Mohali for setting up the Bharti Institute of Public Policy which will be a world class institute that promotes quality research, executive education and full time courses in the area of public policy."

Chairman of Hero Corporate Service, Sunil Kant Munjal said, "The Hero Group is extremely privileged to be associated with ISB's venture at Mohali as a founding partner. We are confident that the BML Munjal Hero Honda Institute of Manufacturing Excellence and Innovation will become the region's premier institute for both best and next practices."

He added that "High quality education is the foundation of any strong society. The setting up of the ISB at Mohali will give further fillip to the region to continue to grow and provide talent both for the country and the region."

These institutes are being set up with generous contributions from the founding supporters of the ISB campus at Mohali to further research and education in the respective areas.

In addition to its founding academic associations with the Kellogg School of Management, The Wharton School and London Business School, the ISB has established an academic association with Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Sloan School of Management to support the institutes in Manufacturing Excellence and Physical Infrastructure Management.

While the Wharton Association is being extended for the institute in Healthcare Management, the academic association for the institute in Public Policy is under finalization.

Spread across 70 acres, the ISB campus at Mohali will be equipped with state-of-the-art learning facilities such as lecture theatres, a 500-seater auditorium, student and faculty housing and a host of recreational facilities.

The master plan of the campus and the architectural design of the individual buildings combine the principles of traditional Indian design with contemporary campus standards, reflecting the ISB's character of being uniquely Indian and, at the same time, a global institution.

The buildings adhere to the latest international building code and educational facility operating standards. The campus is designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold sustainability criteria.

The institute will also be equipped with energy-efficient mechanical and electrical fixtures, rain water harvesting, maximized day lighting and passive environmental controls. The campus has been designed by the leading international architects, Perkins Eastman, New York, in partnership with RSP, Bangalore, and is being project managed by Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj.

The construction of the campus is expected to be completed by March 2012, and the first academic session for the Post Graduate Programme in Management is scheduled to commence in April 2012, with an initial intake of 210 students.

The programme will offer students the option of specializing in the new streams that are slated for launch, in addition to the existing streams.  The campus at Mohali will also conduct several short duration executive education programmes in various disciplines.

The School will have a unified governance structure, with the school's Executive Board as the statutory body overseeing and supporting both the campuses. The ISB will maintain consistency, a common set of standards and processes, and above all, an unwavering culture of excellence across both campuses.

The Indian School of Business is a premier management institution established in 2001. In a short span of nine years, the ISB has successfully pioneered several new trends in management education in India and has established itself as a leading B-school across the world.

The ISB has a strong pool of research oriented resident faculty and invites high caliber international faculty from reputed B-schools to teach in its Post Graduate Programme in Management/ Executive Education Programmes and Post Graduate Programme in Management for Senior Executives as well as to participate in collaborative research with the resident faculty.

The ISB had been ranked 12 in Global B-School Rankings 2010 by Financial Times, London.