Alumni support has long shaped what IIMA can build, and through the IIMA Endowment Fund, that support continues to turn into lasting impact on campus.
Building India’s Finance Research Ecosystem: The Mattu Centre
In July 2026, IIMA established the Mattu Centre for Research in Security Pricing and Corporate Finance, made possible through the philanthropic support of Mr. Ravi Mattu (PGP 1979), one of the founders of the IIMA Endowment Fund and former Managing Director and Global Head of Analytics at PIMCO.
The Centre will advance research in asset pricing, corporate finance, corporate governance and broader themes in financial economics, with a sharp focus on Indian capital markets. Among its priorities is a comprehensive securities price database, the kind of India-specific research infrastructure that rigorous empirical work depends on. The Centre will also nurture early-career researchers in finance and host seminars, conferences and distinguished lectures that bring academics, practitioners, regulators and policymakers into the same conversation.
For Mr. Mattu, the aim is collaboration across borders: the Centre “will facilitate interaction and collaborative research in asset pricing and corporate governance between Indian and US faculty in finance,” while sharing findings with Indian regulators and backing the next generation of financial researchers.
The Centre is guided by a Governing Council that includes Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, with Prof. Joshy Jacob and Prof. Ellapulli Vasudevan as Co-Chairpersons, alongside Mr. Ravi Mattu; Prof. R. Narayanaswamy (Retd.), formerly of IIM Bangalore; Prof. Vaidyanathan Venkateswaran (PGP 2001) of NYU Stern; and Mr. Rajan Raju (PGP 1988), Director, Invespar Pte. Ltd.
Across Tables, Across Continents
The Endowment Fund engagement brought IIMA’s leadership into conversation with alumni and industry leaders in New York, Ahmedabad and Singapore, each gathering an opportunity to share the Institute’s direction and draw on the experience of its wider community.
An Alumni dinner in New York
In New York, Mr. Ravi Mattu (PGP 1979) hosted and led the support for an alumni dinner at the Yale Club, welcoming close to 30 alumni from finance, industry, academia and entrepreneurship. Present from the Institute were Prof. Amit Karna, Dean, Alumni & External Relations; Prof. Sunil Sharma, Dean, Dubai Campus; and Prof. Lakshmi Iyer (Goyal), along with Ms. Sucheta Mahapatra, CEO, IIMA Endowment Fund, who engaged closely with alumni on IIMA’s priorities and plans. They were joined by distinguished alumni including Prof. Marti Subrahmanyam, one of the Institute’s most senior alumni, and Mr. Pradeep Chintagunta, a member of the IIMA Board of Governors. The evening offered a valuable exchange between the Institute’s leadership and its alumni in the US, connecting shared memories of the heritage campus with a common commitment to IIMA’s future.
Healthcare Summit – Interaction with healthcare stalwarts
Ahead of the Healthcare Summit, the IIMA Endowment Fund hosted a leadership dinner that brought delegates from India’s healthcare and life sciences sector together with the Institute’s leadership. Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director; Prof. Amit Karna, Dean, Alumni & External Relations; and Ms. Sucheta Mahapatra, CEO, IIMA Endowment Fund, led the dialogue with Mr. Sudarshan Jain (PGP 1977), Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, and Chairman, Abbott Healthcare; Mr. Manish Gupta (PGP 1998), Co-Founder and CEO, Indegene; Ms. Alka Goel (PGP 2000), Founding Partner, Alkemi Growth Capital; and leaders from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. With AI reshaping innovation, care delivery and decision-making, the discussion focused on how industry and academia can work together to take healthcare forward, and on the role IIMA can play in convening that collaboration.
An Alumni dinner in Singapore
In Singapore, Mr. Joydeep Sengupta (PGP 1991) and Mr. Ranodeb Roy (PGP 1992) hosted an alumni dinner that brought together graduates from batches spanning several decades. Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, accompanied by Ms. Sucheta Mahapatra, CEO, IIMA Endowment Fund, shared with alumni how IIMA is expanding its academic and global footprint through its work in artificial intelligence, online and blended programmes, and the Dubai campus. The interaction gave alumni a first-hand perspective on the Institute’s growth from its Director, and an open invitation to be active partners in the journey ahead.
Through these initiatives, the IIMA Endowment Fund continues to help translate alumni support into opportunities for research, academic advancement and institutional growth. As IIMA builds on its legacy and looks to the future, the engagement and commitment of its alumni remain an important part of this journey.
