While Indian business schools are increasingly adopting Generative AI in teaching, research, and curriculum design, only half (51.1%) of the faculty surveyed was fully confident of a favourable impact of AI on b-school students, according to India’s first nationwide survey on AI adoption in B-schools. The MBAUniverse Survey findings were released at the 15th Indian Management Conclave (IMC 2025) by the Hon’ble Secretary, Higher Education Shri Vineet Joshi, Chief Guest, and Dr T. G. Sitharam, Chairman – AICTE, Guest of Honour.
The nationwide survey, conducted among 235 faculty members from India’s top B-schools, including IIMs, IITs, ISB, XLRI, SPJIMR, MDI, and NMIMS, offers a detailed look at how Generative AI is shaping management education. The findings reveal that faculty are using AI most in research and teaching, while applications in curriculum development are growing steadily. Administrative tasks and student assessment remain emerging areas, highlighting opportunities for structured support and capacity building. The survey also sheds light on faculty perceptions of AI’s impact on student learning, skill development, and classroom engagement, as well as the tools, training, and policy guidance they consider most important for responsible adoption.
Chief Guest, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Shri Vineet Joshi, shared, “AI is transforming education and must be harnessed responsibly to strengthen both teaching and learning. It gives every student the freedom to ask questions and helps overcome barriers of language, background, or geography. The Government of India is committed to its use in the teaching and learning process, from schools to higher education and research, ensuring that technology complements human intelligence and supports the larger goal of Viksit Bharat.”
Some Key Findings from the IMC Survey 2025:
- Faculty use AI most in research (3.73/5) and teaching (3.58/5), with growing application in curriculum development. Usage in student assessment and administrative tasks remains more limited, highlighting areas for continued development.
- 51% of faculty report a favourable impact of AI on student learning, while over half expect AI’s role in teaching, curriculum, and research to increase in the next 12 months.
- Intermediate users make up 55% of faculty, with 7% identifying as experts, signalling huge opportunities for structured capacity-building programs.
- Among AI tools, ChatGPT (mean 4.11) was rated the most relevant for teaching-related activities. This was followed by Microsoft Copilot (3.67) and Perplexity (3.67), while Google Gemini (3.58) and Claude (3.02) received moderate ratings. Meta AI (2.80) was rated lowest in relevance
- The overall impact of AI usage on MBA student learning, a majority of faculty reported a favourable impact (51.1%). About 21.3% indicated it was too early to assess, while 18.1% observed an unfavourable impact. A smaller share of 9.6% reported no significant impact
- The leading challenge identified in research-related use of Generative AI was ethical and integrity concerns (192*), followed by inaccuracies or unreliable outputs (152*) and the lack of regulator policy (112*). (*frequency of response)
Amit Agnihotri, Founder & Chair, Indian Management Conclave, said: “We are living in an era where AI is widely recognized as having the potential to fundamentally transform business processes, redefine jobs and competencies, and reshape the landscape of higher education. Management education stands at the frontier of this transition.” He added, “The 15th IMC 2025 promises to be a landmark initiative that places Artificial Intelligence at the centre of dialogue on business and management education.”
Addressing the inaugural session of IMC 2025, Dr T. G. Sitharam, AICTE Chairman and Guest of Honour, said, “Artificial intelligence is a powerful transformative technology reshaping business and society. Higher education institutions, particularly B-schools, must embrace AI to improve outcomes.” On the role of educators, he added, “Our faculty need training not only in teaching AI but also in adapting to how it is changing the learning environment. We must evolve the way we frame questions and evaluate learning.” He also highlighted AICTE initiatives to support AI adoption in higher education. He further noted the relevance of the conclave’s discussions on AI in management education, attending the IMC for the third consecutive year.
The conclave featured CXOs, including leaders from McKinsey, Deloitte, IndiGo, and Yatra, with academic heads from top B-schools to discuss AI’s impact on business, teaching, and curriculum. The program combined plenary keynotes on AI’s role in global competitiveness with high-level roundtables of B-school leaders discussing curriculum and pedagogy, peer-reviewed research presentations and recognition of pioneering institutions through the IMC Awards for Excellence.
The discussions highlighted that while Indian B-schools are adopting AI in research, teaching, and curriculum design, structured faculty development, ethical frameworks, and institutional support are essential to ensure AI enhances rather than replaces the human core of management education. The conclave also emphasized that AI will increasingly be integrated across pedagogy and curriculum, preparing graduates for an AI-driven economy.
Presence of distinguished dignitaries and head of leading b-schools in the country, reinforced the event’s position as the premier platform for shaping the future of management education in India.
