AICTE-approved 12-month live online programme for working professionals seeking stronger business understanding, managerial confidence and leadership readiness 

Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) [India], March 28: XLRI Jamshedpur has announced admissions to the 47th batch of its Postgraduate Certificate in Business Management, a 12-month, live online, AICTE-approved programme offered in collaboration with TimesPro for working professionals looking to move beyond functional specialisation and prepare for broader business and leadership roles. The programme addresses the growing need for professionals who can approach business challenges with stronger strategic, financial and cross-functional understanding. 

Structured as an integrated management learning experience, the programme helps participants build a clearer understanding of how different business functions work together and how decisions influence organisational outcomes. It covers key areas such as strategy, finance, marketing, operations, people management, analytics and emerging business tools, enabling professionals to strengthen managerial judgement and prepare for roles with broader accountability. Participants also build leadership, communication and problem-solving skills that are increasingly important in complex business environments.  

Recent industry reports continue to underline this shift. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum points to growing demand for skills in technology, data and cybersecurity, while also reaffirming the importance of analytical thinking, resilience, leadership, collaboration and adaptability. In parallel, employers continue to place a high value on communication and decision-making skills. Together, these trends highlight the need for professionals who can combine functional expertise with sound business judgement and the ability to lead across contexts. 

Speaking on the announcement, Dr Rahul Chandra Sheel, Associate Professor, XLRI Jamshedpur said, “Professionals today are expected to contribute beyond the boundaries of their core function. They must understand how businesses create value, how decisions connect across functions and how leadership must respond to constant change. This programme has been designed to build that broader perspective and help learners grow into roles that require stronger judgement, maturity and a fuller grasp of business realities.” 

Sharing his thoughts, Sridhar Nagarajachar, Business Head – Executive Education, TimesPro said: 
“Career progression today depends increasingly on a professional’s ability to think beyond execution and engage with the wider business context. This programme is designed to strengthen business understanding, managerial confidence, and decision-making ability through a rigorous and relevant curriculum. It is especially valuable for professionals preparing for broader responsibilities in a fast-changing business environment.” 

The programme is particularly relevant for early- to mid-career professionals, functional specialists preparing for cross-functional or managerial roles and working professionals who want to improve the quality of their business decision-making. Spread across 20 modules, the curriculum covers areas such as business and corporate laws, marketing, human resource management, strategy, product management, digital leadership and innovation, and data visualisation, analytics and AI. An integrated capstone project allows participants to apply cross-functional learning to real business challenges, while a mandatory five-day campus immersion at XLRI Jamshedpur offers intensive academic engagement, peer learning and leadership exposure.   

The programme follows a highly interactive pedagogy that combines live online lectures delivered through a state-of-the-art Interactive Learning platform with a Direct-to-Device delivery model. Participants also engage in case discussions, group work, assignments and collaborative learning activities led by XLRI faculty. The assessment framework includes tests, assignments, examinations, and project work to ensure sustained academic rigour and practical application.  

On successful completion of the programme, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion in Business Management from XLRI Jamshedpur. They will also be eligible to apply for XLRI Alumni Status, extending a valued lifelong association with the institute. Applicants should hold a graduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institution and have at least 12 months of full-time work experience. 

About XLRI

XLRI – Xavier School of Management is India’s oldest and one of the most prestigious business schools, founded in 1949 by the Jesuit Society of Jesus in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand with a vision to nurture responsible leaders and bring positive change in society. It offers flagship postgraduate programs in Business Management (PGDM-BM) and Human Resource Management (PGDM-HRM), along with executive and doctoral programs. XLRI is globally accredited (AACSB & AMBA), emphasizes ethical leadership, holistic development, and social responsibility, and maintains a strong industry interface and alumni network. It also has a modern Delhi-NCR campus to extend its academic reach.    

XLRI’s Executive Education programs are specially designed for working professionals, mid-to-senior level managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to upskill, lead with impact, and adapt to changing business environments while continuing their careers. These programs offer flexible formats such as online, in-person (campus), or blended learning, making it easier for executives to learn without taking long breaks from work.  

About TimesPro

TimesPro, established in 2013, is a leading Higher EdTech platform dedicated to empowering the career growth of aspiring learners by equipping them with skills to rise in a competitive world. TimesPro’s H.EdTech programmes are created to meet the rapidly changing industry requirements and have been blended with technology to make them accessible & affordable.  

TimesPro offers a variety of created and curated learning programmes across a range of categories, industries, and age groups. They include employment-oriented early career programmes across BFSI, e-Commerce, and technology sectors; executive education for working professionals in collaboration with premier educational institutions like IIMs and IITs; and organisational learning and development interventions at the corporate level.  

TimesPro also collaborates with India’s leading organisations across varied sectors to provide upskilling and reskilling solutions to boost employability and create a robust workforce. TimesPro is a Higher EdTech initiative by The Times Group.  

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Signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with SAP Labs India in Bangalore

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 28: SRH University, one of Germany’s leading private universities of applied sciences that serves over 11,000 students from more than 140 countries, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SAP Labs India, SAP’s largest R&D centre outside its Walldorf headquarters. Grounded in a practice-oriented approach, the partnership aims to equip Indian learners with globally relevant digital competencies while strengthening the exchange of expertise between India and Germany. This opens new avenues for learners across India’s growing digital economy and into the German and international hiring markets.

Dr. Thorsten Bagschik, Managing Director of SRH University, and Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director of SAP Labs India, inked the academic-industry partnership in the presence of Jeannine Koch, Member of the Board of SRH University and CEO of medianet berlinbrandenburg. This agreement marks an extension to the SRH – SAP partnership launched in Germany in December 2025. Notably, SAP is already the number-one employer of SRH University graduates in Germany, highlighting how practice-oriented education and academic-industry cooperation can bring tangible career outcomes for students.

SRH University is one of the most popular private universities in Germany for Indian students, with over 2,000 Indian students currently enrolled among more than 140 nationalities on campus. The partnership includes deeper integration of SAP learning content and certifications into existing programmes, as well as the joint development of new degree programmes. Through this partnership, students work with real SAP technologies, live industry projects, and sector-specific applications from the outset, significantly improving their employability in the global digital economy.

“The extension of our existing partnership with SAP SE to India brings together two of the world’s most important hubs of innovation. We are combining our practice-oriented German higher education with the dynamism of the Indian technology markets,” said Dr. Thorsten Bagschik, Managing Director, SRH University.

Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director, SAP Labs India, said, “Industry and academia must work closely together to prepare talent for a rapidly evolving digital economy. By extending our partnership with SRH University to India, we are creating new opportunities for students to build enterprise technology skills that are directly relevant to the needs of global businesses. Initiatives like this are central to SAP’s ambition to equip 12 million people with AI-ready skills by 2030 and to build a strong pipeline of future-ready technology talent.”

“Companies today are looking for talent that can bring together processes, data and technology and actively shape change. Universities like SRH University, which integrate SAP competencies hands-on into their study programmes, prepare their graduates specifically for these demands.” said Andre Bechtold, President SAP Industries & Experiences.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 delivers a stark forecast. By 2030, automation will eliminate 92 million jobs while creating 170 million new roles. Employers will render 39 per cent of skills they prize today obsolete by the end of the decade. Universities and companies, therefore, face a shared challenge: aligning qualifications more closely with the global demand for digital skills. Through this extended partnership, SAP SE and SRH University address this directly, enabling Indian students to work with real technologies during their studies and acquire applied SAP competencies that translate into stronger career outcomes. 

A key foundation for this practice-oriented approach is SRH’s exclusive CORE principle (Competence-Oriented Research and Education). This teaching model relies on project-based learning in small cohorts, where students tackle real-world problems. The integration of SAP content and certifications further enriches this approach with industry-specific competencies.

What This Means for Indian Students

This partnership gives Indian students access to SRH’s SAP-integrated degrees, with certification pathways built in from day one. Students work inside live SAP environments throughout their studies, tackling real enterprise challenges. What they carry out of the classroom is a German degree and an SAP credential that global employers already trust. With this, the opportunity that lies ahead is considerable. Over 25 per cent of all EU Blue Cards issued in 2023 went to Indian nationals.

About SRH University

SRH University is a private university with 18 locations across Germany, nearly 11,000 students from more than 140 countries, and a portfolio of around 120 degree programs. It is part of the non-profit foundation group SRH, one of Germany’s largest providers of education and healthcare. With more than 50 years of experience in higher education, SRH University aims to provide access to high-quality education and train the skilled professionals of tomorrow. SRH University places great importance on openness, diversity, and contemporary educational concepts that combine in-person and online teaching. Together with SRH Distance Learning University and EBS University of Business and Law, more than 20,000 students are currently enrolled at SRH universities.

About SAP Labs India

SAP Labs India is SAP’s largest research and development centre outside Germany, headquartered in Bengaluru with additional presence across India. SAP Labs India plays a central role in developing SAP’s next-generation cloud, AI, and enterprise software solutions, and actively engages with academia to build the digital talent pipeline that the global SAP ecosystem requires.

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Two-year Executive MBA (EMBA) for working professionals, delivered with 740 hours of learning, interactive online classrooms and campus immersions at IIM Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], March 28: The Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam has commenced the admissions process for the fourth batch of its Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), offered in collaboration with TimesPro. As industries increasingly rely on data-driven decision-making, this programme addresses the critical need for leaders who can seamlessly integrate business acumen with technological capability. The programme offers working professionals a dynamic platform to master the art of building resilient, globally competitive enterprises while managing the complexities of digital transformation.

 The two-year Executive MBA (EMBA) offers a context-driven learning journey for professionals who want to move from functional excellence to enterprise leadership. The programme builds strong fundamentals in business management while sharpening the capabilities that modern leaders rely on – clear communication, organisational effectiveness, customer-centric decision-making, teamwork and the ability to adapt to evolving workforce dynamics. Learners strengthen critical thinking, emotional intelligence and judgement-led decision-making, while developing the confidence to lead change and guide teams through transformation.

Participants engage with frameworks and applications across core management domains, including Marketing, Economics, Finance & Accounting, Organisational Behaviour, Human Resources, Information Systems, Production & Operations, Strategy and Entrepreneurship. The curriculum also deepens analytical rigour and data-driven decision-making, enabling learners to apply cross-functional perspectives to complex business problems and translate insight into measurable outcomes.

As organisations recalibrate for rapid technology shifts, credible executive education increasingly anchors leadership readiness. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 notes that about two-thirds of companies operating in India expect to tap into more diverse talent pools to fill emerging roles, well above the global average and a significant share of organisations plan to move towards skills-based hiring. Bain & Company also highlights the scale of the AI talent challenge in India, projecting AI-related job openings to surpass 2.3 million by 2027, outpacing the expected talent pool and reinforcing the need for large-scale upskilling.

Speaking at the announcement of the new EMBA admission process, Prof. Abhishek Srivastava, Chairperson – Executive MBA Program, IIM Visakhapatnam, said, “The Executive MBA reflects IIM Visakhapatnam’s commitment to helping experienced professionals step into broader, enterprise-wide roles. We have designed the programme to combine rigorous fundamentals with contemporary perspectives on strategy, technology and sustainability. Through high-engagement online delivery and immersive campus modules, participants will sharpen judgement, strengthen leadership capability and learn to translate insights into practical impact.”

Sridhar Nagarajachar, Business Head – Executive Education, TimesPro said, “Mid-to-senior professionals need learning that respects their time yet raises the bar on capability. Together with IIM Visakhapatnam, we are enabling a rigorous Executive MBA experience that blends live, interactive classrooms with applied projects and campus immersions. The programme equips leaders to make data-led decisions, manage complex stakeholders and drive transformation decisively, capabilities organisations demand as technology rapidly reshapes work.”

Previous cohorts have attracted participants from core sectors including IT, banking, manufacturing, PSUs, real estate, marketing, EdTech, healthcare and telecommunications, reflecting a diverse mid-to-senior talent pool. The programme offers 740 hours of rigorous learning, structured across two years (six terms). The second year focuses on themes such as project management, business ethics and laws, alongside five electives across three terms and a capstone project. Electives span areas such as entrepreneurship, strategy, information systems, communications, production & operations management, HRM, economics, marketing, decision sciences, and finance & accounting, among others. 

The Executive Master of Business Administration blends lectures with real-life case studies, quizzes and assignments. It uses a state-of-the-art Interactive Learning (IL) platform and follows a Direct-to-Device (D2D) delivery model. Learners also attend two on-campus modules of five days each at IIM Visakhapatnam, creating structured opportunities to network, learn and collaborate with peers. On successful completion, graduates earn an Executive MBA degree and receive IIM Visakhapatnam Alumni status. 

The Institute admits candidates based on a composite score derived from the EMAT and a Personal Interview; candidates with valid CAT, GRE or GMAT scores may qualify for EMAT exemption. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for NC-OBC and EWS categories, and 40% for SC, ST, and PwD categories). Applicants must also have a minimum of three years of full-time work experience at an officer/executive level or higher, as a professional or as an entrepreneur.

The last date for admissions is April 27, 2026

About IIM Visakhapatnam: 

The Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam (IIMV) is a new generation IIM, set up by the Government of India in September 2015. The Institute is nestled in a world-class GRIHA 5-star rating campus spread over 241 acres of land on the suburbs of the ‘City of Destiny’, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The Institute aims to have a net-zero status in energy, water and carbon footprint. Composed of distinguished alumni of IIMs, IITs, and other premier institutions of India and abroad, the faculty at IIM Visakhapatnam has impressive academic and research credentials. This cohort is complemented by visiting faculty and experts from the industry. The Institute is constantly expanding its activity profile in scale and scope, offering distinctive academic and research programmes to meet the current and emerging opportunities in the industry and the government. Reinforcing its credibility as a knowledge-driven entity, the Institute aims to rank among the top 20 business schools in the country, in the next five years. The Institute looks forward to attaining standards of global excellence as enshrined in the IIM Act 2017, through its high-quality academic, research, consulting, and capacity building initiatives, winning and sustaining in the process, the trust and confidence of all stakeholders.

About TimesPro:

TimesPro, established in 2013, is a leading Higher EdTech platform dedicated to empowering the career growth of aspiring learners by equipping them with skills to rise in a competitive world. TimesPro’s H.EdTech programmes are created to meet the rapidly changing industry requirements and have been blended with technology to make them accessible & affordable. 

TimesPro offers a variety of created and curated learning programmes across a range of categories, industries, and age groups. They include employment-oriented early career programmes across BFSI, e-Commerce, and technology sectors; executive education for working professionals in collaboration with premier educational institutions like IIMs and IITs; and organisational learning and development interventions at the corporate level. 

TimesPro also collaborates with India’s leading organisations across varied sectors to provide upskilling and reskilling solutions to boost employability and create a robust workforce. TimesPro is a Higher EdTech initiative by The Times Group. 

If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.