Dr. Atish Chattopadhyay Ask me
Dr. Atish Chattopadhyay Ask me

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What I write and speak about

Ideas.

Stories from my own life, and what I write on role-ready education, AI in the classroom, internationalisation and rankings.

Stories

Before the titles, a few stories.

Calcutta, 1993 · 6 minThe hottest business in town.How I sold a brand that did not exist yet, to pay for a bakery.Read the story → SPJIMR, 2007 to 2015 · 9 minWhat Dr. Shrikant taught me.My mentor at SPJIMR: five questions before a decision, three before an initiative, three qualities of a leader, and much more.Read the story → Guwahati, 1991 · 3 minMy first job, and the letter that kept me there.A hotel kitchen in Guwahati, a better offer from home, and my father's reply.Read the story → Ghaziabad, April 2025 · 5 minEveryone in the room rewrote our mission.Two days, every member of faculty and staff, ten tables of words, and one mission: KITES.Read the story →

28 Sep 2026 · Poets&Quants · with B. Stevenin

The 'Researcherization' Of Faculty Is Distorting Business Schools

When publication becomes academic status, teaching becomes an obligation. The case for restoring the teacher-scholar.

Teaching is more likely to be discussed as a "teaching load". We tell faculty that students are our purpose while signalling that research is what really counts.
Read it

Everything I have written.

From my own shopping basket

Marketing, when you are the customer.

The shelf5 Jul 2026

A test of colour-blindness

What happened

I ordered one detergent and another was delivered. I wanted to compare the prices. Finding the price on the packet "appeared like a test of colour-blindness".

What I asked in class
While Hindustan Unilever seems to be recruiting the best MBAs from top B-schools, who have done courses in Design Thinking, I wondered what is missed out in what we teach and how we teach?
The chatbot28 Aug 2026

The death of AI and the imminent rise of humans

What happened

I tried for over a week to renew an insurance policy. Each time, an error. A call came saying an AI would assist me. We had just been discussing churn and customer lifetime value in my Marketing Management course.

What I concluded
One of the interesting value propositions going forward may well be "We have Humans to Serve You".

Lines worth keeping.

Rankings are not an end in themselves.

LinkedIn, September 2026

The ranking should be viewed as a platform, not a shield.

LinkedIn, September 2026

Technology can tell us what is possible; judgment helps us determine what is appropriate.

LinkedIn, September 2026

The curriculum should make a promise it can evidence, while remaining larger than any evolving job description.

LinkedIn, August 2026

Many of my former students continue to teach me long after they graduate.

LinkedIn, September 2026

Champions don't expect every shot to become a goal.

LinkedIn, July 2026

Your résumé is for listing achievements; your essay is for reflection.

Poets&Quants, November 2024

An idea can be vague, the plan can be imperfect, but good execution can make a vague idea and an imperfect plan look great.

Dr. M. L. Shrikant, as I quote him in my 2024 essay

For a fresher to join an online programme, in India, is just a waste of money.

Careers360, November 2023

Our faculty are good, our students are good, but we are chasing the wrong metrics.

Businessworld interview, December 2025 · from a talk

The world no longer rewards perfection. It rewards adaptability.

FWA Conclave, November 2025 · from a talk

On my shelf

Where I found my nuggets of wisdom.

A life in discourse Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita
Sri Sri Ramakrishna KathamritaThe five-volume record of Ramakrishna Paramhansa's discourses. At a personal level, the book that has influenced me most.
Management and liberal arts Peter Drucker
Peter DruckerHis life and works inspire me. "Management is a liberal art" is more relevant now than ever.
Management education Peter Lorange
PL
Peter LorangeHonorary President of IMD. For perspective on management education.
Rethinking the MBA Srikant Datar
SD
Srikant DatarDean of Harvard Business School. On rethinking the MBA.
Marketing as Strategy Nirmalya Kumar
Nirmalya KumarHis book, Marketing as Strategy.

From LinkedIn.

Where I write most often, usually about a student, a colleague or something I noticed.

Atish ChattopadhyayDirector, IMT Ghaziabad · 13 Sep 2026

How ready are India's business schools for global competition?

Read on LinkedIn →
Atish ChattopadhyayDirector, IMT Ghaziabad · 1 Jun 2026

On a colleague retiring after 29 years at IMT.

There are some people who occupy positions in an institution, and there are others who become part of its soul.
Read on LinkedIn →
Atish ChattopadhyayDirector, IMT Ghaziabad · 16 Jul 2026

Messi, and the mind of a winner.

Champions don't expect every shot to become a goal.
Read on LinkedIn →

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