BIM’s new campus construction work under way on Tiruchi-Pudukottai National Highway. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM) has begun construction of its second campus ion an 18-acre site near Kalamavur off the Tiruchi-Pudukottai National Highway here.
The first phase of the new campus, including the academic block, hostel, and other amenities, would be ready by mid-2025. “The new campus is part of the strategic vision of the institute spanning the next 40 years,” BIM Director Asit K. Barma told The Hindu.
“We are planning to substantially enhance our intake and offer new courses. We plan to increase the intake from 120 to 240, in stages,” he said and indicated that the institute was deliberating on offering new masters programmes in areas such as business analytics, public policy and management, hospitality management, and healthcare management.
A renewed thrust will be placed on research through the centres of excellence of BIM. “Our key focus will be on new-age applications in technology, management, and sustainable development,” he said.
The premier management institute, currently located on the BHEL campus at Thuvakudi in Tiruchi, has decided to retain its present campus and continue its significant association with the public sector major.
The new campus will be built with BIM’s resources and alumni and industry support. Governor R.N. Ravi had laid the foundation stone for the new campus during the BIM convocation held in Chennai earlier this month. A bhoomi puja, marking the commencement of the construction, was held at the site on Sunday.
“The new campus will come up at an investment of about ₹100 crore. It will be a state-of-the-art facility with a built-up area of about four lakh sq. ft., including modern classrooms, study areas, computer labs, an array of centres of excellence, a comprehensive library, amphitheatre, swimming pool, and sports facilities,” Dr. Barma said.
BIM had purchased the site some years ago. The Tiruchi-Pudukottai National Highway stretch is emerging as a “knowledge highway” as the Bharathidasan University, Anna University-Tiruchi campus, and the Indian Institute of Management and several other institutions are located along the road. The highway could serve as a catalyst for the development of the local economy, he said.
“We believe development of the local ecosystems holds the future of growth and B-schools have a role in it, collaborating with other stakeholders,” he said. BIM was the only non-IIM B-School which had partnered with a State government to run a fellowship programme, he said pointing to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme run by it. “We have been appointed as knowledge partner for the Focus Block Development Programme in Tamil Nadu, closely working with the State Planning Commission. We are committed to working closely with the government in fulfilling the objectives of the State, by bringing management insights to enhance delivery and global best practices in governance,” he said.
