Axis Bank and IIM Bangalore Partner to Establish the ‘Axis Bank Centre of Economics’

Axis Bank, one of India’s largest private sector banks, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) to establish the Axis Bank Centre of Economics. Located at the IIMB – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies in Jigani, Bengaluru, the center will be housed within the Integrated Academic and Administrative Block in Phase I of the new greenfield campus. The MoU signing took place at Axis House in Worli, Mumbai, attended by key leadership including Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty (Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMB), Amitabh Chaudhry (MD & CEO, Axis Bank), Prof. U. Dinesh Kumar (Director-in-charge, IIMB), and Vijay Mulbagal (Group Head, Axis Bank).

Curriculum, Infrastructure, and Student Support:
As part of the initiative, Axis Bank will support the construction, operationalization, faculty development, academic research, and need- and merit-based scholarships for deserving students. The Centre features a globally benchmarked curriculum integrating disciplinary economics with quantitative and computational learning. The inaugural cohort of the IIMB – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies, which commenced in August 2026, admitted 80 students across Data Sciences and Economics out of nearly 12,000 applicants. Among them, 40 students in the Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics (with a minor in Data Sciences) will pursue their studies directly at the Axis Bank Centre of Economics.

Leadership Perspectives:
Vijay Mulbagal, Group Head – Wholesale Bank Coverage, Corporate Salary, Sustainability & CSR, Axis Bank, stated: “Multi-disciplinary education and research are vital to building the knowledge, skills and capabilities India needs to navigate an increasingly complex economic landscape. Together with IIM Bangalore, Axis Bank aims to establish a new paradigm in undergraduate education that is benchmarked to global standards and integrates meaningful pedagogy with deep research.”

Prof. U. Dinesh Kumar, Director-in-charge, IIM Bangalore, added: “Economics is central to understanding the forces shaping businesses, markets and society, and its study today increasingly calls for strong foundations in quantitative and qualitative methods, data-driven application and interdisciplinary thinking. The support from Axis Bank will enable us to strengthen academic infrastructure and create opportunities that advance the School’s mission of developing a world-class undergraduate institution.”