LUCKNOW, June 15:Indian Institute of Management Lucknow has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management (IRITM), Lucknow, for collaboration in executive education, research, and management development initiatives for Indian Railways officers.
The MoU was signed today, 15th June 2026, by Prof. M. P. Gupta, Director, IIM Lucknow, and Shri Ranjan Prakash Thakur, IRTS, and Director General, IRITM, at IRITM campus. Other dignitaries present during the event included, Prof. Sanjay Singh, Dean (Programmes); Prof. Ashutosh Sinha, Chairperson (MoU); Prof. Omkar Vaidya, Chairperson (bMBA); and Prof. Debdatta Pal from IIM Lucknow, along with Shri Shishir Somvanshi, IRTS, Dean, IRITM.
Speaking during the MoU signing event, Prof. M. P. Gupta said, “The transport sector is of critical importance to India’s growth agenda. Through this collaboration, we hope to create a strong flow of opportunities for our faculty and students to contribute to the development of solutions that support the future of India’s transport and logistics ecosystem.”
The collaboration aims to enhance leadership capabilities, managerial excellence, and research-driven innovation within the Indian Railways ecosystem.
Speaking about the collaboration, Shri Ranjan Prakash Thakur said, “Today is a major milestone for us as we formalise this MoU with IIM Lucknow, one of the top management institutions in our country. Given our close proximity to the IIM Lucknow campus, our officers will have the advantage of access to quality management education and research expertise. This formal partnership will create a structured framework for deeper and more meaningful collaboration, promoting excellence in the Indian Railways ecosystem.”
Under the scope of the MoU, key collaboration areas include:
·Participation of selected in-service Indian Railways officers in IIM Lucknow’s customized two-year blended MBA programme
·Doctoral pursuit of selected in-service Indian Railways officers
·Research consultancy
·Short, medium, and long-term customised Management Development Programmes (MDPs) for in-service Indian Railways officers
·Collaborative projects of mutual benefit aimed at promoting innovation and academic excellence
·Collaboration through Centres of Excellence as they are established
·Knowledge sharing of library and research repositories
The collaboration between IIM Lucknow and IRITM is a major step towards creating a long-term partnership focused on leadership development and research excellence for the Indian Railways.