By Dr Anupam Narula, Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM), Delhi
New Delhi [India], [Date]: The real work of accreditation begins after the certificate is presented. AACSB expects accredited schools to show, year after year, that their teaching, research and learning outcomes are improving. For Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM), Delhi, one of only 30 AACSB-accredited business schools in India, that expectation is shaping a clear academic agenda: deepen research, strengthen pedagogy, and keep the curriculum aligned with how business is actually changing.
AACSB accreditation is held by fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide. It rests on a cycle of self-assessment, peer review and periodic re-accreditation. The Institute’s academic journey after the milestone is therefore about continuing the cycle and not about celebrating one point in it.
Faculty Who Research and Consult
AACSB places faculty quality and scholarly engagement at the centre of its standard. LBSIM’s faculty of 55+ brings together doctoral qualifications from institutions such as the Delhi School of Economics, IIT Delhi, the University of Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia and the University of California, along with experience in consulting and industry. The Institute’s stated aim is that faculty “don’t just publish in top journals” but also work with the companies that hire its graduates, so that research and classroom teaching inform each other.
The research output reflects that aim. LBSIM faculty have published in ABDC-listed journals, including work in Energy Economics (A*), the International Journal of Production Research (A) and Current Issues in Tourism (A), on subjects ranging from carbon-neutrality goals in the energy sector to low-carbon supply chains and organisational resilience.
A Research Ecosystem, Not Just Publications
Research at LBSIM is supported by dedicated structures. These include the LBS Research Centre (LBSRC), the LBS Journal of Management & Research, funded SEED research projects, and a Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) for doctoral-level scholarship and academic careers.
The Institute also invests in the research capability of the wider academic community. In October, it hosted two faculty development programmes: one on advanced qualitative research and theory building (9-10 October), and another on publishing, peer review and research revision, run as an “Editor’s Room” (30-31 October). Both focus on the skills that help researchers get work published in strong journals.
Taking Research Global
On 28 November 2026, LBSIM will host its International Research Conference on the theme “Sustainable Futures: Leadership, Innovation and Technology.” The Institute is organising it with Sunway University, Malaysia, and Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. Having international academic partners co-host the event adds the cross-border perspective that AACSB’s global network encourages. LBSIM now belongs to that network, which includes more than 1,700 member schools in over 100 countries.
Teaching That Keeps Pace With Business
Academic excellence is also judged by how students learn. LBSIM’s two-year PGDM runs from foundation theory and the Harvard case method in each trimester, through weekly industry guest talks and live projects, to a summer internship and a capstone before placement. The four specialisations are General Management, Financial Management, Research & Business Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence & Data Science. Their teaching incorporates AI and machine learning, ESG and sustainability, digital transformation and fintech.
Students apply those ideas on a Bloomberg Lab with 12 terminals running live NSE and BSE feeds, and on an Analytics Lab equipped with enterprise-grade data science tools. Mandatory rural and social immersion and an outbound leadership course give them experience of people, communities and leadership that data alone cannot provide. International immersion programmes extend that exposure to 12 partner universities across nine countries.
Learning From and With Industry
Academic rigour is matched by industry engagement. The Institute’s HR Conclave 2026 took up the theme “Human Capital in the Era of AI.” The LBS Corporate Relation Cell and the Corporate Interface bring leaders on campus, and the Institute’s executive education arm runs management development programmes for organisations, including a senior leadership programme for Punjab & Sind Bank in June. These interactions feed back into the classroom. The Institute’s entrepreneurship pathway, through LBS IIEC and its partnership with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, gives students a route from idea to venture.
Outcomes That Reflect the Approach
The results so far are encouraging. The 2025-26 summer internship cohort achieved 100% placement. For the 2024-26 batch, the highest offer was ₹24 LPA and the top 10% of the batch averaged ₹16.13 LPA, with 85+ recruiters including EY, Deloitte, KPMG, Morgan Stanley, D. E. Shaw & Co., Moody’s and Bain & Company.
The Road Ahead
LBSIM’s founding values of integrity, discipline, commitment and transparency, drawn from the legacy of Bharat Ratna Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, continue to anchor the Institute’s academic culture. With AACSB accreditation as an external benchmark, the priorities are clear: research that matters, teaching that reflects the real economy, and graduates who are ready to lead responsibly in a world shaped by AI and sustainability.
About LBSIM
Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM), New Delhi, is a private business school founded in 1995 and accredited by AACSB International. It is one of only 30 AACSB-accredited business schools in India and is also AICTE-approved and NBA-accredited. LBSIM is ranked among India’s Top 15 private B-schools and Delhi NCR’s Top 5. It offers four two-year, full-time PGDM specialisations (General Management, Financial Management, Research & Business Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence & Data Science) and a doctoral Fellow Programme in Management (FPM). For the batch of 2024-26, the highest placement offer was ₹24 LPA, with the top 10% of the batch averaging ₹16.13 LPA. The Institute has a network of over 7,000 alumni. More information is available at www.lbsim.ac.in.
