Ashoka University appoints former IIM Bangalore director Rishikesha Krishnan as VC

Ashoka University has appointed Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan as its next Vice-Chancellor, with effect from August 1, succeeding Professor Somak Raychaudhury.

The university announced that Professor Krishnan was selected through a search and selection process conducted by a committee constituted by its Governing Body.

Ashoka cited his extensive experience in academic leadership, research, institution building, and public policy as key factors behind the appointment.

Ashoka University Chancellor Rudrangshu Mukherjee said Professor Krishnan’s record as a scholar and institution builder positions him to lead the university through its next phase of growth.

The appointment brings to Ashoka a leader who has headed two Indian Institutes of Management and spent nearly three decades on the faculty of IIM Bangalore.

The university also highlighted his contributions to innovation, management, and public policy, as well as his leadership roles at IIM Indore and IIM Bangalore.

Prof Krishnan began his academic journey at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, where he completed an integrated Master of Science program in Physics in 1986.

The five-year program combines undergraduate and postgraduate studies with a strong emphasis on scientific research, laboratory work, and quantitative methods.

He later pursued higher education at Stanford University in the United States, earning a Master of Science degree in Engineering-Economic Systems in 1987. The program subsequently evolved into Stanford's Management Science and Engineering discipline.

In 1996, he completed the Fellow Programme in Management at IIM Ahmedabad, the institute's doctoral-level program equivalent to a PhD. Soon afterward, he joined the faculty of IIM Bangalore, beginning an association that would span nearly 30 years.

At IIM Bangalore, Professor Krishnan taught in the Strategy area, became a Professor in 2005, and later held several academic and administrative positions. Between July 2022 and June 2025, he served as the Ram Charan Chair Professor in Innovation and Leadership.

His professional development also included executive education at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, where he attended the "Leadership for the 21st Century" program in 2010. The program focuses on governance, institutional change, public leadership, and decision-making.

Beyond IIM Bangalore, Professor Krishnan held leadership roles across the IIM system. He served as Director of IIM Indore from 2014 to 2018 and was Mentor Director of IIM Sambalpur between 2015 and 2017, helping guide the development of the newer institution.

He returned to IIM Bangalore as Director in July 2020 and completed a five-year term in July 2025. During his tenure, the institute launched initiatives such as the School of Multidisciplinary Studies and advanced plans for undergraduate programs in Economics and Data Science.

His research has focused on innovation at organizational, industrial, and national levels, with contributions spanning management, economics, development studies, and science policy.

In 2025, IIT Kanpur honored him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award, the institute's highest recognition for former students.

With his move to Ashoka University, Professor Krishnan is set to take charge of one of India's leading private universities as it continues to expand its academic and research initiatives.