| | OCTOBER 202219ResearchThe task of creating a research-focused environment in India is easier said than done. Publication in top journals that have high impact factors and the prospect of reaching most people requires rigorous and relevant research, which, in turn, requires collaborations, training and skill-building. Several management institutions with postgraduate and doctoral level programs in the country have ensured steady movement in this direction. While the focus on high-quality management research was brought in by the Indian School of Business in India in the last two decades, there is an increasing focus of IIMs and other top B-schools on providing research skills. Premier B-schools do it through training, exposure and collaboration with foreign partner institutions and faculty. The Indian government also encourages knowledge creation and transfer for issues and areas relevant to India through SPARC programs . Furthermore, institutions are also offering incentives and grants that support and encourage publication to help motivate the faculty, especially keeping in view the low acceptance rates in reputed journals.Relevance for Industry & ClassroomImplications for research in academia are not restricted to only furthering academia and learning. Academic research focuses on real-world problems and draws data to solve them. In doing so, the research also contributes heavily to advancing business practices and processes. Furthermore, research experience ensures that any consulting undertaken by management faculty is grounded in empirical evidence and so is of great relevance to the industry.Apart from answering the present academic and business questions, and contributing to practice,when faculty members are research active,they also bring cutting edge research findings to the classroom, thus, contributing to the development of future business leaders of the country. A research-active teacher is not only seasoned in the foundations of their field but is also up to date with the latest research ensuring that the curriculum is current. Future Looks BrightThe increased focus on research and knowledge creation by faculty of top management institutions in the country has been influenced by several factors including the inclusion of research as a criterion in the government NIRF ranking framework and several postgraduate institutions including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Udaipur focusing on research as an essential component of the job role of faculty with promotions based on publications in top tier journals. There has been a greater emphasis on collaborations to ensure the institutions are competitive in academic research. Faculty members from Indian schools are also uniquely positioned to leverage their teaching and consulting experience to identify real-world problems and find rigorously researched solutions. All this emphasis on building a research environment in the country is gradually making headway with Indian institutes finding themselves ranked globally in research rankings. The UTD all as research rankings list currently has ISB among the top 100 research institutions globally. The next decade can see two to three more institutions joining from India, staking our claim as knowledge producers. A RESEARCH-ACTIVE TEACHER IS NOT ONLY SEASONED IN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THEIR FIELD BUT IS ALSO UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST RESEARCH ENSURING THAT THE CURRICULUM IS CURRENT
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