November 11, 2025 05:52 PM IST 4 min readIn India’s boardrooms and policy circles, the distance between management practice and management research is silently widening. While the world’s hearts beat faster with rapid digitalization, consumer expectations, and global competition, the frameworks guiding decision-making lag behind. The result is a leadership landscape that’s data-rich but insight-poor and where instinct frequently overpowers evidence.The spotlight on this gap is not merely academic. Rather, it reveals an urgent requirement. As our country continuously improves its position in a knowledge-driven economy, we need leaders with research-led thinking to help redefine purpose and shape the next phase of growth. Policy design, corporate strategy, entrepreneurship ecosystems, human resource practices, and digital transformation – all can derive direction from systematic research.The rise of the modern management researcherGood management researchers make good thought leaders. The image of a management researcher used to be confined to academia as someone immersed in journals and papers, far removed from real-world nuance. But this perception is no longer apt. Modern researchers are individuals who have seen real-world complexity and now seek to decode it. The understanding of a management doctorate in a good Indian institute is fast transforming from that of a highly-respected academic degree to that of a much-needed thought leadership capability. A good doctoral programme doesn’t just create professors, it nurtures architects of worthwhile practical ideas. It shapes scholar-leaders who influence public policy, shape business models, and challenge conventional wisdom. Increasingly, organizations and governments are turning to those with research depth to design data-informed strategies, ethical frameworks, and human-centered innovation. The best management researchers today aren’t driven by publications alone. They’re propelled by questions that matter, questions about inclusion, sustainability, leadership, and meaning. Prof. Dr. J. Ajith KumarDoctoral scholars across age groups and work experience come together in the intellectual melting pot that XLRI is. We believe in free knowledge flow across subject areas and knowledge groups to foster uninhibited knowledge creation, says Dr. J. Ajith Kumar, the Associate Dean of FPM & Research.XLRI: where inquiry meets impactFor over seven decades, XLRI – Xavier School of Management – has stood for more than management education. Fueled by the larger vision of creating leaders for the greater good, the institution has consistently blended academic rigour with social consciousness. As it evolves into the new era, it sees management scholars as responsible thought leaders to whom research is more a tool for purposeful transformation than just an academic exercise. At the core is the thinking that research should not just interpret the world but also improve it. Its identical doctoral programmes, the full-time Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) and the part-time Executive Fellow Programme in Management (EFPM), are designed to create research-driven thought-leaders, who bring depth to practice and relevance to theory.Key highlights of these programmes:A depth exposure to one or more of nine management disciplines – Economics, Finance, General Management (entrepreneurship, law, ethics, communication), Human Resource Management, Information Systems, Marketing, Production, Operations and Decision Sciences, Organizational Behaviour, and StrategyMentorship from experienced faculty members with global research exposure on discipline-related theory, research methodology and practical application.State-of-the-art library, IT and infrastructure resources.A competitive financial aid including free hostel accommodation for full-time scholars.the opportunity to live and study in a beautiful 40+ acre green campus in the heart of the charming township of Jamshedpur.Introducing XSET: A Gateway to Purposeful ResearchStarting January 2026, XLRI will conduct the Xavier Scholar Entrance Test (XSET), a national-level examination for admission to both the FPM and EFPM. The next XSET will be on January 4, 2026, administered as a computer-based test in 12 cities across India. All relevant details about the test and the two programmes are on the official XLRI website.The next era of Indian leaders will evolve from the dreams of those bold individuals, who step forward now to create new paths.Disclaimer:Story continues below this adThis content is sponsored and does not reflect the views or opinions of IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd. No journalist is involved in creating sponsored material and it does not imply any endorsement whatsoever by the editorial team. IE Online Media Services takes no responsibility for the content that appears in sponsored articles and the consequences thereof, directly, indirectly or in any manner. Viewer discretion is advised.Tags:XLRI