IIM-B begins classes for first batch of UG programmes - The HinduUpdated - September 02, 2026 11:04 am IST - BengaluruA view of the Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIM-B) in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: SHAILENDRA BHOJAKClasses for the UG programme of BSc (Hons) in Data Sciences and Economics began on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) at the Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIM-B) – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies. Around 80 students have joined the inaugural cohort from 20 different States across India.Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM-B, and Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health, called it a momentous occasion for India’s education system and one that he believes will guide the transformation of Indian education.Dr. Shetty positioned the new school within a legacy of Tata-established institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Tata Memorial Centre for Cancer Care. He also noted that 25% of the inaugural cohort of 80 students were enrolled with either full or partial scholarships.Explaining the vision behind the school, Dr. Shetty said the goal was to train bilingual minds, not yet set in their views of the world, capable of moving as comfortably between business and public policy as between economics and science.Meanwhile, Siddharth Sharma, CEO, Tata Trusts, outlined the institution’s long-term ambitions, sharing that the founding cohort of 80 is expected to grow to about 2,400 students, supported by 150 faculty, by 2034, though he was clear that scale was not the point.Mr. Sharma noted that India’s shortage of top-quality higher education institutions relative to its population has turned admissions into what he described as an elimination process rather than a selection process and said the partnership with IIM Bangalore was conceived as a long-term investment in the country’s youth.The inaugural cohort comprises 80 students, each in Data Sciences and Economics, with 56 male and 24 female students. While 39 students have studied Commerce, 39 have studied Science, and two have studied Arts and Humanities. The majority of students, 51, come from a CBSE background, followed by 23 from State boards, four from the IB curriculum, and one each from NIOS and ICSEPublished - September 01, 2026 06:46 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }