Our Story

Addressing Systemic Challenges

The genesis of the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) can be traced back to the visionary journey of its founders. Recognizing the systemic challenges faced by social purpose organizations (SPOs) to sustain and scale their impact, they embarked on a mission to bridge the need for leadership and management talent in the sector talent The aim was to develop the theory and practice of management in the social sector, with all it its complexities, nuances and challenges, to unlock the full potential of SPOs to create a much greater and sustained impact.

Filling the Gap in Leadership and Management

Management is the scaffolding that allows for individuals and orgnizations to operate and achieve results at scale. The Social Sector has never had the benefit of dedicated development of the theory and practice of professional management unlike say Business Management for the world of business and Public Administration for the State.

Filling the Gap in Leadership and Management

Empowering the social sector for Greater Impact

Recognizing the power of management practice as the foundation for building and managing organizations at huge scale, ISDM seeks to address the lack of dedicated theory and practice in Development Management, ISDM aims to catalyze and build a cadre of professional leaders and managers who will strengthen the sector, build its credibility and significantly and sustainable increase the impact of the sector. ISDM is on a journey to establish this new domain of Development Management. and potentially achieving a multiplier effect on the large sums of public and philanthropic monies that are spent annually on development.

Our Beginnings

ISDM was established in 2016 by a group of experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds in development and business who were burning to address this critical need. They established Development Management as distinctly different from business management or public administration to enable social purpose organisations to have impact at scale.

Collective Wisdom and Collaborative Efforts

The founding of ISDM was not a solitary endeavor. The founders engaged in conversations with over a thousand senior leaders associated with the social sector, numerous institutions that have worked on related areas across continents. Through this process, the founding team was able to leverage upon collective wisdom from diverse audiences to shape the vision and mission of the institution, and in turn the positive systemic impact the institute can have on society and the planet for generations to come.

Catalyzing Change and Building a World-Class Institution

The vision of ISDM garnered remarkable support from the social sector, academics, and philanthropists, who recognized the urgency of developing a platform to equip changemakers with the necessary skills. This support transformed ISDM into a national movement, attracting students, individuals, and organizations from all corners of the country. Today, ISDM stands as a testament to the power of collective action and collaboration. The institute is committed to catalyzing the ecosystem for Development Management in India.

ISDM aspires to build an iconic institution that not only serves as a role model but also fires the imagination of the country, creating a world-leading hub for Development Management and shaping the future of social impact on a global scale.

Our key milestones

batches

6 successful batches since 2017

ISDM’s flagship Post Graduate Program in Development Management (PGP DM) has  successfully graduated 6 batches since 2017.

World class faculty

ISDM takes pride in our world class faculty members and visiting guest speakers from renowned global institutions as well as sectoral leaders.

World class faculty
Multiple research studies

Multiple research studies

ISDM has published multiple research studies and papers on Development Management.

Nation building programs

ISDM has launched its nation building programs for key stakeholders such as leaders of SPOs, women leaders, bureaucrats and young philanthropists. We recently launched the Women on Boards program.

Nation building programs
Enhanced knowledge infrastructure

Enhanced knowledge infrastructure

ISDM is developing an enhanced knowledge infrastructure on Talent Management practices. This includes a public database of benchmarked compensation structures and good practices on talent management across 14 different archetypes of social purpose organisations in the Indian Social Impact sector.

Perspective Blogs

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Is Social Entrepreneurship Revolutionizing India and Changing the World?
Which is the best course for a management career in the social sector?
Which is the best course for a management career in the social sector?
Know What Isdm Means To IT'S Students
Know what ISDM means to it's students
Admission open for PGP-DM