- Experiential learning and emerging market insights shape leadership exchange
- Innovation, customer engagement, and global collaboration converge in Mumbai
- HBS and SPJIMR foster future-ready leadership through immersive learning
MUMBAI, India , May 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ –Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai, hosted a pivotal session of Harvard Business School’s FIELD Global Capstone course on May 14, 2026, enabling students to exchange perspectives on innovation, real-world customer interactions, and emerging market opportunities in India.
The collaboration comes at an opportune moment, when India’s weight in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index reached ‘its highest point ever’ and India is projected to become the world’s third largest economy by 2027, overtaking Germany.
The session brought together around 120 participants for an evening of cross-cultural exchange, market immersion, collaborative learning, and business insight. Held at SPJIMR’s Mumbai campus, the Customer Interaction Debrief convened 72 MBA students from Harvard Business School (HBS), 30 SPJIMR students and alumni, 10 Harvard alumni in senior industry leadership roles, and faculty and staff from HBS.
Ashish Nanda, Senior Lecturer and C. Roland Christensen Distinguished Management Educator at Harvard Business School, led the delegation, which provided a platform for participants to exchange perspectives on innovation, real-world customer interactions, and emerging market opportunities in India.
Speaking on the collaboration, Prof. Varun Nagaraj, Dean, SPJIMR, said: “Management education today must prepare leaders to operate across cultures, industries, and rapidly changing business environments. Engagements such as these help students build contextual understanding, challenge assumptions, and learn how future leadership decisions are shaped by local realities as much as global frameworks.”
Experiential learning and global collaboration take centre stage
During their time in Mumbai, HBS students worked closely with local companies on hands-on projects to develop new products, services, or customer experiences. The Customer Interaction Debrief enabled HBS students to present early insights from their field engagements and receive direct feedback from SPJIMR participants, whose understanding of the local market proved invaluable.
The session was part of Harvard Business School’s FIELD Global Capstone course for first-year MBA students, which challenges them to lead and deliver value in unfamiliar contexts. In 2026, the programme spans 14 cities globally, connecting students with partner organisations, local businesses, and academic institutions such as SPJIMR to deepen their understanding of diverse markets and leadership contexts.
“We are immensely grateful to SPJIMR for their partnership,” said Prof. Joe Fuller, Faculty Chair of FIELD Global Capstone. “This collaboration adds immeasurable value to our students’ learning and reflects the kind of global engagement we strive to cultivate at Harvard Business School.”
The evening concluded with an informal networking reception, enabling participants to continue conversations, exchange ideas, build connections, and celebrate a shared commitment to education, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
About SPJIMR
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) is one of India’s leading postgraduate management institutes. It is ranked by Business Today as one of the country’s top five business schools, and rated by the Positive Impact Rating as one of the top five schools worldwide for societal impact. Known for its innovative and socially conscious approach to management education, research, and community engagement, SPJIMR aims to influence managerial practice and promote the value-based growth of its students, alumni, organisations and its leaders, and society. SPJIMR holds the international ‘Triple Crown’ of accreditations from EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA.
Visit SPJIMR.org for more information.
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