600 seats, six storeys: IIM Kozhikode’s Kochi expansion goes live in Kalamassery

More than 600 students can now be seated at once in the classrooms of IIM Kozhikode’s (IIM-K) newest campus, which opened on Saturday in Kalamassery, Kochi. The six-storey, 40,000 sq ft building was developed by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and stands next to the Cochin University (Cusat) Metro Station on NH 66.

Built from glass and pre-engineered steel, the campus was designed, according to IIM-K officials, to accommodate both management education and executive learning under one roof, with room built in for future academic expansion. Its multipurpose halls can also convert into additional learning spaces as enrolment grows.

The inauguration was led by IIM-K director Debashis Chatterjee, with KMRL managing director Loknath Behera in attendance. To start, the campus will run two programmes: the bachelor of management studies (BMS) and the executive post graduate programme (EPGP).

IIM-K has outlined further plans for the site, including additional executive education offerings, specialised programmes, management development programmes, international collaborations and digitally enabled learning initiatives, to be rolled out over time.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chatterjee called the campus ‘an urban learning centre’ representing ‘far more than a new campus,’ and said it reflected the institute’s vision of management education that is ‘more connected, accessible and future-ready.’ He cited Kochi’s blend of industry, innovation and global connectivity as the reason for choosing the city.

The launch coincides with IIM-K completing thirty years since its founding, a milestone Chatterjee linked directly to the new site, describing it as the base for ‘a new generation of hybrid, technology-enabled learning’ and closer engagement with industry and society.

[Wikimedia Commons/by Gnoeee]