Piyush Goyal Backs Bilingual Online Management Education to Bridge Rural-Urban Divide

New Delhi: Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said technology-enabled bilingual management education has the potential to bridge India’s rural-urban divide by making quality higher education accessible to talented students irrespective of their geographical or economic background.

Virtually inaugurating the online bilingual Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Udaipur, Goyal described the initiative as a transformative step that could democratise access to world-class management education through digital technology.

The Minister said the programme’s bilingual delivery in Hindi and English would make the quality and credibility of IIM education available to a much wider section of society, enabling students from both urban centres and remote regions to pursue professional management education.

Highlighting India’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem, Goyal said the country now has nearly 100 crore internet users, creating an unprecedented opportunity to deliver high-quality education through online platforms in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP).

“The classrooms of IIM will now be visible on the screen,” he said, noting that students could access lectures through smartphones, laptops or computers from locations ranging from metropolitan cities to remote districts. While the programme will be delivered online, examinations will continue to be conducted offline to ensure academic integrity and accountability.

The Minister outlined four key recommendations to further strengthen the programme.

First, he suggested incorporating regular physical interactions into the hybrid learning model by organising periodic faculty visits and student meet-ups at different locations. He said management education extends beyond classroom instruction and requires peer interaction, networking and collaborative learning.

Second, Goyal stressed the importance of developing soft skills, including communication, teamwork, cultural understanding, technological proficiency and interpersonal abilities, alongside academic learning.

Third, he called for greater emphasis on experiential learning by arranging visits to factories, ports, industrial clusters and manufacturing facilities, enabling students to gain practical exposure to real-world business environments and management practices.

Fourth, he urged IIM Udaipur to adopt global best practices by leveraging advanced digital and audio-visual tools, facilitating credit transfers under the National Education Policy and collaborating with leading academic institutions for joint programmes. He also recommended encouraging research internships during the fourth year to strengthen students’ academic and professional capabilities.

The Minister said India’s rapidly expanding network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) is creating fresh opportunities for manufacturing, exports and innovation, opening new avenues for the country’s youth.

He encouraged students to combine academic knowledge with practical experience so they are well prepared to take advantage of emerging global opportunities as India strengthens its engagement with international markets.

Reflecting on the evolution of digital education, Goyal said the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of educational technology, transforming online learning from a supplementary tool into an essential component of higher education. According to him, EdTech has played a crucial role in narrowing the educational gap between urban and rural India.

The Minister also observed that rapid advances in artificial intelligence, digital technologies and evolving business practices are reshaping management education. As industries increasingly demand new-age skills, educational institutions must continuously adapt their curricula to meet changing industry requirements.

Drawing a parallel with India’s ongoing free trade negotiations, Goyal noted that virtual collaboration across multiple time zones has become integral to international engagement, demonstrating the effectiveness of hybrid working models that combine digital and physical interactions.

He said the hybrid structure adopted by IIM Udaipur reflects this evolving global work environment and has the potential to become a successful model for future higher education programmes.

Describing the Indian Institutes of Management as globally recognised centres of excellence, Goyal said the IIM brand enjoys strong credibility in corporate boardrooms across the world and continues to produce future business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators.

Congratulating the inaugural batch of students, the Minister expressed confidence that they would make history by becoming the first graduates of the pioneering bilingual online BBA programme and contribute to India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation.