Frequently Asked Questions

In today's rapidly changing business landscape, professionals face unprecedented ethical environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges that demand innovative solutions. Developing sustainability skills is no longer a choice, but a necessity to drive long-term success and create a better future for all.

Here are just a few reasons why:

  • Staying Ahead of the Curve: As regulatory requirements, stakeholder expectations, and technological advancements evolve, professionals must stay up-to-date on the latest sustainability trends and best practices.
  • Driving Business Growth and Innovation: Sustainability leadership skills enable professionals to identify new business opportunities, reduce costs, and enhance reputation through responsible practices.
  • Mitigating Risks and Capitalizing on Opportunities: By understanding Environmental, Social and Governance issues, professionals can minimize risks, capitalize on new markets, and ensure long-term viability.
  • Enhancing Brand Reputation and Stakeholder Trust: Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability builds trust with customers, investors, and employees, leading to increased loyalty and retention.
  • Unlocking New Career Opportunities: As sustainability becomes a key business imperative, professionals with advanced sustainability leadership skills are in high demand across industries.

Professionals seeking to develop sustainability leadership skills face several challenges, including:

  • Lack of awareness and understanding: Limited knowledge of sustainability principles, practices, and regulations can hinder effective leadership.
  • Resistance to change: Overcoming organizational inertia and cultural barriers to implement sustainable practices can be daunting.
  • Balancing short-term goals with long-term sustainability: Professionals must navigate competing priorities and stakeholder expectations.
  • Measuring and reporting progress: Developing effective metrics and reporting frameworks for sustainability performance can be complex.
  • Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Building trust and partnerships with diverse stakeholders, including NGOs, investors, and communities, requires specialized skills.
  • Staying up-to-date with evolving regulations and standards: Professionals must keep pace with changing environmental, social, and governance (Environmental, Social and Governance) requirements.
  • Integrating sustainability into business operations: Embedding sustainability into core business functions, such as supply chain management and product development, can be challenging.

The Executive Programme in Corporate Sustainability by IIM Calcutta is designed to support your professional development in the following ways:

  • Expert knowledge and insights: Learn from renowned faculty, industry experts, and practitioners in sustainability leadership.
  • Practical application and case studies: Apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios and case studies from diverse industries.
  • Networking opportunities: Connect with like-minded professionals, thought leaders, and alumni network.
  • Access to cutting-edge research and resources: Leverage the program's research and knowledge base to stay updated on sustainability trends.
  • Certification and credentials: Earn a recognized certification in corporate sustainability, enhancing your career prospects.

Programme Related

With its unique blend of experiential learning format and industry-relevant course content, IIM Calcutta’s Executive Programme in Corporate Sustainability (EPCS) stands out as the premier choice for professionals looking to advance their expertise.

  • 1. Sustainable Development Goalss aligned Curriculum: EPCS deep dives into concepts, including green finance, design thinking, AI and sustainability, the impact of Sustainable Development Goals, and Ethical Environmental, Social and Governance policy in driving business growth.
  • 2. World-class Faculty: Benefit from the LIVE interactive sessions and mentorship by the esteemed IIM Calcutta faculty group, which will guide you through the Corporate Sustainability Certification.
  • 3. Environmental, Social and Governance Business Simulation: Demonstrate your expertise in real-world business scenarios through immersive Environmental, Social and Governance Business Simulations.
  • 4. Industry-Trusted Pedagogy: Engage in interactive sessions, role-playing exercises, case studies, and capstone projects to integrate sustainability into daily business practices and strategic planning.
  • 5. IIM Calcutta Certification: Get recognised as the Alumni of IIM Calcutta Executive Education, a certification that paves the way for your career acceleration.
  • 6. Most-preferred Learning Platform: Learn on TalentSprint's award-winning Pracademic Platform, the best-in-class interactive AI-powered digital delivery platform.
  • 7. Connect with Leaders: Network with and learn alongside a distinguished group of experienced professionals.

This unique combination of factors creates an unparalleled learning experience and will help you build the most relevant capabilities to thrive in the era of sustainability and sustainable development.

  • Gain critical insights into global sustainability trends and practices.
  • Navigate the strategic challenges while aligning sustainability practices.
  • Contribute to long and short-term corporate strategic planning.
  • Enhance managerial and leadership skills to drive sustainability efforts.
  • Become conversant with industry issues, enabling better execution.

  • Corporate Executives
  • Start-up Investors and Entrepreneurs
  • Legal Professionals
  • Communications Experts
  • Development Sector Professionals
  • Non-Government Organizations (NGO) Professionals

The programme will be taught by the esteemed IIM Calcutta Faculty and industry experts. . To meet your future mentors, visit here

The programme will be delivered in an interactive online format, retaining effectiveness while maintaining safety. The format uniquely combines the benefits of an in-class programme with the flexibility and safety of online learning.

  • Synchronous programme delivery by expert faculty
  • Interact and get doubts answered by faculty
  • Peer learning through working in groups with other participants
  • Support from mentors for projects
  • Re-attend classes through recorded archives
  • Access videos easily with searchable and indexed video archives
  • Learn from the comfort and safety of your home
  • Office hours with one-on-one mentor support

Your peer group will consist of diverse professionals from various industries and backgrounds, including:

  • Corporate Executives
  • Start-up Investors and Entrepreneurs
  • Legal Professionals
  • Communications Experts
  • Development Sector Professionals
  • Non-Government Organizations (NGO) Professionals

You will get access to TalentSprint’s career accelerator program designed to empower and guide you toward professional success.

Yes, participants of this programme get an Executive Education Alumni status of IIM Calcutta, one of the top two ranked B-Schools in Asia.

The programme format with LIVE Interactive Sessions, capstones, business simulation and case study analysis enables a conducive environment to network with your peers in the cohort. Most participants can continue to network even after the cohort by using the alumni portal.

As an Institution of National Importance, IIM Calcutta enjoys autonomous status under the MHRD. This program is a fully approved certificate program offered through IIM Calcutta's Executive Education.

All participants are required to execute, before the start of the program, an agreement that consists of the standard programme Terms and Conditions. It has the following components:

  • Part A: Etiquette and Platform Rights
    Classroom Etiquette & General Policy Guidelines
    Tools and Platforms in Use
    Tools and Platforms: Terms of Use
  • Part B: Honor Code
  • Part C: Certification
  • Part D: Programme Fee, Refund, and Termination Policy

Eligibility and Selection Process

Candidates will be selected based on the details of education, work experience, and a statement of purpose submitted along with the application.

A Relationship Manager will be assigned to the applicant, who will gather all the necessary information and represent his/her candidature to the selection committee for review. The profiles will be sent to IIM Calcutta for selection.

Education: Any Bachelor/Master’s degree in any discipline with a minimum 50% marks

Experience: Professionals with a minimum experience of 3 years can apply

Join in these easy steps:

  • Share your details and apply for the programme
  • Submit all the necessary documents
  • The programme selection committee will evaluate your candidature
  • Upon selection, complete your enrollment and join the programme

Programme Content

Module I: Perspectives and Foundations

Sustainability: Understand how business operates within a complex interplay of economic, political, regulatory, and social factors and their profound impact on sustainability.

  • Short-Termism and its Long-term Consequences
  • Environmental Economics
  • Climate Change and its Economic Implications
  • The Circular Economy
  • The Regulatory Landscape – Institutions and Governance
  • Gender Inequity and Sustainability

Sustainability: Gain an insight into how stakeholders perceive sustainability and what they consider essential for a business to operate responsibly.

  • Firm’s Dynamics and Managerial Decision-Making
  • Business Environment
  • The Business Case for Sustainability
  • Reinventing Capitalism: Ethical Debates Around Sustainability

The Sustainable Development Goalss and Ethical Environmental, Social and Governance: Enhance your know-how on how the Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goalss) can become pivotal for corporate decision-making, specifically for a robust corporate Ethical Environmental, Social and Governance paradigm.

  • A primer on Sustainable Development Goalss
  • Integrating Sustainable Development Goalss into a firm’s business decisions
  • The concept of materiality
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Ethical Environmental, Social and Governance reporting

Module II: Applying Sustainability Principles in Business

Green and Sustainable Finance: Deepen your understanding of financial processes, capital allocation, and risk assessment from the perspective of sustainability.

  • Managerial Finance for Sustainability
  • Environmental Valuation
  • Green Finance and Financial Instruments
  • Role of Public Institutions in Capital Mobilization
  • Global Macro-finance Environment for Decarbonization

Sustainability Risk Management: Delve into how diverse stakeholders are exposed to risks due to business activities, specifically focusing on sustainability risks in the short/long term.

  • Multi-stakeholder risk assessment
  • Valuing sustainability risks and opportunities
  • Risk Management and Mitigation Strategies
  • Disasters and firm response

Creating Sustainable Organizations: Get equipped with tools and practices to embed sustainability into core business functions such as supercharging supply chains, RoI-driven marketing strategies and more.

  • Structure and Process – Sustainable Supply Chains
  • Sustainable Value Chain
  • Culture for Sustainability – Organization Design
  • Sustainable Product Design: From Concept to Market
  • Integrating Sustainability into Core Business Strategy - Creating Shared Value
  • Marketing for Sustainable Business Systems and Green Brand Management
  • Creating Narratives for a Firm
  • Environmental Compliance and CSR

Module III: Managing the Future

Forecasting Sustainability Challenges: Learn how AI can make businesses more lean and agile in responding to sustainability challenges. Analyze the global political landscape around climate change.

  • Natural Resource Constraints
  • Role of AI
  • New Skills and Competitiveness
  • Changing International Geopolitics in the Context of Climate Change
  • Challenges of Energy Transition
  • Learning from the Community

Sustainable Design Thinking: Become adept at using design thinking frameworks and build sound business models incorporating sustainability. Learn to use digital tools to transform business for a sustainable future.

  • Systems Thinking for Sustainability
  • Product Innovation and Sustainability
  • Developing a Sustainability Mindset

Sustainability as Normal Business Practice - Integrative Projects :Put your skills to the test through capstone projects. Solve complex issues, demonstrating your readiness to integrate sustainability in business.

  • Environmental, Social and Governance Business Simulations
  • Improv and Role-playing Exercises

Schedule and Details

The programme starts in February 2025.

It is a 12 months programme comprising of

  • Two campus visits of 3 days each to IIM Calcutta
  • Live Interactive Sessions by IIM Calcutta Faculty on weekends.
  • Best-in-class Self-learning Content, Case Studies, Business Game Simulation, Quizzes and Assignments

The programme will be delivered through faculty-led interactive live sessions on TalentSprint’s ipearl.ai. These online sessions will be held at a schedule convenient for working professionals. Participants will be able to interact with the faculty through video, audio, and chat. They will also be able to chat with fellow participants of the programme during online sessions.

As per the programme norms, participants have to maintain at least 75% of attendance during the programme. Going by the curriculum, it is recommended that participants maintain attendance for enriched learning. In the event of unavoidable circumstances, if any, one can access the recorded lectures on our platform to cover up for the missed sessions.

The programme includes continuous formative and summative assessments. The final scores will be determined based on the sum of scores of various assessments.

Yes, participants are required to have their laptops.

Reading material (pre/post session) will be shared regularly through the Online Learning Management System. The access will be available for 1 year from the date of the commencement of the programme.

A certificate of successful completion is provided upon completion of all requirements of the programme. All examinations and evaluations related to the certification are carried out by IIM Calcutta.

Programme Fee

For programme fee-related details, please visit fee page

Yes, flexible EMI options are available that enable you to pay the programme fee in instalments. Please reach out to your RM to know about the details of the schemes available.

For scholarship-related details please visit Fee Page. You can also reach out to your RM for more details.

No, the application fee is non-refundable.

No. The programme fee is non-refundable and non-transferable under any circumstances.

Professionals have multiple options for funding.

  • Sponsored by employer
  • Self-funded: Based on our experience of enabling 3000+ professionals who have participated in our executive programs, self-funding is the most preferred option with over 80% choosing this. Three key reasons why professionals opt for it:
      Freedom: To opt for a programme of their choice, at a time of their choice, with an institution of their choice and not be restrained by the organization’s policy.
      Flexibility: To pursue greater career opportunities well even beyond their current employer or to nurture their entrepreneurial ambitions.
      Funding: Access to flexible EMI schemes. We have also observed that the commitment levels were higher among self-funding participants.

About the Platform

iPearl.ai (Interactive Platform for Experiential and Remote Learning) is created by TalentSprint’s engineering team led by our Chief Technology Officer, an IIT Kanpur alumni. The platform integrates best-in-class open source technologies and SaaS services and perfected them over the last seven years.

When this platform was built, we intended to offer it to our partners and customers for digital learning and delivery. Since 2013, the platform has been extensively used by IIM Calcutta, Indian Institute of Sciences, IIT Kanpur, IIIT Hyderabad and IIT Hyderabad, and many more of our customers and partners. More than 300,000 students have used this platform, which is reputed for user experience, quality, and scale.

This feature-rich platform has become so popular that some of our partners are now using it for their academic needs.

The tried and tested direct-to-device platform enables 24 x 7 learning for its users. Some key benefits of the platform are:

  • Intuitive student experience through a user-friendly LMS
  • Seamless faculty experience through state-of-the-art Studios
  • Highly Interactive Online Classes
  • Effective group/peer learning/projects through Breakout Rooms
  • Proctored Online Assessments with detailed analysis
  • Insightful Reports on student engagement and performance
  • Flexible integration with other components, as needed

A comparative study of iPearl.ai against Canvas, Impartus, Moodle, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom was conducted. Features in the following categories were compared:

  • Instructor-led Learning
  • Self-paced Learning
  • Assessments/Evaluations
  • User Experience
  • Customer Support
  • Scalability and Performance
  • Integration and Customization
  • Others

Do not worry. In case you miss a session, you will be given access to view the recorded version of the session soon.

  • An internet-connected device, Computer/Laptop/Tablet/Smartphone, is enough to access the platform.
  • Web camera and Mic with necessary power backup will be needed for proctored online assessments.

Others

  • EQUIS, AMBA & AACSB Accreditation
  • #5 in NIRF B-School Rankings
  • #2 in Asia for B schools
  • Global Alumni Network

The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta was established as the first national institute for Post Graduate Studies and Research in Management by the Government of India in November 1961, in collaboration with Alfred P. Sloan School of Management (MIT), the Government of West Bengal, The Ford Foundation, and the Indian Industry. Over the years, IIM Calcutta has grown into a mature institution with a global reputation, imparting high-quality management education. It has been playing a pioneering role in professionalizing Indian management through its Post Graduate and Doctoral level Programmes, Executive Training Programmes, and Research and Consulting Activities. For more information please visit the IIM Calcutta website.