Pune Gets An IIM Nagpur Campus In Moshi. But Why Isn’t There An IIM Pune?

By Prashant for PuneriPages.in

Pune: Big news for our city’s education and corporate scene — the Maharashtra State Government has just approved 70 acres of land in Moshi (PCMC) for IIM Nagpur to set up its Pune campus.

On paper, this is a huge win. PCMC and Pune now get to add the IIM brand to an already long list of prestigious institutes. For working professionals, it means you don’t have to travel to Nagpur or Bangalore for executive MBAs and corporate training — it’s coming right to our doorstep.

But let’s be honest, the first thing many Punekars thought was:

👉 “Wait… we’re the Oxford of the East. How come Nagpur gets the IIM, and we’re only getting a satellite campus?”

So, What’s Actually Coming Up in Moshi?

Before we get too carried away, here’s the reality check.

The Moshi campus is not a full-fledged IIM (at least not yet). It’s more of an extension centre of IIM Nagpur, designed for:

Executive MBAs & corporate training
Short-term courses for professionals
Programs tailored to industries around Pune — IT, auto, and manufacturing

The location makes perfect sense. Moshi sits right at the edge of Pune’s massive industrial belts — Chakan, Talegaon, Hinjewadi. Basically, the IIM professors won’t be teaching in an ivory tower, they’ll be right next to the factories, tech parks, and startups that need them most.

Why Pune Deserves Its Own IIM (and Has For Years)

If you look at it logically, there’s no city more qualified to have an IIM in its own name than Pune.

Oxford of the East: We’ve got COEP, SPPU, Symbiosis, FTII, AFMC — the list is endless. An IIM would’ve been the crown jewel.
Corporate Powerhouse: Auto giants in Chakan-Talegaon, IT hubs in Hinjewadi and Kharadi, and PCMC’s engineering backbone — it’s a management lab just waiting to be tapped.
Startup Energy: Pune is buzzing with startups. Imagine an IIM fueling that ecosystem with talent and research.
Student Magnet: With lakhs of students coming here every year, the demand for an IIM Pune is obvious.

So if the case is so strong, why don’t we already have one?

The Harsh Truth: Why Pune Still Doesn’t Have an IIM Pune

Here’s where politics and policy enter the chat.

Regional Balance Policy: The central government tries to spread IITs and IIMs across regions. Since Pune-Mumbai is already booming, the last IIM for Maharashtra (in 2015) went to Nagpur.
The Vidarbha Factor: Nagpur was chosen to boost Vidarbha’s profile, not Pune’s — we were already “too developed” to get another boost.
Existing B-Schools: From SIBM and SCMHRD to PUMBA, Pune already has a solid management ecosystem. Delhi probably thought: “Why give Pune an IIM when it already has enough?”
The Compromise: A satellite campus in Moshi is the middle ground — Pune gets access to IIM programs without violating the regional balance principle.

A Step Forward, But Not the Full Dream

So here we are. On one hand, Punekars should celebrate — the IIM brand is finally in the city. It will help our professionals, industries, and add another feather in Pune’s already overcrowded educational cap.

On the other hand, the dream of seeing “IIM Pune” on the list of India’s top B-schools still feels far away. For now, we’ll have to be content with a “Nagpur campus in Pune.”

Maybe that’s a smart compromise. Or maybe, someday, policymakers will realise that if any city deserves a flagship IIM, it’s ours.

Until then, we’ll take pride that Moshi — yes, Moshi — is where the IIM story in Pune begins.

What do you think? Should we keep pushing for a full-fledged IIM Pune, or is this satellite setup good enough? Let me know in the comments 👇