logo logo

Programme Start
27th July, 2025

Programme Fees
₹2,71,600 + GST

Duration
09 Months

Eligibility

Work Experience:
- Minimum ONE year of relevant working experience (excluding internships and trainings)
- Bachelor's degree (10+2+3) or equivalent in any discipline with minimum 50% of aggregate marks

*EMI subject to eligibility and availability prescribed by the financial body.

Admission Criteria

The selection will be based on candidates’ application, the SOP, and credentials.
Bulk discretion of IIM Calcutta.

Programme Overview

IIM Calcutta’s Start-Up Readiness, Growth, and Execution (SURGE): An Entrepreneurship Programme is a comprehensive, nine-month journey designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills essential for navigating India's dynamic start-up ecosystem.

Recognising the vast opportunities across technology, tech-enabled services, and traditional businesses, this programme addresses the critical components of a successful venture—from developing robust business ideas and understanding regulatory frameworks to mastering the intricacies of building and managing a new organisation. Culminating in a campus visit, you will get to present your business plans to a panel, which includes a venture capitalist, providing valuable feedback and potential support for standout ideas.

campus immersion

Overview: Experience learning with an enriching 3+3-day campus immersion at IIM Calcutta, three days at the start and three at the end, a mandatory experience for the successful completion of your journey. Immerse yourself in an environment of innovation, collaboration, and thought leadership, guided by the expertise of IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP).

Dual Campus Experience: Three days of introductions, theory sessions, and hands-on exercises at the beginning, followed by three days of business plan evaluation and investor pitching at the end.

Faculty Expertise: Learn from faculty who have successfully incubated and funded three companies.

Mentorship for Capstone Projects: Personalised guidance from IIMCIP to refine and elevate your capstone project.

Elimination & Selection:  All participants will present their plans to a panel—some will advance and potential ideas will be selected for funding.

Details of past industry experts & mentors: Mr. K. Ganesh, Mr. Balaraman Jayaraman, Mr. Ajay Jain, Mr. Hari Balasubramanian, Mr. Prabir Kumar Chatterjee, Mr. Bharat Salhotra, Mr. Devasis Gupta, Mr. Sanjoy Sen, Mr. Srikant Sastry.

Programme Highlights

1:1 mentoring to refine and strengthen your business plans

Opportunity to pitch your business plan to investors and secure seed funding

Capstone project presentation before venture capitalists, distinguished entrepreneurs, and IIMC faculty

Joint certification from IIM Calcutta & IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP)

IIM Calcutta Executive Education Alumni status for all successful participants

Networking opportunities with entrepreneurs, founders, academics, and investors

Weekend sessions led by IIM Calcutta faculty, industry leaders, and IIMCIP mentors

9-month programme for entrepreneurs and professionals to sharpen business competence

Mental toolkit & competence sharpener for budding entrepreneurs

Class Schedule

Sundays
09:00 AM – 12:00 PM (IST)

Programme Curriculum

1. Introduction & Startup Journey


  • Life Cycle of Startup
  • Focus on Valley of Death
  • Why Startups Fail
  • Managing Innovation

2. Ideation & Validationa


  • User / Customer centric solution
  • Customer and User identification
  • Problem Definition
  • CVP canvas

3. Product Development & MVP


  • Value Chain Analysis
  • MVP Design
  • MVP Validation

Read More >

4. Marketing & Strategy


  • TAM, SAM, SOM
  • Differentiation Strategies
  • Market Potential
  • USP
  • Pricing

5. Go-to-Market Strategy


  • Creating Awareness
  • Reaching Customer
  • Acquiring Customer
  • Servicing, Retaining Customer
  • Leveraging Channels
  • Branding

6. Financial Planning & Funding


  • Understanding Cost
  • Understanding Revenue
  • Profitability concept
  • Break Even
  • Funding Needs
  • Unit Economics

7. Building the organization


  • Designing Org structure
  • Attracting talent
  • Team Design

8. The Business Plan


  • Components of Business Plan
  • Finalizing the Business Plan
  • Pitch Deck preparation

Read Less <

*Courses are subject to change.

Certification and Alumni Status

At the end of the course, eligible students will receive a ‘Certificate of Successful Completion’ of the programme issued jointly by IIM Calcutta and IIMC Innovation Park, along with a grade sheet carrying grade of their Capstone Project (Business Plan). Besides a minimum attendance of 75% in every module/course, it is mandatory for participants to attend the campus visit for successful completion of the programme.

Benefits of IIM Calcutta’s Executive Education Alumni :

  • Join a powerful community of alumni.
  • Connect with your peers and the institute with the exclusive alumni portal.
  • Get an email ID with IIM Calcutta’s domain.
  • Stay in the loop with exclusive newsletters and updates.
  • Write about jobs or LIVE project opportunities for your peers to see.
  • Why stop learning? Be entitled to a discount of 5% on the programme fee for another IIM Calcutta LDP Programme.

Disclaimer: *All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of IIM Calcutta.

Past Participants Profiles

Top Job Grades

  • Founder & CEO
  • Director
  • Partner
  • Manager
  • Deputy Manager
  • Proprietor
  • Engineering Manager
  • Analyst
  • Programme Developer

Top Industries

  • Information Technology
  • Marketing
  • Energy
  • Financial Services
  • Consumer Goods
  • Retail Industry
  • E-Learning
  • Automotive

Programme Director

Prof. Vidyanand Jha
Professor, Organisational Behaviour Group, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

Teaching at IIM Calcutta since 1997, Prof. Vidyanand Jha (Prof. Jha) teaches on Organisation Behaviour; Organisation Theory; Management of Creativity and Innovation; Human Resources Management; Management of Organisational Change; Interpersonal and Group Behaviour; Stress Management, Communication and Presentation Skills, Organisational Development; and Knowledge Management.

Read More >

He has conducted programmes for a large number of organisations like L&T, ABP, PayPal, Cognizant, NTPC, IOC, SAIL, LIC, SBI, etc. He has also conducted many programmes in Bangladesh for Coats Bangladesh, Royal Danish Embassy, Chittagong Skills Development Centre, Akij Group, and Robi Axiata. He has also served on boards of a financial start up and an incubator.

Prof. Jha designed and offered the first online course from IIM Calcutta called Personal Effectiveness in the New Economy in the early 2000s. He was also the first co-director of the first long-duration programme offered by IIM Calcutta, named Special Management Programme. He was one of the first persons to direct asynchronous and synchronous online programmes for working managers at IIM Calcutta.

His current research interests include managing organisational change; managing creativity and innovation; and social entrepreneurship and diversity.

A visiting faculty at Management Schools in Bangkok and Santiago, he was also invited by the Sultanate of Oman as a keynote speaker in the SME conference. He has also co-conducted open management development programmes in the United Arab Emirates

Prof. Jha has a Ph.D. in organisational Behaviour from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a Post Graduate Diploma from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand, India.

He is also a poet, short story writer, and literary critic in Maithili and his books of poems have been awarded by reputed Maithili cultural organisations. He also has a deep and abiding interest in cinema and completed the Certificate Course in Film Appreciation from FTII, Pune.

Read Less <

Prof. Saptarshi Purkayastha
Associate Professor, Strategic Management Group, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

Prof. Saptarshi Purkayastha (Prof. Purkayastha) is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at IIM Calcutta, specialising in international business, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate strategy. With a Ph.D. from ICFAI University, he has earned multiple accolades, including the John H. Dunning Fellowship at Henley Business School.

Read More >

His research focuses on the strategic impact of business groups in emerging markets, covering topics like diversification, ownership dynamics, and CSR performance. Prof. Purkayastha brings a wealth of industry-relevant insights into the complexities of global and emerging market business landscapes.

Read Less <