ISB: Educating & Inspiring Young Business Minds Beyond the Curric

By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor | Friday, 26 September 2025

India as a nation has always laid emphasis on education. Some of the world’s oldest educational institutions, libraries etc have been found in ancient India. This culture of revering intellectual growth has stayed within India’s ethos and is today translated into India’s higher education system.

India today is home to some of the most premier higher education institutions across disciplines. Be it schools imparting technical education or focusing on arts, India has great colleges for every education stream. Business management is no different. However, for years India only had the IIMs as elite management schools. But in 1995, that scenario changed with the establishment of the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad.

ISB come into being to answer the need for a world-class business school in Asia. The founders, some of the best minds from the corporate and academic worlds, anticipated the leadership needs of the emerging Asian economies. ISB hit the trifecta of accreditations from AMBA, EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This signifies the high standard of the education imparted at ISB.

Over the years, ISB has produced some of the most prolific business leaders that the Indian and global business world has seen. The elite business school has also crafted a plethora of women leaders. The current edition of Women Entrepreneurs Review brings to you the stories of a few such leaders.

We feature an in depth conversation with Priya Coulagi. A third-generation entrepreneur, running a family-managed pharmaceutical company, Sigma Laboratories. Having prior experience in operations and finance, Priya’s focus for Sigma Laboratories has been on developing high-quality, niche products for regulated markets.

An ISB alumna, her education instilled a core value of educated risk-taking, which has helped the company position itself as a trusted name in the industry. Priya's commitment to mentoring and strategic thinking leads the company toward sustainable growth and innovation.

Speaking at length about the deep impact created by ISB on her leadership development, Priya says, “Being a cautious person, I was surrounded by people who were taking bold risks, whether in startups, family businesses, or corporate careers. ISB taught me the art of educated risk-taking and making calculated, thoughtful decisions backed by insight”.

Priya’s experience is testament to the wonders that great educational institutions can create. Impact students’ lives beyond the curriculum, institutions like ISB shape visionary world leaders of tomorrow.

For more such stories, read the current edition of Women Entrepreneurs Review.

Your thoughts are welcome.