Bodh Gaya: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bodh Gaya is expanding its footprint in community development through its flagship Rural Immersion for Social Engagement (RISE) programme. Now in its latest edition, the initiative has seen 145 students from the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) partner with 20 development organisations to deliver grassroots impact across 13 Indian states.
Launched as a locally focused initiative in Bihar, RISE has grown into a nationwide effort aimed at embedding social responsibility into the core of management education. This year’s fieldwork stretched from tribal settlements in the Nallamala forest region of Telangana to aspirational districts in Uttar Pradesh, with students tackling key challenges in education, water, sanitation, clean energy and rural livelihoods.
The institute collaborated with leading development organisations including Tata Trusts (CInI), Bharti Airtel Foundation, Piramal Foundation, BAIF, Tata Steel Foundation and Ramky Foundation. Students were integrated into live projects—auditing rural schools, conducting health and demographic surveys, aiding digital transformation of self-help group enterprises, and promoting renewable energy in off-grid areas.
In Bihar, IIM Bodh Gaya maintained its sustained engagement with five adopted villages—Mahudar, Bapunagar, Turi Khurd, Turi Buzurg and Rampur—where students carried out baseline surveys, menstrual health awareness campaigns, and school evaluations. Institute-led programmes such as Sparsh and Happy Period were also scaled up, in collaboration with Glad Bharat Foundation and JEEViKA.
“RISE is more than a field-based learning module,” the institute said in a statement. “It is a platform where management education is rooted in real-world relevance, empowering students to engage meaningfully with communities and emerge as empathetic, action-oriented leaders.”
With its growing geographic reach and partnerships, RISE continues to bridge the gap between academic learning and social impact, reinforcing IIM Bodh Gaya’s vision of creating business leaders who are not just industry-ready, but society-ready.
