SDMIMD

Meet Our Academic Leader- Dr. L. Gandhi

Dr. L. Gandhi is an accomplished academician in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, with over 21 years of postgraduate teaching experience in Management education. His academic excellence has been recognized with the Best Professor in HRM Award by the World HRD Congress, Mumbai. He also teaches at the British University in Dubai (BUiD) under the Faculty Exchange Programme, bringing global perspectives into the classroom.

Dr. Gandhi holds a doctorate in Management and actively researches areas such as Emotional Intelligence, Quality of Work Life, Gamification, Mindfulness, and contemporary HR challenges. He has published extensively in ABDC- and Scopus-indexed journals, contributed book chapters, and presented papers at prestigious platforms including the Academy of HRD (USA), PAN-IIM World Management Conference, and IIM Bodhgaya Research Conference. He serves as a PhD supervisor at the University of Mysore, a reviewer for reputed journals, and is the author of the book ‘Performance Measurement and Reward Systems’ published by ICFAI University. Committed to continuous learning, he has attended Faculty Development Programs at IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Trichy.

In teaching, Dr. Gandhi is known for high-engagement, application-oriented pedagogy, using case methods, psychometric assessments, experiential exercises, and reflective learning models. His teaching interests include OB, HRM, Performance and Talent Management, Emotional Intelligence, and Training & Development. He has also introduced Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness courses to help students enhance focus, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.

Beyond academics, Dr. Gandhi has designed and delivered leadership, EI, mindfulness, and team-building programs for over 3,500 professionals across corporates, banking, healthcare, education, and government sectors. He actively contributes to curriculum development, research mentoring, Board of Studies activities, and experiential outbound learning initiatives. He is also involved in developing Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness Centres for holistic student development.

Speaking about SDMIMD, Mysuru, Dr. Gandhi emphasizes its commitment to nurturing industry-ready, ethically grounded, and emotionally intelligent managers, through strong academia–industry collaboration.

Meet Our Academic Leader—Dr. Vilas Nair

Dr. Vilas Nair is a distinguished academician and seasoned industry professional whose career seamlessly bridges corporate leadership and management education. With over two decades of experience in the FMCG and retail sectors, he brings a powerful blend of strategic insight and hands-on expertise to academia. His deep understanding of marketing, retail ecosystems, and strategic management consistently enriches his teaching and mentoring.

He teaches a wide array of courses, including Marketing Management, Retail Management, Product & Brand Management, Digital Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Sales & Distribution, Strategic Management, and Store Operations & Visual Merchandising. His approach is rooted in nurturing managers who think strategically, act decisively, and lead responsibly.

What truly sets Dr. Nair apart is his application-oriented pedagogy. Leveraging his industry experience, he integrates real-world perspectives into the classroom through case discussions, simulations, role plays, retail audits, store visits, experiential assignments, analytics-driven decision-making, and structured industry interactions. His teaching philosophy emphasizes translating theory into practice while fostering ethical decision-making and managerial readiness.

Complementing his teaching is a strong and contemporary research focus. His interests span Marketing, Retailing, Consumer Behaviour, Digital Marketing, Sustainability, and Influencer-led Brand Communication. His work explores digital strategies for small businesses, influencer impact on purchase behaviour, retail dynamics, and sustainability-driven consumer responses. His bibliometric studies on retail research trends highlight his commitment to tracking emerging academic and industry directions.

Dr. Nair has published in reputed international journals, conference proceedings, and edited volumes, including IEEE and IGI Global, reflecting his contribution to both theoretical and applied knowledge.

Beyond academics, he plays an active role in institutional development, having served as Placement Coordinator, NAAC/NBA Accreditation Coordinator, IEDC Nodal Officer, and YIP Mentor. He collaborates closely with students, faculty, corporate partners, and government agencies to strengthen academic quality and industry engagement.

He is also deeply involved in Management Development Programs, executive education, faculty development, consultancy, and industry–academia collaboration. Through these initiatives, he extends his expertise to professionals while mentoring future leaders.

Through his integrated commitment to teaching, research, leadership, and industry engagement, Dr. Vilas Nair continues to shape competent, ethical, and future-ready business leaders.