Post Graduate Program in Brand Management (PGP-BM) by The Specialist Brand School: India's First Brand-Focused 1-Year PGD Program

JAGSoM’s Transformative Journey – Key milestones
Before we review The Specialist Brand School, here are the key milestones in the transformative journey of sponsoring institute JAGSoM since 2010…
 

• In 2010, BITS Alumni & Tech-entrepreneur Sanjay Padode took over as the Chairman of IFIM Business School, set up in 1995 by his Father late Shri VB Padode, founder of Dalal Street Journal (DSJ) Group.

• In 2018, IFIM Business School became the sixth B-school in India after ISB, TAPMI, IIM Calcutta, IMT Ghaziabad, and XLRI, to be AACSB Accredited.

• On October 21, 2020, IFIM Business School Bangalore got rechristened as JAGSoM Bangalore after globally respected management guru Padma Bhushan Dr. Jagdish Sheth.

• QS Masters in Marketing Ranking 2021 ranked JAGSoM Bangalore amongst the Top 100 such programs in the world. It continues to feature in this ranking for last many years.

• In February 2022, JAGSoM became one of the first B-schools in India to get Multi-Campus (Bangalore & Mumbai-Karjat) & Multi-Program (BBA, MBA, PGDM, PGDM Executive) Accreditation from AACSB International.

• JAGSoM is firmly established as No. 2 Business School in Bangalore, second only to IIM Bangalore. JAGSoM was ranked 26th All India by Business Today Rankings 2024 and ranked 11th in India among top private business schools by MBAUniverse.com Rankings 2024.

• JAGSoM operates from two campuses: Bangalore (flagship campus since 1995) and Greater Mumbai (started in 2019 at the Vijaybhoomi University).

• Alumni Network: JAGSoM has an alumni base of over 9000 professionals working across India, the Middle East, Europe and North America in leadership and specialist roles across industries. 

The Specialist Brand School PGP-BM: Program at a Glance

Why a Specialist Brand School? The Genesis
The Specialist Brand School positions itself as a pioneering, single-discipline institution dedicated entirely to brand education, a model rarely seen in Indian management education. The school’s philosophy is built on three core beliefs:

• Brands are built by people who can think, not just execute
• Brand managers are custodians of meaning, value, and long-term growth
• Brand management must be taught as a serious business discipline and craft

This stance translates into four declared principles guiding the program: Brand Thinking Before Brand Action, Brands are Critical to Business Leadership, Consumers Create Brands, and Enduring Brands are Built with Integrity. The school’s pedagogical preference is for first principles over fashionable tools, judgement over jargon, and clarity over complexity, a deliberate counter to what its founders see as the increasing commoditisation of brand work.

Leadership: Dean Anand Narasimha
The PGP-BM is led by Prof. Anand Narasimha, Dean of TSBS, who brings over 40 years of brand strategy experience spanning industry and academia. Prof. Anand has worked on brands for global majors including P&G, Nestlé, Dabur, ITC, Britannia, Sony, Samsung, Hyundai, and HSBC.

He is also Professor-of-Brands at JAGSoM and a visiting faculty for executive programs at top IIMs and IIT-Madras. Recognised among the Top 25 Brand Marketing Professionals in Asia-Pacific, his career is decorated with 2 Cannes Lions and 3 Global EFFIEs. Prof. Anand is an alumnus of BITS-Pilani and IIM Calcutta.

Advisory & Academic Council

The school is guided by a council of senior practitioners that brings together brand consulting, consumer insights, design and strategy expertise:

• Lulu Raghavan — President APAC, Landor; Design & Brand Evangelist
• Rutu Mody Kamdar — Founder, Jigsaw Brand Consultants; Insights & Strategy Expert
• Sandeep Nair — Founder, David & Who; Ex-P&G, Swiggy, Reckitt
• Dr. Sheetal Jain — Luxury Brand Expert; Founder, Luxe Analytics
• Hamsini Shivakumar — Brand Semiotician; Founder, Leapfrog Strategy Consulting

The full faculty roster extends to include Prof. Rakesh Mediratta (Ex-Vodafone, Raymond), Lakshmipathy Bhat (Ex-Robosoft, FCB Ulka, Grey), Ashish Dar (Strategic Advisor & Design Thinker), Malavika Harita (Independent Director & Brand Strategist), Dr. Tuhin Chattopadhyay (AI & Analytics Thought Leader, JAGSoM), Dr. Banantika Datta (Economics, JAGSoM), and Prof. Pooja Gupta (Finance, JAGSoM).

Curriculum Architecture: The B-S-O-C Framework

The PGP-BM curriculum is organised around four roles that TSBS believes every strong brand professional must play — captured in the B-S-O-C framework:

• Business Owner — P&L, growth, portfolio, innovation
• Strategist — insights, category, objectives, architecture
• Orchestrator — touchpoints, agencies, integration
• Custodian — coherence, consistency, brand health

The program totals 40 credits, delivered across two semesters (5 months each) followed by a 3-month Brand Practicum.

Semester 1: Foundations of Brand Thinking (5 Months)

Semester 2: Brand Building in Practice (5 Months)

Brand Practicum (3 Months)
The capstone BM 301 Brand Practicum is a 3-month immersion solving live industry challenges with partner companies across FMCG, D2C, Brand Consulting, and Advertising — a significant point of differentiation from purely classroom-based programs.

Curriculum Add On 
The core is supplemented with curated sessions on Personal Branding, Corporate & Employer Branding, B2B Branding, Services Branding, Sonic Branding, Shopper Marketing, Brand Storytelling, and an evolutionary view of Brands — Past, Present and Future.

Eligibility, Selection & Admission Process

Who Should Apply
The PGP-BM is designed for two distinct candidate profiles:

• Fresh graduates/post-graduates who want to start a career in brand management or brand-related roles
• Early-stage professionals in sales, business development, digital marketing, content & social, e-commerce or advertising looking to pivot into dedicated brand roles

Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must be graduates from any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks in graduation, with or without work experience. A valid score in CAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT, or JAGMAT (JAGSoM Entrance Test) is required.

6-Step Admission Process

1. Check Eligibility on the official brandschool.jagsom.edu.in portal
2. Submit Application Form with relevant documents
3. Shortlisting Process based on graduation credentials, work experience, Statement of Purpose, Letter of Recommendation and entrance test score
4. Selection Interview with the Dean evaluating intellectual curiosity, clarity of intent and fit
5. Offer Letter Issued to selected candidates
6. Confirm Admission by paying the first instalment

Fee Structure & Payment Plan

The total program fee is ₹9,00,000 for the non-residential program. The fee is payable in three instalments:

Dean's Scholarships are available on merit for exceptional candidates. Aspirants are advised to apply early and indicate scholarship interest in the application.

Career Paths After PGP-BM
The program prepares graduates for brand-related roles across industries, with four primary career tracks:

With the AACSB accreditation of JAGSoM providing global academic credibility, graduates can target both Indian and international roles across FMCG majors, D2C startups, brand consultancies, ad agencies, and consumer research firms.

How PGP-BM Differs from Traditional MBA
For MBA aspirants weighing this against a 2-year MBA, here are the key differentiators:

• Brand-Centric, Not Generalist: Unlike an MBA with a marketing specialisation, every course is brand-focused
• Practice-Oriented: Designed around real competencies industry actually demands
• Selective & Boutique: A 30-student cohort enables individual mentorship rare in larger MBA programs
• Industry-Led Curriculum: Shaped by practising brand consultants, agency heads and consumer insight specialists
• Shorter Time-to-Market: A 1-year program gets candidates into senior-entry brand roles a full year ahead of MBA peers
• AACSB-Accredited Credential: JAGSoM's accreditation ensures the diploma carries global academic recognition

This makes the PGP-BM a strong consideration for candidates with high clarity on a brand-side career, particularly those with marketing or agency backgrounds who don't want to invest two years and Rs 15-20+ lakh in a generalist MBA.

How to Apply
Interested candidates should visit brandschool.jagsom.edu.in to begin their application. Key actions for May 2026 aspirants:

• Ensure your CAT 2025, XAT 2026, GMAT, NMAT, or JAGMAT scorecard is ready
• In case you do not have any of the above scores, the admission team can enable you to give JAGMAT
• Prepare a strong Statement of Purpose articulating why brands, why now
• Secure a Letter of Recommendation from an academic or professional referee
• Submit application before May 31, 2026. Apply Now.

For Indian MBA aspirants, the launch of TSBS's PGP-BM represents a relevant addition to the post-graduate management education landscape, particularly for those who view brand management as a calling. With the depth of Prof. Anand Narasimha's industry credentials, the AACSB-accredited backing of JAGSoM, and a 30-seat cohort, the program is positioned at the premium-boutique end of the market. For candidates with confirmed interest in brand strategy, brand planning, brand consulting, or consumer insights the PGP-BM merits serious consideration alongside conventional MBA options. Apply Now