Chennai,Sep 24: Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, India’s trusted business school for future-ready leaders, has opened admissions for the 2027–28 batch of its Post Graduate Program in Management – Family Business & Entrepreneurship. The one-year, full-time MBA program is designed for graduates from family businesses, successors preparing to take on larger responsibilities, and entrepreneurs building their own ventures.
Commenting on the program, Dr. Debashis Sanyal, Director, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, said,
“India’s family businesses are the backbone of our economy, and the next generation stepping into leadership roles will determine how they compete over the next several decades. The PGPM-FBE was conceived with this need in mind, recognising that conventional management education often does not fully address the unique complexities of family enterprises, from the interplay of ownership and governance to succession, leadership transition and innovation.”
The program is spread across seven terms. Alongside foundational management subjects, participants study areas such as professionalising the family business, succession planning, family office management, intergenerational conflict and governance. There is also a focus on applying what participants learn to their own businesses. Through the Capstone Business Plan Development module, students work on a comprehensive business plan for their enterprise. The Great Pitch platform gives them an opportunity to present their ideas to industry experts and venture capitalists, while the Live Investment Club introduces them to areas such as investment analysis, wealth management and capital allocation.
Connecting Great Lakes’ wider alumni community of more than 16,000 professionals across 30-plus countries, the program includes visiting faculty from institutions such as Stanford, Kellogg and Yale, along with Great Lakes’ full-time faculty. Students also interact with industry leaders, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists through the program. International exposure forms another part of the program. Students can undertake an international immersion at IÉSEG School of Management in France. They can also choose a dual-degree pathway that allows them to pursue a second MBA from the University of Bordeaux following the program.
For many family businesses, the transition from one generation to the next brings questions that go beyond day-to-day business management. The next generation may need to navigate questions of leadership, ownership, governance and how the business can continue to grow while retaining its identity. The PGPM-FBE has been structured around these realities, combining core management education with subjects specific to family enterprises. Learning also extends beyond the classroom. Through Karma-Yoga, Great Lakes’ Leadership Experiential Action Program, participants work with rural communities and explore themes around social impact, leadership and purpose-driven enterprise.
Admissions and eligibility
The PGPM-FBE 2027–28 is open to graduates from any discipline who are part of a family business, successors of a family business, or aspiring or full-time entrepreneurs. Applicants can apply through GMAT 2024 or later, CAT 2025/26, XAT 2026/27, NMAT 2025 onwards, or the Great Lakes Aptitude Test .