India, September 5, 2025 – KNOLSKAPE, a leading global experiential learning technology company, today announced a strategic partnership with IMD Business School, one of the world’s premier institutions for leadership and organizational development. Through this collaboration, KNOLSKAPE becomes IMD’s first official partner in India, significantly enhancing access to IMD’s executive programs, including the signature Orchestrating Winning Performance (OWP) program, for Indian business leaders.
Addressing Critical Skills Readiness Challenges
The partnership responds to an increasingly urgent need for advanced leadership development capabilities across India’s business landscape. According to the India Skills Report 2025, only 54.8% of graduates are considered job-ready, creating substantial challenges for organizations seeking leaders equipped to navigate rapidly evolving business environments. This skills gap is particularly pronounced in areas experiencing significant technological and digital transformation.
The strategic alliance leverages IMD’s globally recognized program portfolio and KNOLSKAPE’s specialized expertise in learning and development to provide Indian executives enhanced access to world-class leadership development opportunities combined with experiential simulation-based learning methodologies.
Leadership Vision and Strategic Objectives
“India has reached a critical inflection point where demand for capable leaders significantly exceeds supply,” said Rajiv Jayaraman, Co-founder and CEO of KNOLSKAPE. “This partnership with IMD addresses our belief that the gap between organizational expectations and talent readiness must be systematically closed. By contextualizing IMD’s world-class programs for the Indian market, we are providing leaders with the confidence and strategic foresight necessary to excel in continuously evolving business environments.”
Mark Greeven, Dean of Asia at IMD, emphasized the partnership’s strategic value: “IMD’s mission centers on challenging existing paradigms while inspiring transformational possibilities, developing leaders who drive organizational transformation toward more prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive outcomes. Through our collaboration with KNOLSKAPE as a trusted partner, we can achieve greater scale in India while providing sharper local market context. By combining practical learning approaches, peer exchange opportunities, and research-driven insights, we aim to help Indian leaders develop clarity and confidence to navigate both local realities and global challenges.”
Comprehensive Leadership Development Framework
The partnership combines IMD’s benchmarked leadership development methodologies with KNOLSKAPE’s proven experiential learning platforms, providing organizations expanded access to comprehensive offerings designed to prepare leaders for contemporary complex challenges. The collaboration aligns international best practices with India’s specific workforce development needs, ensuring companies across sectors can cultivate leaders capable of driving innovation, managing disruption, and delivering sustained organizational growth.
The integrated approach addresses critical leadership competencies through simulation-based learning experiences that mirror real-world business scenarios, enabling participants to develop practical skills in controlled environments before applying them in their professional contexts.
Market Impact and Accessibility
This partnership significantly enhances the accessibility of premium leadership development programs for Indian executives who previously faced barriers to accessing internationally recognized business education. The collaboration creates pathways for professional development that combine global standards with local market understanding, addressing the specific challenges faced by leaders operating within India’s dynamic business environment.
About KNOLSKAPE
KNOLSKAPE operates as the world’s largest experiential learning technology company, enabling organizations to build future-ready workforces through AI-enabled, immersive learning solutions. The company serves over 400 enterprises across more than 20 countries, delivering simulation-based learning experiences to more than 500,000 professionals annually. KNOLSKAPE’s proprietary GENIE platform supports learning across multiple domains including leadership development, digital transformation, diversity equity and inclusion (DEI), emotional intelligence, and AI readiness.
About IMD
The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) has been pioneering leadership development for nearly 80 years. Founded by business for business, IMD operates as an independent university institute with Swiss heritage and global reach. Based in Lausanne with strategic hubs in Singapore, Shenzhen, and Cape Town, IMD annually engages with over 19,000 executives from more than 120 countries. The institution’s 145,000+ alumni constitute a powerful global network. Consistently ranked among the world’s top business schools, IMD bridges cutting-edge research with practical application to help leaders solve complex problems, scale solutions, and drive meaningful impact through its “Real Learning for Real Impact” philosophy.
