Business Development Course: From Start to Scale | IIT Madras
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 4622 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Core |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Categories | Management Studies, Managerial Economics |
| Credit Points | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 17 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Master the Art of Business Growth: A 12-Week Journey from Startup to Scale
In today's dynamic and competitive business landscape, the ability to not only start a venture but also scale it effectively is the ultimate differentiator between fleeting ideas and enduring enterprises. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a working professional seeking to drive growth, or a student of management, understanding the systematic process of business development is crucial. The course "Business Development: From Start to Scale", offered under the guidance of a distinguished industry-academic leader, provides a comprehensive roadmap for this very journey.
Learn from an Industry Luminary: Prof. C. Bhaktavatsala Rao
This course is uniquely crafted and delivered by Prof. C. Bhaktavatsala Rao, a veteran with over 46 years of experience driving growth in world-class Indian companies and global MNCs. His credentials speak volumes:
- Academic Excellence: Ph.D. and M.Tech. from IIT Madras, currently serving as the Ajit Singhvi Chair Professor in Management Studies at IIT Madras.
- Proven Leadership: Former Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Pfizer Healthcare India, with a track record of leading green-field and brown-field projects.
- Author & Thought Leader: Author of nine books on strategy and leadership and contributor of over 170 papers, bringing a blend of theoretical rigor and practical wisdom.
- Founder: Established LeaderCrest Academy to disseminate high-quality knowledge on strategy and leadership.
Learning business development from an instructor who has lived the challenges and triumphs of scaling businesses across pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and more provides an unparalleled practical perspective.
Who Should Enroll in This Business Development Course?
This 12-week, 60-lecture program is designed to be universally applicable and highly versatile. It is an ideal fit for:
- Students & Graduates (Undergraduate/Postgraduate) in any discipline who wish to build a strong foundation in business strategy.
- Working Professionals across functions (sales, marketing, operations, finance) aiming to contribute to their organization's growth.
- Aspiring Entrepreneurs & Startup Founders looking for a structured framework to launch and scale their ventures.
- Managers in SMEs and Large Corporations tasked with crafting and executing growth strategies.
- Professionals who have completed an introductory entrepreneurship course and seek the logical next step in their learning.
Prerequisite: A graduation degree in any discipline. No prior management courses are required, making it highly accessible.
Course Overview: A Deep Dive into Strategic Growth
"Business Development: From Start to Scale" is meticulously structured to take learners through the entire spectrum of building and expanding a business. The course moves from foundational concepts to advanced strategic frameworks, enriched with real-world case studies and examples.
Detailed 12-Week Course Layout
| Week | Core Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| Week 1-2: Foundations & Vision | Business fundamentals, marketing's role in development, crafting vision, mission, and strategy. Case studies of excellence. |
| Week 3-4: External Analysis | Industry structure (Porter’s Five Forces), market analysis, competitor analysis, and demand forecasting. |
| Week 5-6: The Customer Core | Understanding customer typologies, market research, design thinking, segmentation, and competitive positioning. |
| Week 7: Value Proposition | Branding strategies, advertising, servitization, and pricing models. |
| Week 8: Corporate Development in Action | Practical case studies across sectors: IT, FMCG, Logistics, Nutraceuticals, and Telecom. |
| Week 9: Growth Structures | Exploring collaborations, strategic alliances, joint ventures, subsidiaries, and M&A. |
| Week 10: Essential Competencies | Building value chain and functional competencies, negotiation, cultural skills, and leadership. |
| Week 11: Strategic Choices | Growth strategies for various industry stages: fragmented, emerging, mature, declining, and global. |
| Week 12: Synthesis & Capstone | Comprehensive case studies on business transformation, strategic alliances, managing turbulence, and creating value from start to scale. |
Key Learning Outcomes
By the end of this intensive course, participants will be equipped to:
- Analyze industry structure and competitive forces to identify opportunities.
- Develop robust market segmentation and customer connection strategies.
- Formulate effective branding, pricing, and marketing strategies.
- Evaluate and execute various corporate development pathways like alliances and M&A.
- Build the essential leadership and functional competencies required for scaling.
- Apply strategic frameworks to real-world business scenarios across different industries.
Essential Reading & Industry Relevance
The course curriculum is supported by seminal texts from management giants, ensuring academic depth. The reading list includes works by Michael Porter, Philip Kotler, W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne, and notably, Prof. Rao's own book, "Strategic Management, Practice and Philosophy for India Inc."
Industry Support: The concepts taught are universal. The course is designed to be recognized and valued by all types of industries—from agile startups to established conglomerates—as the need to start up and scale up is a perpetual business imperative.
Embark on this 12-week journey to transform your understanding of business growth. Whether you aim to launch your own venture, accelerate your career, or drive your organization forward, "Business Development: From Start to Scale" provides the toolkit, the frameworks, and the expert guidance to turn ambition into achievement.
Enroll Now →