Certificate Programme in Corporate and Public Leadership in a VUCA World, Batch 03

The 21st century is increasingly recognized as the age of disruption. Global business is being reshaped by wars, trade conflicts, resurgent nationalism, technological rivalries, climate shocks, and regulatory upheavals. Long-standing assumptions about globalisation, supply chain stability, and market predictability are being challenged at an unprecedented pace. In this environment, non-market forces, including geopolitical shifts, social movements, regulatory change, and public sentiment, play a decisive role in determining business outcomes.

Navigating such volatility requires resilient leadership. Corporate leaders today must operate in a BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible) world, managing uncertainty, interpreting complex risks, and making informed decisions under pressure. Effective leadership now extends beyond organizational boundaries: it involves engaging diverse stakeholders, fostering agility in systems, and embedding resilience as a core capability. Building reliability and trust across markets, governments, and societies is essential to sustain long-term performance.

This executive education programme, delivered through 70 online sessions of 75 minutes each, equips corporate leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs with the frameworks, foresight, and multidisciplinary insights needed to lead effectively in disruptive times. Participants gain in-depth knowledge across geopolitics, public policy, ethics, CSR, technology, and industrial strategy, enabling them to anticipate risks, shape strategy, and drive organizational resilience in a constantly evolving global landscape.

Programme Content

Module 1: Geopolitics Strategic Complexity Geopolitics and Growth: Resilient Leadership Beyond Borders

The fractured global order: from liberal globalisation to multipolarity

Geopolitical risks as business risks: contagion and systemic disruption

Trade wars, tariff regimes, and shifting supply corridors

Great-power rivalry (U.S.ChinaEU) and its impact on corporate strategy

The rise of the Global South: BRICS, ASEAN, and new alignments

Case study: Semiconductor wars and the small yards, high fences doctrine

Scenario workshop: Navigating geopolitical flashpoints

Module 2: Business, Government, and Society Beyond the Firm: Leadership at the BusinessPolicySociety Nexus

Focus: power, influence, policy, regulation, lobbying, PPPs

The firm in the age of regulatory activism

Stakeholder capitalism: beyond shareholder value

Businessgovernment relations: lobbying, negotiation, and influence

Society as a stakeholder: civil society, NGOs, and grassroots movements

State-owned enterprises and public accountability

Case study: ESG pressures in extractive industries

Simulation: Negotiating a businessgovernment compact

Panel discussion: Voices from industry, government, and civil society

Module 3: Ethics, CSR, and Responsible Leadership

Focus: ethical decision-making, organisational wrongdoing, legitimacy, managerial dilemmas, ESG frameworks

Ethical dilemmas in times of crisis

CSR and ESG frameworks in a multipolar world

Corporate governance and global accountability

Sustainability transitions: balancing growth and climate responsibility

Cultural contexts of ethics: India, China, Europe, and the U.S.

Case study: The Volkswagen emissions scandal and lessons for trust

Workshop: Building an ethical decision-making toolkit

Module 4: Public Policy and Regulatory Landscapes Future-Proof Leadership: Strategy for a Digital and Disrupted World

Policy as a driver of corporate opportunity and risk

Global trade governance (WTO, regional trade blocs, plurilateral agreements)

Competition law, antitrust, and digital markets

Environmental and labour regulations across jurisdictions

Case study: Indias digital public infrastructure (UPI, Aadhaar, ONDC)

Policy roundtable: The challenges of regulatory harmonisation

Module 5: Industrial Policy in an Age of Disruption

The return of industrial policy in the U.S., EU, China, and India

Green industrial policy: energy transition, EVs, and decarbonisation

Strategic sectors: semiconductors, AI, biotech, and clean energy

Industrial subsidies, WTO tensions, and global supply chains

Case study: The Inflation Reduction Act and global ripple effects

PPP and its role in industrial policy

Module 6: The AI Challenge Innovation and Integrity: Leading in the Age of AI and Accountability

AI as a general-purpose technology: opportunities and disruptions

Risks: bias, misinformation, labour displacement, and security

Ethics of AI and algorithmic accountability

AI in corporate strategy: applications across sectors

AI and geopolitics: national AI strategies and digital sovereignty

Case study: Generative AI in finance, healthcare, and manufacturing

Simulation: Boardroom debate on AI adoption risks and rewards

Workshop: Building an AI governance framework

Module 7: India and the Global South: Policy Futures India and the World: Leadership for the Global South and Beyond

Indias economic trajectory and its leadership aspirations

Industrial policy, Make in India, and digital transformation

Indias regulatory innovations in fintech, health tech, and climate policy

The Global South perspective: SouthSouth cooperation and multipolarity

Case study: Indias renewable energy mission and global leadership

Designing Indias policy strategy for 2030

Note: Courses and modules are indicative and subject to change.

The OLP will be a mix of lectures, case studies, panel discussions, and guest lectures by subject experts.