CMO Shankar Muralidharan asserts that Prestige University combines world-class, interdisciplinary education with real-world experiences and global opportunities. With a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and experiential learning, it prepares students to thrive in the age of AI and beyond.

Shankar Muralidharan is the Chief Marketing Officer at Prestige University, Indore.

For the past 25 years, he has dedicated his career to guiding students, providing them with insightful career counselling, and helping them understand what paths are most suitable for them. His experience enables young minds to make informed decisions about their future, distinguishing between opportunities that are beneficial and those that may not be ideal.

He reflects that in 1995, when he was studying in the 12th grade, there was a common perception that students who were unsure about their future often opted for Law. At that time, careers such as Engineering, Medicine, and Chartered Accountancy were considered respectable and promising, while Law was not viewed as a strong or aspirational choice.

However, by 2005, a significant shift began to take place. The establishment of institutions like Jindal Global University in Sonipat transformed legal education in India. Law schools gained prominence, and law emerged as a highly respected and rewarding career option. Alongside this, several new career opportunities began to appear, and this evolution continued steadily until around 2015.

When he looks at the situation in 2025, he believes the biggest challenge facing fresh graduates today is employment. For the first time in nearly 60 years, even prestigious institutions such as IIT Bombay have witnessed placement challenges over the past two years. According to him, the primary reason behind this disruption is Artificial Intelligence (AI).

CMO Shankar Muralidharan strongly emphasizes that while most people actively use tools like ChatGPT on their phones, very few truly understand the technology behind them. Without even knowing the full form of GPT, he argues, people remain vulnerable, helpless, and unprepared in front of AI-driven change.

Sharing a real-life example, he mentions a senior friend who recently visited TCS Mumbai. This friend, who is the CEO of a large company, observed that nearly half of his acquaintances had lost their jobs there. Another striking example is Amazon—once one of the largest recruiters globally—which has recently laid off nearly 10% of its workforce. These developments clearly illustrate how AI has made 2025 fundamentally different from 2015, 2005, or even 1995.

He addresses a common argument that every decade brings new technology and questions why AI should be considered any different. His response is powerful: AI is not like Instagram or WhatsApp—it is comparable to the invention of fire. Thousands of years ago, when humans discovered fire, they became stronger than animals. In the same way, in his opinion, AI is the fire of the modern age.

Muralidharan believes that once people truly understand this, they will begin to explore AI-enabled and AI-proof careers. He cites the example of ‘Vantara’, a recently launched project that is considered the world’s largest artificial jungle—representing careers that AI simply cannot disrupt.

While AI has undeniably eliminated many jobs, it has also created new opportunities. It can assist individuals in finding employment even as it transforms the nature of work. There are several career fields, he notes, where AI will have minimal impact—such as mental health services, space tourism, and other deeply human or experiential professions. This is precisely why career planning in 2025 requires a completely new mindset.

Over the last 25–30 years, India benefited immensely from the wave of Information Technology. Companies like Infosys became global success stories and were even listed on the New York Stock Exchange due to India’s combination of low cost and high-quality talent. Today, however, AI offers near-zero cost with superior quality. Tasks that once required three to four lakh software engineers working for months can now be completed by advanced AI chatbots in just minutes.

Shankar Muralidharan concludes by stating that humanity is now living in an entirely different era—one unlike anything seen in the last 7,000 years. This is a time of revolution. To survive and succeed, individuals must understand technologies like ChatGPT, grasp the meaning behind concepts such as GPT, comprehend emerging tools, and adapt accordingly. Only then can they build meaningful and sustainable careers in this new age.

For the past 25 years, his career has revolved around a single, focused mission: the students. From the very beginning, he has dedicated himself to guiding young minds and helping them excel. He initially worked in the coaching industry, collaborating with higher education institutions such as Flame University, and today he serves at Prestige University. His motto has always been simple and unwavering: students first.

Prestige University is part of the renowned Prestige Group, one of the oldest and leading business groups in Madhya Pradesh. Notably, Prestige was the first in India to launch a BBA program. Education has always been a serious and integral part of the group’s vision. While many universities in MP struggle to maintain a true focus on education, Prestige stands completely apart, with a legacy of three decades of high-quality education across Indore, Dewas, and Gwalior. The campus infrastructure itself has been designed by some of the best architects in India, reflecting the group’s commitment to excellence.

Over the years, the Prestige Brand has earned the trust of students and parents alike, becoming the number one Education Brand in Indore and across Madhya Pradesh. Prestige University itself was established just three years ago, building upon the group’s 25–30 years of successful educational ventures such as PIMR, the School of Engineering, and the School of Law. While these institutions have done exceptionally well, the vision behind establishing Prestige University was broader: it was not just to provide world-class education to students from Indore or MP, but to attract and nurture talent from across India and eventually, the world.

Today, the campus hosts students from Indore and surrounding regions, but for the 2026 batch, applications have already come from Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Indore itself. This demonstrates the growing national appeal of Prestige University. The primary objective in founding the university had always been to create a world-class brand in education. To that end, the university has appointed a Vice-Chancellor with over 20 years of experience at IIMs and is currently in discussions with Purdue University, one of the top institutions in the USA.

Prestige University aims to become the first institution in MP that not only provides exceptional education locally but also ensures students have opportunities to study abroad. The group is actively forging partnerships with leading colleges and universities across the US, Europe, Germany, Japan, Canada, France, and beyond. In line with the principles of globalisation, Prestige is making remarkable strides, and these international collaborations are expected to be finalized soon.

On the other hand, India has over 50,000 colleges and nearly 1,000 universities offering conventional programs such as B.Tech, B.Com, or BBA. Prestige University, however, focuses on Integrated Programs (IMP)—five-year programs like B.Tech+MBA or BBA+MBA. While the university also offers separate two-year programs, the majority of its bachelor’s programs are integrated, designed to equip students with a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving world.

Prestige University aspires to become the first truly interdisciplinary university in Madhya Pradesh. Drawing inspiration from his experience at Jindal University, Sonipat, and Flame University, his vision is to promote interdisciplinary learning that goes beyond textbooks. Students at Prestige are encouraged not only to study in classrooms but also to engage with tribal villages, electricity-deprived regions, and cultural landmarks like the ghats of Banaras. They are expected to research and publish their findings in global journals, fostering a culture of liberalized education, interdisciplinary learning, and major-minor combinations.

In the age of AI, conventional B.Tech or MBA programs alone will no longer guarantee employment. Prestige University aims to create a true impact by connecting students with real-life experiences. Recognizing that India’s potential lies in its villages, the university emphasizes social awareness, rural engagement, and practical learning. One of the founders believes the Indian consumer market is only beginning to grow, and students must be prepared to understand and lead in this diverse yet cohesive environment.

The university maintains a commitment to balanced diversity: a 1:1 ratio of male to female students, urban to rural representation, and students with work experience to those without. Out of approximately 6,000 MBA colleges in India, only 35–40 offer executive MBA programs. Prestige University is proud to be the 41st, and the only institution in Indore apart from IIM Indore offering executive education. The two-year MBA program includes five-month industry internships, enabling students to work alongside companies, understand real-world challenges, and devise solutions—while also participating in sports and extracurricular development.

New sports facilities are being introduced soon, and the university follows a structured experiential learning model: 40% of time in the classroom, 30% on-campus outside the classroom, 20% off-campus in the city, and 10% in specialized activities rarely offered even at the IITs. This holistic approach ensures students develop academically, professionally, and personally.

As the Chief Marketing Officer of the university, Shankar Muralidharan is responsible for elevating the Prestige University brand globally. Currently, 80–90% of students are from Indore and surrounding regions, but the goal is that within five years, 80–90% of students will come from outside MP. The MBA program is already fully residential, making it the second 100% residential campus in Madhya Pradesh after IIM Indore, and plans are underway to make undergraduate programs fully residential as well. This residential model promotes peer learning and immersive education, which is central to Prestige University’s philosophy.

Prestige University stands for world-class, interdisciplinary, experiential education, with a focus on preparing students not only for India but for the world, asserts CMO Shankar Muralidharan.