Mukundhan K.V.

+91 431 250 5077    mukundhan@iimtrichy.ac.in

Strategy and Entrepreneurship

Fellow (IIM Kozhikode), B.E. (Hons.) Electrical and Electronics Engineering (BITS, Pilani)

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Mukundhan is Associate Professor and Area Chairperson of the Strategy and Entrepreneurship area at IIM Tiruchirappalli, where he teaches at the MBA and doctoral levels. His research addresses three interconnected questions: how entrepreneurs shape the institutional environments in which they build ventures, how established firms renew themselves when competitive positions erode, and how emerging market multinationals navigate institutional complexity as they expand globally. Running through these questions is a shared concern with the interplay between strategic agency and institutional context, and with how organisations and the individuals who lead them respond when the ground beneath an established position begins to shift. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented his work at the AOM, AIB, and SMS conferences.
His executive education practice spans Indian industry broadly, from capital-intensive manufacturing and extractive sectors to consumer and financial services. He has designed and facilitated strategic reorientation programmes for senior leadership cohorts across the automotive, banking, construction, and manufacturing industries, working with managers to translate strategic intent into the operating choices their organisations actually make.
Before joining academia, he worked at Samsung R&D and Evalueserve, supporting Microsoft on patent analytics and competitive intelligence, an experience that continues to inform his attention to how firms read and respond to their competitive environments.
His engagement extends beyond the corporate world to questions of inclusive economic participation. He has conducted strategy workshops in Tamil for micro-entrepreneurs and self-help groups under state government livelihood initiatives, trained marginalised entrepreneurs through national and community-based enterprise development organisations, and completed a consulting engagement on transitioning sanitation workers in Tiruchirappalli into entrepreneurship. Across these varied audiences and contexts, his scholarly and applied work share a common orientation: bringing rigorous thinking about strategy and institutions to bear on the choices that managers, founders, and policymakers face.

Journal Articles

Ellis, Chefor; Lyngdoh, Teidorlang; Hochstein, Bryan; Mukundhan, K.V.; Guda, Sridhar | Year – 2025
Extending Agency Theory in Sales Management: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda. Industrial Marketing Management, 125: 195-214. DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.01.001

Sofka, Wolfgang; Papageorgiadis, Nick; Sahasranamam, Sreevas; Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2025
Strategic Vulnerabilities of Emerging Market MNCs – How Litigation Experiences in Weak Patent Systems Increase the Risks of Patent Litigation Abroad. Journal of World Business, 60(3):101624. DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2025.101624

Sahasranamam, Sreevas; Arya, Bindu; Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2022
Dual Institutional Embeddedness and Home Country CSR Engagement: Evidence from Indian MNEs. Journal of Business Research, 141: 163-174. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.003

Mukundhan, K.V., Sahasranamam, Sreevas & Cordeiro, James | Year – 2019
Corporate Investments in Tax Havens: Evidence from India. Asian Business & Management, 18(5): 360-388. DOI: 10.1057/s41291-019-00086-y

Mukundhan, K.V., M.K., Nandakumar | Year – 2016
Stakeholder Influences on the Choice and Performance of FDI-based Market Entry Modes: A Conceptual Model. International Studies of Management & Organization, 46: 63-74. DOI: 10.1080/00208825.2015.1007017

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2013
Organizational Responses to Institutional Changes - A Review and an Extension. IIMK Society and Management Review, 2(1): 21-30. DOI: 10.1177/2277975213496509

Mukundhan, K.V., M.K., Nandakumar | Year – 2013
An Isomorphism Perspective to FDI-Based Entry Mode Strategies of Emerging Market Firms – A Conceptual Model. Strategic Change, 22 (5-6): 259-269. DOI: 10.1002/jsc.1938

Conference/Seminar Proceedings

Prabhu, Dinesh; Dhandapani, Karthik; K.V., Mukundhan | Year – 2025
Who Benefits More from Board Interlocks, Family CEOs, or Professional CEOs for Internationalization? Academy of Management Proceedings. DOI: 10.5465/AMPROC.2025.21117abstract (Best Paper in International Corporate Governance).

Sofka, Wolfgang; Papageorgiadis, Nick; Sahasranamam, Sreevas; Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2024
The Exposure of Emerging Market MNCs to Patent Litigation Abroad. Academy of Management Proceedings. DOI: 10.5465/AMPROC.2024.21072abstract

Mukundhan, K.V., Sahasranamam, Sreevas | Year – 2017
National Innovation Systems & Investment Mode Choices - Evidence from Indian Firms. Academy of Management Proceedings. DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2017.10245abstract

Mukundhan, K.V., Mankavil Kovil Veettil, Nandakumar | Year – 2015
Mimicry in the Choice of FDI-based Market Entry Modes and its Impact on Performance. Academy of Management Proceedings. DOI: 10.5465/ambpp.2015.16401abstract

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2014
Genesis of Management Thought: Comparison between Early American & British-Indian Railroads. Academy of Management Proceedings. DOI: 10.5465/ambpp.2014.12775abstract

Edited Book Chapters

K.V., Mukundhan; Gouda, S.K. | Year – 2026
Climbing Out of the Manhole: The Unrealized Promise of Microentrepreneurship in Tiruchirappalli’s Urban Sanitation Ecosystem. In A. Galande, S. Sahasranamam and E. Rose (Eds.). Context-Inspired Entrepreneurship: Cases from India. Palgrave Macmillan Singapore. ISBN: 978-981-95-9830-4.

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2023
From Technological Innovation to Innovative Business Model Design. In: S. Patnaik, V. Pallotta and K. Tajeddini (Eds.). Global Trends in Technology Startup Project Development and Management. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-40324-8_1. ISBN: 978-3-031-40323-1

Mukundhan teaches across the MBA and Ph.D. programmes at IIM Tiruchirappalli, covering both foundational and advanced topics in strategy and entrepreneurship. His offerings include:

MBA Programmes

Course Type
Strategy Core
The Entrepreneurial Manager Core
Strategic Renewal Elective
Competing in Global Markets Elective

Ph.D. Programmes

Course Type
Theory Building Common Core
Strategy: Theory and Perspectives Area Core
Strategy: Phenomena Area Core
Doctoral Seminar in Entrepreneurship Area Core
Strategic Renewal Area Elective

Company-Specific Programmes

Mukundhan has designed and facilitated customised training programmes for managers across Automotive, Construction, Financial Services, Manufacturing, IT/ITES, Mining, and Oil and Gas industries, with a focus on Strategic Thinking, Entrepreneurial Mindset, and Innovation. His client organizations include:
List of Organisations
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. Bharat Electronics Ltd. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Bureau of Indian Standards Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Karur Vysya Bank Ltd.
L&T Construction (Heavy Civil Infrastructure) L&T Construction (Water and Effluent Treatment) Manappuram Finance Ltd.
NHPC Ltd. NLC India Ltd. Renault Nissan India Pvt. Ltd.
Saint-Gobain Glass India Ltd. TAFE Ltd.

Open-Enrolment Programmes

He regularly teaches in the institute's long-duration certificate programmes and serves as coordinator and lead instructor for the Post Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management. Modules taught across open-enrolment programmes include:
Course Programme
Strategic Analysis for Competitive Advantage Post Graduate Certificate in Executive General Management
Strategic Management Post Graduate Certificate Programme for Senior Managers
Strategic Innovation Post Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management
Global Strategy Post Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management
Technology Strategy Chief Technology Officers Programme
The Strategic Context of Human Resources Management Post Graduate Certificate in Strategic Human Resources Management
The Strategic Context of Digital Transformation Post Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation
Strategies for Managing Digital Products and Platforms Product Management and Agentic AI
Building a Sustainable Business Post Graduate Certificate Programme for Senior Managers

Community Development Programmes

Mukundhan has conducted grassroots strategy workshops in Tamil under the Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihood Mission and the Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Programme, covering ideation, opportunity identification, business model design, and growth strategies for micro-entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and entrepreneurial support organisations in agri-business, food processing, and retail trade. In partnership with the National Institute of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, he has trained 60 SC/ST entrepreneurs on starting up and scaling businesses. Through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Thanjavur, he has delivered growth strategy training for 50 SME entrepreneurs. He currently teaches in the Business Accelerator Programme for SC entrepreneurs, supported by the National SC/ST Hub and the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Capacity-Building Programmes

He has facilitated sessions on Incubation and Entrepreneurship for vice chancellors, principals, and senior academic administrators under the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme, and has designed and delivered training for probationers of the Indian Postal Service, officers of the Indian Armed Forces (under the Directorate General Resettlement), executives of the Department of Evaluation and Research (Government of Tamil Nadu), and Directors of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Government of India).
He serves as an Academic Expert on the Tamil Nadu Thematic Group under the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, Election Commission of India, as part of India's Chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA 2026. Working under the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, he has conducted structured country analyses of electoral campaign frameworks across Australia, New Zealand, France, and Ghana, benchmarking each against eight model electoral standards, and leads the aspect-level synthesis on Institutional Coordination and Capacity Building. The outputs will be published as practitioner-oriented knowledge resources for election management bodies worldwide.
He has served as a trainer and panel evaluator for BEACON cohorts of the Tamil Nadu Technology Hub, and has contributed academic content on Strategic Planning for the Commonwealth of Learning's Leading for Academic and Managerial Proficiency initiative.

Consulting Assignments

In collaboration with the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Mukundhan completed a project on the resettlement of sanitation workers in Tiruchirappalli, facilitating their transition into grey-collar employment and entrepreneurship. He also coordinated and edited two volumes of the Literary History of Visistadvaita Philosophy for Samskriti Foundation, Mysore, a project commissioned by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research.

Conference Presentations

Adhav, Preeti; K.V., Mukundhan | Year – 2026
Beyond Digital Access: Early Insights into Scaling Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs in India. Presented at the 2026 Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) Conference, Pune, January 9, 2026.

Mavathur, Meghana; K.V., Mukundhan | Year – 2026
Strategic Renewal for Sustainability: Empirical Insights from Nike, Unilever and Patagonia. Presented at the 2026 Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) Conference, Pune, January 9, 2026.

Prabhu, Dinesh; Dhandapani, Karthik; K.V., Mukundhan; Munjal, Surender | Year – 2026
Network Position, Ownership Structures, and Business Group Internationalization: A Multi-Level Governance Perspective. Presented at the 2026 Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) Conference, Pune, January 8, 2026. [Awarded the Florida International University Best Paper Award in International Business].

Mukundhan, K.V.; P., Shanmugha Priya; Gouda, Sirish | Year – 2025
Exploring Needs, Aspirations and Barriers: A Framework for Transitioning Sanitation Workers to Alternative Livelihoods. Presented at the Curiosity Conference 2025, IIT Gandhinagar, Jan 18-19, 2025.

Prabhu, Dinesh; Dhandapani, Karthik; Munjal, Surendar; Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2025
Family CEOs Versus Professional CEOs: Leveraging Board Interlocks for Internationalization. Presented at the 67th Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business (AIB), Louisville, USA, June 2025.

Mukundhan, K.V.; Mavathur, Meghana | Year – 2024
Barriers to Adoption of Circular Business Models: Evidence from the Indian Construction Industry. Presented at the 9th Indian Academy of Management Conference (INDAM), Goa Institute of Management, January 12, 2024.

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2023
Financial Slack and Cross-Border FDI Financing Decisions: Evidence from Indian Multinationals. Presented at the 21st Annual Convention of the Strategic Management Forum, IIM Tiruchirappalli, December 19, 2023.

Mukundhan, K.V.; Mavathur, Meghana | Year – 2022
Doing well by doing good: An Exploratory Study of the Adoption of Sustainable Practices in the Construction Value Chain. Presented at the 3rd Globalizing Indian Thought (GIT) Conclave, IIM Kozhikode, December 2, 2022.

Mukundhan K.V., Sreevas Sahasranamam, Nikalaos Papageorgiadis, Wolfgang Sofka | Year – 2019
Intellectual Property Litigation Risk and Internationalization: The Case of Indian Firms. Presented at the 61st Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business (AIB), Copenhagen, June 2019.

Mukundhan K.V., Sreevas Sahasranamam, Bindu Arya | Year – 2018
Internationalization and CSR in Emerging Market Multinationals. Presented at the SMS India Special Conference, Hyderabad, December 2018.

Mukundhan K.V., Sreevas Sahasranamam, Nikolaos Papageorgiadis | Year – 2018
The Moderating Effect of IP Systems on R&D Intensity & FDI-Based Entry: Evidence from Indian MNEs. Presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business (AIB), Minneapolis, June 2018.

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2018
Teaching IB to Emerging Market Millennials: Blending Paradox and Conceptual Reinforcement. Presented at the 20th Annual Convention of the Strategic Management Forum, Tiruchirappalli, December 2018.

Mukundhan K.V., Sreevas Sahasranamam | Year – 2017
National Innovation Systems and Entry Mode Choice: Evidence from Indian Multinationals. Presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business (AIB), Dubai, July 2017.

Mukundhan K.V., Sreevas Sahasranamam | Year – 2016
FDI-Based Entry Mode Strategies of Emerging Market Firms – The Role of Host Market Contextual Conditions. Presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business (AIB), New Orleans, June 2016.

Mukundhan, K.V.; Sahasranamam, Sreevas | Year – 2016
FDI-based Entry Mode Strategies of EMFs – The Role of Host Market Contextual Conditions. Presented at the 2016 Strategic Management Society (SMS) Annual Conference, Berlin, September 20, 2016.

Mukundhan, K.V., Nandakumar M.K. | Year – 2015
Inter-organizational Imitation in the Choice of FDI-based Market Entry Modes: Evidence from Indian Multinationals. Presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Academy of International Business (AIB), Bangalore, June 2015.

Mukundhan, K.V.; Nandakumar, M.K. | Year – 2014
Imitation in FDI-Based Entry: The Case of Emerging Market Firms Entering International Markets. Presented at the 4th Copenhagen Conference on Emerging Multinationals, Copenhagen Business School, October 8-11, 2014.

Mukundhan, K.V.; Nandakumar, M.K. | Year – 2013
Similarity in organizational strategies: Mimetic influences on entry mode strategies & market choices. Presented at the 2013 Strategic Management Society Special Conference, Strategic Leadership: An Emerging Market Perspective, Mohali, India, December 17-19, 2013.

Mukundhan, K.V.; Nandakumar, M.K. | Year – 2012
FDI-based Entry Mode Strategies of Emerging Market Firms - An Isomorphism Perspective. Presented at the IIM Kozhikode Sydney Conference: Global Strategies for an Emergent India, IIM Kozhikode, December 28, 2012.

Invited Talks

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2025
Delivered a talk on "Entrepreneurship in Marginalized Communities: Navigating Aspiration-Deficits, Conservatism and Stigma." DSSE Research Symposium on Contemporary Entrepreneurship Research in India, IIT Bombay, February 14, 2025.

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2021
Delivered a talk on "Leveraging Digital Technologies to Drive Profitable Growth" at the fifth MSME CEO Summit, CII South Zone, September 2021.

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2019
Delivered a talk on "Emerging trends in Strategic Management" to B.Com students of Sri Krishna Aditya College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, September 2019.

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2017
Delivered a talk on "How to approach higher education?" to 12th Standard students as part of "The Hindu Edge Fair", Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, April 2017.

Mukundhan, K.V. | Year – 2015
Delivered a talk on "Competing in Global Markets: The Strategic Imperative" to MBA students of Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai, Tamilnadu, October 2015.
S# Name of the Position Start Date End Date
1 Member, Post Graduate Programme in Human Resource Management (PGPHRM) Committee 13-May-2015 08-Aug-2015
2 Coordinator, SPIC-MACAY Activities 15-Sep-2015 31-Mar-2016
3 Member, Fellow Programme and Research Committee 26-Nov-2015 31-Mar-2016
4 Convener, Faculty Council 08-Aug-2015 31-Mar-2016
5 Chairperson, Post Graduate Programme in Business Management 01-Apr-2016 31-Mar-2018
6 Chairperson, Strategy Area 01-Apr-2016 08-Oct-2017
7 Member, Admissions Committee 01-Apr-2016 21-Jan-2019
8 Chairperson, AMBA Accreditation Committee 15-May-2017 31-Mar-2018
9 Coordinator, International Accreditation and Ranking 01-Apr-2018 Till date
10 Member, Post Graduate Programme in Business Management (PGPBM) Committee 02-May-2018 11-Jul-2022
11 Member, PGPM(HR) Curriculum Design Committee 25-Sep-2019 19-Jun-2020
12 Member, PGPM(HR) Programme Committee 01-Jun-2020 11-Jul-2022
13 Member, Placement Committee 24-Jun-2020 Till date
14 Member, Strategic Planning and New Education Policy Implementation Committee 10-Aug-2021 –
15 Member, Alumni Relations Committee 01-Jul-2022 Till date
16 Member, Committee for Formulating Entrepreneurship, Incubation and Innovation Centre 29-Jan-2024 Till date
17 Member, Strategic Plan Review Committee 08-May-2024 –
18 Member, Doctoral Programme and Research Committee 11-Jun-2025 Till date
19 Chairperson, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Area 10-Feb-2026 Till date

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