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)

Linkedin

I work at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship, drawing on academic research and earlier experience in technology, R&D, and competitive intelligence. At IIM Tiruchirappalli, I teach strategy and entrepreneurship across MBA and doctoral programmes, focusing on how organisations adapt to change, build innovation capabilities, and renew their competitive position.

My research investigates the institutional and capability foundations of strategic renewal. I also study how emerging-market multinationals manage cross-border patent-litigation risks, how institutional embeddedness shapes their CSR and financial structures, how firms imitate or differentiate in FDI entry-mode choices, and how micro-entrepreneurs navigate ecosystem and capability constraints.

Before entering academia, I worked with technology firms such as Microsoft, Samsung R&D, Ford India, and Hewlett Packard Labs. My roles included competitive intelligence, patent strategy, and R&D decision support, along with projects in innovation management and operational planning. I have also collaborated with startups to design growth strategies and build operational frameworks that translate ideas into scalable practices.

Alongside research and teaching, I deliver executive education and consulting programmes on topics such as strategic thinking, digital transformation, and disruptive innovation. These engagements have reached over 2,000 professionals across industries including automotive, defence, financial services, manufacturing, IT, and energy. I also work with public institutions and community initiatives to support entrepreneurship development, livelihood transformation, and capacity building for micro and small businesses.

My administrative experience includes international accreditation (AMBA accreditation and reaccreditation, and currently leading AACSB accreditation), MBA programme leadership (including significantly growing executive MBA enrolments), and curriculum design and innovation.

My objective is to connect research and practice in ways that help individuals and organisations make clearer strategic choices in complex environments.

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 – 2025
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. Springer, forthcoming.

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

I actively teach in the MBA and Ph.D. programmes offered at IIM Tiruchirappalli. My active course offerings are listed below:

MBA PROGRAMMES

  • Strategy (Core)
  • The Entrepreneurial Manager (Core)
  • Strategic Renewal (Elective)

PH.D. PROGRAMMES

  • 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 TRAINING PROGRAMMES

I have taught and facilitated training sessions on the topics of Competitive Strategy, Corporate Strategy, and Innovation to managers from the Automotive, Construction, Financial Services, Manufacturing, IT/ITES, Mining, and Oil & Gas industries. I have also designed and taught training programmes for the 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 the Directors of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India.

My training portfolio encompasses the following client organizations: 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., L&T Construction (Heavy Civil Infrastructure), L&T Construction (Water & Effluent Treatment), Manappuram Finance Ltd., NHPC Ltd., NLC India Ltd., Renault Nissan India Pvt. Ltd., Saint-Gobain Glass India Ltd., and Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd.

OPEN-ENROLMENT PROGRAMMES

I regularly teach in the long-duration certificate programmes of the institute. I coordinate and teach in the Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Strategic Management (PGCSM), offered by IIM Tiruchirappalli in collaboration with TimesPro. Some of the modules I have taught in the open-enrolment programmes include:

  • Strategic Analysis for Competitive Advantage (PGCEGMP)
  • Strategic Management (PGCSMP)
  • The Strategic Context of Human Resources Management (PGCSHRM)
  • The Strategic Context of Digital Transformation (PGCDT)
  • Building a Sustainable Business (PGCSMP)
RURAL & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

As part of Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihood Mission (TNULM) and Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Programme (TNRTP), I have conducted workshops on ideation, opportunity identification, business model design, business plan formulation, and growth strategies for micro-entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and entrepreneurial support organizations representing agri-business, food processing, and retail trade sectors in the vernacular language.

In partnership with the National Institute of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (Ni-MSME), I have trained 60 SC/ST entrepreneurs on various topics related to starting up and scaling up businesses for domestic trade.

For the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Thanjavur, I have trained 50 entrepreneurs on the topic of “Growth Strategies for SMEs”.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT & CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES
  • I have handled multiple sessions on Strategy, Innovation, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship to vice chancellors, principals, and senior academic administrators as part of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP).
  • I served as a panel member evaluating startups at BEACON 2025 Cohort 7, a four-day idea-to-validation bootcamp for early-stage founders and researchers conducted by Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT).
  • I have contributed academic content on “Strategic Planning” for the Leading for Academic and Managerial Proficiency (LAMP) initiative — a Programme on Transforming Universities for the Commonwealth of Learning.
CONSULTING ASSIGNMENTS
  • In collaboration with the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), I completed a pilot project for the resettlement of sanitation workers in Tiruchirappalli city by nudging them into grey-collar jobs and entrepreneurship.
  • I coordinated and edited two volumes of the “Literary History of Visistadvaita Philosophy” for Samskriti Foundation, Mysore, for a project sponsored by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR).

Conference Presentations

Adhav, Preeti; K.V., Mukundhan | Year – 2026
Beyond Digital Access: Early Insights into Scaling Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs in India. Selected for presentation at the 2026 Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) Conference, Pune, January 7-10, 2026.

Mavathur, Meghana; K.V., Mukundhan | Year – 2026
Strategic Renewal for Sustainability: Empirical Insights from Nike, Unilever and Patagonia. Selected for presentation at the 2026 Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) Conference, Pune, January 7-10, 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. Selected for presentation at the 2026 Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) Conference, Pune, January 7-10, 2026.

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. Selected for presentation 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.

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