IIM Ahmedabad has been, since its creation fifty years ago, India's pre-eminent management institution. A little over three years after it was set up, Vikram Sarabhai chose a young corporate executive, Ravi Matthai, to head the team of academics he had assembled at IIMA, many of whom had been trained at Harvard Business School. Matthai was thirty-eight years old when he was appointed the institution's first full time director. Though not an academic by training, Matthai succeeded in building on the foundation laid by Sarabhai, going on to create a vibrant institution that was unique in the world of education.This book is the story of IIMA – its conception, its distinctive governance structure and its unique culture – and how a highly gifted man created the conditions for its enduring success. It is an exploration of the vision and dedicated effort that made IIMA what it is today, a pioneer in management education in India.