Teaching

Taking leaders and students from curiosity to working systems.

I have taught marketing and business analytics at IIM Calcutta for eleven years. My courses cover marketing research, marketing management, digital and social media marketing, and AI and machine learning applications in marketing, for the MBA, MBAEx, PGDBA and doctoral programmes. Consolidated student feedback across these courses has been 6.50 to 6.85 out of 7 over ten years. I also direct executive programmes, including the Advanced Programme on AI for Leaders and a digital marketing and AI programme in Dubai, and I run customised programmes for companies. I write my own teaching cases so that classroom material stays close to live Indian practice, and I chair or sit on doctoral thesis committees. My consulting work feeds back into the cases and the executive programmes.

A programme cohort photographed together at the close of a session — A programme cohort at the close of a session.

Executive programmes

2024 – present
Advanced Programme on AI for Leaders
Programme Director and Main Faculty
Run with Prof. Debashis Saha as co-director. A 10-month distance certificate programme for senior professionals, with online Sunday classes and two 3-day campus visits.
2022 – present
Advanced Programme on Digital Marketing Strategy – AI, Dubai
Programme Director and Main Faculty
Taught in the UAE in partnership with eSquare Academia.
2025 – present
Advanced Programme on Digital and AI Driven Marketing
Programme Director and Main Faculty
2024 – present
Executive Programme on Global Business Management (Open)
Programme Director
My session, Marketing Management: Promotion and Branding, was rated 4.42 on a 5-point scale in EPGBM-13 (55 forms from 67 participants) and 4.56 in EPGBM-14 (34 raters). The feedback forms are undated.
2018 – present
Executive Programme on Digital and Social Media Marketing Strategy
Programme Director and Main Faculty
2021 – 2024
Executive Programme on Sales and Marketing (Open)
Programme Director
2020 – 2023
Advanced Programme on AI Powered Marketing
Programme Director and Main Faculty
Announced in February 2020 with TalentSprint.

Advanced Programme in AI for Leaders, batch 4. Ten months, live weekend classes, run with TalentSprint.
Using AI to Automate, Optimize and Scale Digital & Social Media Marketing. MDC, IIM Calcutta, 16–20 November 2026.

In the room

Executive sessions for the IIM Calcutta programmes in Dubai. Photographs from my own programme archive.

Teaching the Dubai programme, August 2022.
A working session in Dubai, May 2023.
At the board, where most of the actual teaching happens.
Certificates at the close of the Dubai programme, August 2022.

Courses, with consolidated student feedback

AI/ML Applications in Marketing
MBAEx elective
6.65/7
Applied Marketing Research
PGDBA elective
6.85/7
Marketing Research
MBAEx elective
6.64/7
Marketing Management: Strategic Issues
MBAEx core
6.57/7
Marketing Management II
MBA Year I core
6.56/7
Digital and Social Media Marketing
MBAEx elective
6.50/7

Corporate and custom programmes

Customised in-company programmes on digital marketing, AI and marketing analytics: TATA AIA Insurance, Niva Bupa, ITC India, Zee TV Dubai, Edelweiss Tokio, Axis Bank and Analytix.
Custom faculty programmes for NCHMCT, Delhi on hospitality management: digital and social media marketing; revenue management and pricing strategy.
Management development programmes: Digital Marketing for Business Growth; AI and Machine Learning Applications in Marketing; Strategic Brand Management.

In their words

A few below. All of them are here, with links to the originals where the quote came from a public post.

From programme participants. Quoted as written. Where a participant was recorded by first name only, that is all that appears.

I used to hire IT companies and digital marketing agencies to build websites, run ads, write content. Now I don't. I built this entire site myself using Claude Code — my newest teammate, coach and occasional 11pm co-founder — with zero traditional coding background.

Atul BawaFounder, PlushMyDrive (PMD)

We also revisited marketing fundamentals, which was equally valuable. Caught up in day-to-day execution, we often overlook the basics, so connecting them with today’s AI-driven landscape was a real eye-opener.

Saloni GuptaSocial Media Manager, RealtyEase AI & EazySIP

One module hit close to home: pricing strategy. I implement pricing logic every day in Salesforce CPQ — seeing it from the product side changed how I approach my own work.

PravinSalesforce CPQ Developer, Not stated on LinkedIn headline

I owe everything I know about AI (however little that is) to the year spent in your classroom professor Saravana Jaikumar.

Meera RamanNot stated (headline: A curious mind that loves adventure), Not stated

Thoroughly enjoyed every single class of yours in multiple terms of MBAEx. I have written my maximum notes in your classes.😃 Still talk about you and your classes to multiple people.

Sumona KunduManager, UHG Optum

Kahoot!! That’s how every lecture with you ended – fun, engaging, and fully immersive. Thank you, Professor Sarvana, for making Marketing Management – Strategic Issues and Digital & Social Media Marketing such memorable experiences. The case studies helped us understand real-world marketing decisions, from strategy and positioning to digital engagement and consumer behaviour. Your interactive teaching style made marketing feel dynamic and relevant. Truly grateful for the energy, clarity, and passion you brought to every class.

Jinesh PatelMBAEx Batch 17, IIM Calcutta

Professor Saravana’s teaching style is like listening to a masterful storyteller—the pace is intense, the delivery carrying the rapid-fire cadence of skilled rap, yet every word carries weight. He bridged academic concepts with business reality through real-world examples and innovative AI tools. His ability to make us question assumptions, explore customer psychology, and understand the ‘why’ behind strategic decisions fundamentally changed how we approach marketing. His sessions rewarded us with insights that will stay with us throughout our careers. Thank you for the transformative experience, Professor!

Nishant SinghMBAEx Batch 19, IIM Calcutta

If you’re seeking an adrenaline-fueled masterclass in marketing, Professor Sarvana’s Marketing Strategy course delivers. It’s a high-velocity sprint through North Star industry cases, where we uncovered how leading firms gain strategic advantage. We broke myths, built actionable marketing roadmaps, and saw Generative AI integrated into real-time strategy. Most importantly, Professor Sarvana didn’t just teach marketing—he made us feel its power. Thank you, Sir, for not only showing us what marketing is truly all about but also for bringing the adrenaline rush to the class that got us genuinely hooked on strategic excellence.

Saikat ChatterjeeMBAEx Batch 19, IIM Calcutta

Prof. Saravana given us very valuable information to utilize The Google to promote products and services in an Optimum level. Prof. Laxminarayanan given us how to utilize Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, you Tube and other Social Media platforms to optimize our business activities. The training contents will enhance our business and professional journey.

Sunil KumarParticipant, two-day digital marketing workshop, eSquare Academia, Dubai, August 2022. Co-taught with Prof. Laxminarayanan.

Thanks to Prof. Saravana and Laxminarayanan for giving the glimpse of what is "Digital Marketing" and how we are going to evolve in the digital world. I am working in a Oil & Gas and does not involve in digital marketing and really appreciated the presentation and content. My thought process are slightly changing and the way I will handle is future is going to change.

ArunParticipant working in oil and gas, two-day digital marketing workshop, eSquare Academia, Dubai, August 2022.

It was very great and useful programme. Very happy to learn how to create Google ads and create different campaigns on social media platforms.

NehaParticipant, two-day digital marketing workshop, eSquare Academia, Dubai, August 2022. Two respondents are recorded as Neha; this is one of them.

www usage strategies simplified to build reach & retain business and customers in real time.

SonaliParticipant, two-day digital marketing workshop, eSquare Academia, Dubai, August 2022.

Two days workshop was very useful for me to know more about Digital Marketing in correct way. The way both the Faculty taught me was very clear and very easy manner.

Bava BadurudeenParticipant, two-day digital marketing workshop, eSquare Academia, Dubai, August 2022. Refers to both faculty.

The learnings I had with you have changed the way I look at the world!

Arpit Bhargava, Customer Experience | Automotive After SalesFormer student on two executive courses, EPBM (2017) and EPDSMMS (2023).

A special thanks to Prof. Saravana Jaikumar, whose practical sessions made these concepts much easier to understand. His approach helped me connect the fundamentals with actual use cases rather than just memorising features.

Saurabh Chandra, MBAEx 2027, IIM CalcuttaStudent, in a post about completing the Claude Certified Associate - Foundations certification after preparation sessions I ran.

Case publications

Written for the classroom and published through case centres. The most recent was written with a doctoral student I advise.

Ayekart: Navigating growth in Bharat’s agri-food value chain

Can an integrated agri-food platform scale rapidly without allowing capital requirements to rise at the same pace as transaction volumes?

Founded in 2020, Ayekart built a technology-driven agri-food platform connecting farmers, FPOs and aggregators with processors, warehouses, distributors and retailers. By FY25 it reported a GMV of ₹2,310 crore, reaching nearly 3 lakh retailers through 40+ warehouses.

Announced by the IIM Calcutta Case Research Centre.

2026
Ayekart: Navigating growth in Bharat’s agri-food value chain.
Jaikumar, S., & Guha Sarkar, B. · IIM Calcutta Case Research Centre.
2025
Ideal Insurance: Scaling with balance.Forthcoming
Jaikumar, S. · IIM Calcutta Case Research Centre.
2024
Chowman: The culinary maestro from Kolkata.
Jaikumar, S. · IIM Calcutta Case Research Centre; Ivey Publishing.
2020
Switch On: Water entrepreneurship initiatives.
Singh, R., Jaikumar, S., & Rao, M. · IIM Calcutta Case Research Centre.
2013
Susan’s dilemma.
Jaikumar, S., Agarwalla, S., & Dara, R. · IIM Ahmedabad Cases (Reg. No. F&A0504), with teaching note.

Doctoral supervision

Thesis advisor (chair): 5 marketing doctoral students, 3 graduated.
Thesis advisory committee member: 11 students across marketing, information systems and economics.
External committee member: 2 students at IIM Ahmedabad (1 graduated) and 1 at NMIMS.

Bibek Guha Sarkar
Doctoral student (Marketing), IIM Calcutta
Marketing, IIM Calcutta · TAC Chair, ongoing
The Dawn of the Superhero Concept: Implications for Marketing and Consumer Research
Udbhas Mitra
Doctoral student (Marketing), IIM Calcutta
Marketing, IIM Calcutta · TAC Chair, ongoing
Gurugubelli Prasanna Kumar
Assistant Professor, Marketing, IIM Visakhapatnam
Marketing, IIM Calcutta · TAC Co-Chair, graduated 2022
Selling the Prospective Unsaleables: Essays Evaluating the Attractiveness of a Promotion in Clearance Sales
Ritika Sharma
Management Consultant, ABN AMRO Bank, Netherlands
Marketing, IIM Calcutta · TAC Co-Chair, graduated 2022
Spillover Effects from an Online Marketplace Brand to a Product Brand under Conditions of Distribution Exclusivity
Saurabh Shinde
Assistant Professor, Marketing, Bilkent University (Faculty of Business Administration), Ankara
Marketing, IIM Calcutta · TAC Co-Chair, graduated 2024
Essays on the Dynamics of Linguistic Marketplaces
Yukti Sharma
Assistant Professor, Marketing, IIM Tiruchirappalli
Marketing, IIM Calcutta (PDRF) · Research mentor
Papers on subsistence marketplaces
Vaidehi Vihari
Doctoral student (Marketing), IIM Calcutta
Marketing, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, ongoing
Sarthak Mahapatra
Assistant Professor, Marketing, IIM Sambalpur
Marketing, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2025
Examining the Concept of Dignity for Base of the Pyramid Consumers
Rishikesan Parthiban
Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Analytics, IIM Tiruchirappalli
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2021
Essays on Digital Social Innovations for Rural Development
Shankadeep Banerjee
Associate Professor, Information Systems, IIM Bangalore
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2020
A Discourse on Technology Patrons: Insights from Crowdfunding
Prakrit Silal
Assistant Professor, IIM Jammu
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2022
Studying the Role of E-Government in Enabling Good Governance
Akash Krishnan
Director Analyst, Analytics and AI, Gartner
Economics, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2021
Work and Well-Being in the Sharing Economy: Evidence from India
Eshan Bhatt
Assistant Professor, Information Systems, IIT Roorkee
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2025
Managing Privacy and Disclosure through Digital Nudging
Madhuri Prabala
Director, Insights and Pre-sales, RGP Consulting
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2025
Understanding the Impact of Online Firm- and User-Generated Content on Sales: An Unstructured Data Analytics Approach
Manimay Dev
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, graduated 2026; O.P. Jindal
Studies on National Cybersecurity Maturity: Determinants and Impact Analysis
Rohit Mattu
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, London Business School
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member
Catalyzing Women Empowerment through ICT Innovations
Mukul Kumar
Doctoral student (MIS), IIM Calcutta
MIS, IIM Calcutta · TAC Member, ongoing
ICT for Gender Equality across Nations: A Global Study on Digital Drivers
Rashmi Kumari
Assistant Professor, Marketing, IIM Calcutta
Marketing, IIM Ahmedabad · TAC Member, graduated 2021
To Delay or Not to Delay: Comparing Cashbacks with Price Discounts
Athi Karthick
Assistant Professor, Marketing, IIM Tiruchirappalli
Marketing, IIM Ahmedabad · TAC Member, graduated 2025
National Identity and Consumer Decisions
Girish Upadhyay
Marketing, NMIMS · TAC Member, ongoing
Does Use of the Metaverse Accelerate Product Adoption? An Exploratory Study