The initial batch consisted of 178 students from two programs: 90 in Management & Public Policy and 88 in Data Science & AI. This institution serves students from around 20 Indian states, including Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Lakshadweep.

There are 69 male and 19 female students in the B.S. in AI & Data Science program and 51 male and 39 female students in the B.S. in Management & Public Policy program.

The Admission Process

According to a press release, top achievers with a 99.80 percentile were admitted to CUET UG 2025 for Management & Public Policy and the top admitted rank in JEE (Main) 2025 for Data Science & AI was 44645 per the announcement.

The event's principal guest was Ratnesh Jha, executive director of UN Global Compact Network India.  Honoured visitors were Anjan A, vice president of North Trust and Amit Sareen, managing director of Accenture. Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal Director at IIM Sambalpur, graced the function as did faculty members and students.

Keynote speakers Vivek Agarwal, Country Director, Tony Blair Institute; Harpreet Singh, Head Counterparty Credit Risk, BFSI Sector; Gangadhar Yasam, Head of IT Strategy, Ford Motor Company; Divay Pranav, Business Strategy & Partnerships, Hyundai Motors and Arpit Bajpai, Co-Founder, Neurosensum were among the experts who participated in the conference.

IIM Sambalpur's director, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal said in his inauguration speech that this was a landmark moment for the school. With the launch of these B.S. programs they are investing in young minds that will lead in technology, policy and society.

These programs will not only prepare children for academic achievement but also provide them with the values of integrity, creativity and accountability towards nation building. The programs, built on the core values of integrity and innovation, provide strong foundations in data analysis, sound reasoning and evidence based decision making. The cross functional courses aim to produce responsible leaders who can solve complex societal and industrial issues with creativity, empathy, and a global mindset he added.

Prof. Jaiswal also asked students to cultivate four kinds of intelligence for overall development. He further said, The first is IQ, which makes students mind sharp. Second, EQ educates individuals about how to deal with emotions in the correct way.  The third alternative is PQ, which stresses the importance of superb health, physical well-being and liking naturopathy.

Lastly, SQ – the spiritual quotient – enables one to contemplate on the higher meaning of life. Ratnesh Jha, Chief Guest, appreciated IIM Sambalpur for its high NIRF rankings in 2025 and the inauguration of the first cohort of the B.S. Programme.

The four-year B.S. Program has tremendous potential to mould students into successful professional well equipped to contribute positively to the nation, Jha said to the audience.

He underlined the significance of spiritual progress and bodily health and challenged students to concentrate on the four Cs, asserting that the absence of even one of them renders progress incomplete and less substantial.

About the program

The Bachelor of Science in Management and Public Policy is designed to contribute to national managerial ambitions in the domains of sustainability, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and community-based development.

However the goal of the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence is to improve India's digital capacity and competitiveness in the world. The program was co-created with industry professionals to create future-proof skill sets among young students while promoting the use of ethical AI.

In the release, it is mentioned that IIM Sambalpur becomes the first IIM to offer admission to its B.S. in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence programme through IIT JEE Main and its B.S. in Management & Public Policy programme through CUET.