The structure of the program is such that it aims to facilitate holistic development. The initial three years are focused on building critical thinking, communication skills, socioeconomic knowledge and data-driven decision-making skills. In the last two years, students move on to IIM Shillong's flagship Postgraduate Programme in Management (PGP), where they study advanced managerial skills. The curriculum focuses on sustainability, ethics and inclusive leadership which are all grounded in Dharma, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakom and Nishkama Karma principles. The admission process for the first batch was also very competitive.  Of the 30,220 candidates who appeared for the IPMAT, 16,357 got a positive score and 1,588 especially applied for IIM Shillong. Through several rounds of selection, only 46 students were selected and this batch is one of the most diverse and choosy on campus.

The batch diversity was notable as a distinguishing characteristic. With 32 male and 14 female participants, the students are well represented from a range of backgrounds including arts (46%), commerce (30%), and science (24%). Their pan-India presence covers 19 states with Madhya Pradesh having the largest representation (17.4%), followed by Maharashtra (13%) and Gujarat (8.7%) and also students from West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka and Meghalaya.

Professor Kailash Choudhary gave a presentation and lit lamps before to the commencement ceremony which took place at the IIM Shillong Auditorium. The IPM Chairperson, Professor Sheetal gave a summary of the program's goals. The event included motivational addresses from well-known speakers. Dr. Mahesh Y. Reddy, Chairman of the Infrastructure Industry and Logistics Federation of India, praised the integrated model for creating future-ready leaders and stressed the necessity of multidisciplinary education in meeting India's $5 trillion economic goal.

Shri Nitin Sharma, Board of Governors member urged students to adopt leadership courageously, clearly and in a team manner on a daily basis by taking inspiration from the Rig Veda, Swami Vivekananda and current leaders. Professor Naliniprava Tripathy, Director (In-Charge), praised the students and highlighted the IPM's consistency with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which integrates liberal arts and management studies for the development of resilience, inclusivity and a global mindset.

On the same day a panel discussion on "Going from 0 > 1: Turning Ideas into Sustainable Business" was presented by Mr Pradeep Sekar, MD of Optiv Inc., Ms Kanika Raajdev, CEO of Mindcog and Ms. Sukhvinder Kaur, CGM of Retail Loans, SBI. Their insights on innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability encouraged students to think outside the traditional boundaries and develop scalable businesses.

The national anthem was played after Professor Vishakha Bansal gave a vote of gratitude and Professor Rohit Joshi, Dean of Academics made a vow to end the ceremony. With this momentous beginning IIM Shillong's IPM not only expands its curriculum but also paves the way for the development of leaders who are firmly rooted in Indian ethos yet globally proficient. For the 46 pioneers in the first batch the future ahead is promising to be revolutionary delineating their position as tomorrow's leaders.