TimesPro and IIM Lucknow Open Applications for Tenth Intake of CSO

Updated on March 12, 2026 Written By Pragya Tripathi

The Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) program-Strategy has evolved into an ongoing discipline in a world with stronger geopolitical divides, quicker technological cycles and increased scrutiny. Senior leaders who can detect signals early, make difficult trade-offs with analytical seriousness and transform aspiration into execution across functions and geographies are becoming more and more important to organisations.

Table of Content

+ more items Show less

In light of this, the IIM Lucknow in collaboration with TimesPro has started taking applications for the tenth batch of its CSO Program, which is intended for seasoned professionals who are leading multi-regional transformation and setting enterprise direction. The program that lasts ten months builds end-to-end capabilities from identifying external disruption to converting strategy into verifiable action. In addition to integrating digital and Artificial Intelligence into decision-making, integrating ESG into long-term planning and managing risk through better capital allocation and scenario thinking, participants learn how to gain an advantage in quickly evolving environments.

The program, which is intended for prospective CSOs, COOs and CEOs as well as senior managers and vice-presidents in charge of important transformation initiatives, gives participants confidence to direct business units, influence boards and organise stakeholders around logical strategic priorities.

Organisations need leaders who can respond quickly and clearly while foundation methods are in evidence as they handle stability and disturbance. According to 2026 PwC's Global CEO Survey which gathered responses from CEOs in ninety five countries and territories, 42 percent of executives said that their main concern is whether their companies are changing fast enough to keep up with technological advancements like artificial intelligence. This urgency is echoed in Gartner's 2024 CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey, where 34 percent of CEOs view Artificial Intelligence as the key topic for the next wave of business transformation after digital and 62 percent of CEOs rank growth as their top business objective.

The curriculum, which is designed for professionals with more than ten years of full-time job experience, the program is includes three interconnected modules like Crafting Competitive Advantage, Sensing Opportunity and Execution & Realising Competitive Advantage. The curriculum covers strategic decision-making, emerging disruptions, corporate and business strategy, international strategy, mergers and acquisitions, corporate entrepreneurship, strategic communication, change and transformation and design thinking allowing people to carefully go from understanding to action.

Professor Sabayachi Sinha of IIM Lucknow stated, These days strategy requires both accuracy and range. Executives must decide where to compete assess uncertainty early and execute clearly across functions and regions. His curriculum uses organised frameworks to create such competence. Peer learning and current examples reflect the complexity of boardrooms. Participants leave with improved analytical skills, sharper strategic sense and the capacity to convert desire into strong verifiable growth.

TimesPro's Business Head for Executive Education Sridhar Nagarajachar stated, Rarely do senior executives need additional knowledge, instead, they require improved synthesis, decision discipline and execution speed. Through applied projects, live, faculty-led learning and a final project that transforms concepts into results, our partnership with IIM Lucknow brings that all together. The curriculum builds credible strategic competence that executives can use right away in transformation, growth and stakeholder alignment while fitting into rigorous schedules.

Instructors at IM Lucknow use TimesPro's Direct-to-Device platform to offer the lessons, which include live sessions, case discussions, simulations, tests and graded assignments. Deeper analysis and peer interaction are made possible by a three-day on-campus immersion at IIM Lucknow. Additionally, participants finish a final project in which they apply toolkits for innovation, Artificial Intelligence and digital transformation to a real-world strategic problem. Students who successfully complete the program are awarded alumni rights and an IIM Lucknow certificate.