New Delhi: Dr K. Rangarajan has taken charge as the interim Vice Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), succeeding Prof Rakesh Mohan Joshi in the leadership of the institute.
Rangarajan, who has been associated with IIFT for several years and served as Professor and Head of the institute’s Kolkata campus, has now assumed the interim leadership of the institute. IIFT’s current website lists him as Vice Chancellor and shows him as chairperson of the Board of Management, Finance Committee and Academic Council.
His appointment comes as IIFT continues to expand its academic and research activities in international business, trade and related areas across its campuses.
Rangarajan holds a doctorate in Management and a master’s degree in Commerce with a specialisation in Management. According to his official IIFT profile, his areas of expertise include strategic management and business planning, organisational restructuring, cluster development, and management of trade promotion organisations and state enterprises.
He has undergone professional training at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US, the World Bank Institute, NASME and the Canadian Consortium of Management Schools. He has also undergone training at the Balanced Scorecard Training Institute in the US.
Rangarajan is among the early Accredited Management Teachers recognised by the All India Management Association and is associated with several professional bodies, including the Australian Institute of Management, according to his IIFT profile.
Experience at IIFT
Rangarajan has had a long association with IIFT, particularly with its Kolkata campus, where he has served as Professor and Centre Head.
IIFT’s January-March 2026 newsletter had listed him as Professor and Centre Head of the Kolkata campus, while Prof Rakesh Mohan Joshi was identified as the institute’s Vice Chancellor at the time. His academic and research work has covered areas linked to international business, trade, supply chains and competitiveness. His published research includes work on trade infrastructure, export competitiveness, supply-chain performance and sports-goods exports.
His current role also comes with responsibility for the institute’s broader academic and governance structure. IIFT’s governance page lists Rangarajan as chairperson of its Board of Management, Finance Committee and Academic Council.
Rangarajan has previously represented the Kolkata campus in national and international academic forums and has been involved in the institute’s research and academic activities. In 2026, he was also associated with the Indian Academy of Management conference at IIFT Kolkata as chair of the Academy of International Business Strategic Activities Committee.
