NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has established the Mattu Centre for Research in Security Pricing and Corporate Finance to advance research in asset pricing, corporate finance, corporate governance and financial economics. Announced on July 13, 2026, the Centre of Excellence has been created to strengthen India’s finance research ecosystem through India-specific databases, academic collaboration and evidence-based research.The Centre has been established with philanthropic support from IIMA alumnus Ravi Mattu, a member of the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) 1979 batch and former Managing Director and Global Head of Analytics at Pacific Investment Management Co. LLC. (PIMCO). It aims to bring together researchers, industry leaders, regulators and policymakers to address issues related to Indian capital markets.Centre to build finance research infrastructureA major objective of the Mattu Centre is to develop comprehensive financial databases and analytical resources to support empirical research in finance. The institute said the initiative will strengthen access to reliable data while encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration in areas such as asset pricing, investments, market microstructure, corporate finance and corporate governance.The Centre will also promote finance scholars working on Indian capital markets and organise seminars, conferences, workshops and distinguished lectures to encourage interaction among researchers, practitioners and policymakers.Governing Council includes academicians and industry leadersThe Centre will be guided by a Governing Council chaired by IIMA Director Prof. Bharat Bhasker. Professors Joshy Jacob and Ellapulli Vasudevan will serve as Co-Chairpersons.The Council also includes Ravi Mattu, former IIM Bangalore faculty member Prof. R. Narayanaswamy, Prof. Vaidyanathan Venkateswaran of New York University’s Stern School of Business, and Rajan Raju, Director of Invespar Pte. Ltd.Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Prof. Bharat Bhasker said, “As India continues growing as a prominent global financial market, the need to address structural challenges within the system and establish robust India-specific databases is essential.”Ravi Mattu said the Centre would facilitate collaborative research between Indian and US faculty members, support dialogue with Indian regulators and help create a comprehensive securities price database. He added that the initiative would also support early-career finance researchers in India.Supported through the IIMA Endowment FundThe Centre has been established through the IIMA Endowment Fund, the institute’s philanthropic platform that enables contributions from alumni, corporates, individuals and CSR partners. According to IIMA, the initiative is intended to strengthen long-term research capabilities, encourage innovation and support management education and public policy through finance research.
