Pranav Birje | Senior Correspondent
Studio-based, production-heavy curriculum inspired by institutions like Central Saint Martins, UK, Nottingham Trent University, University of Southern California (USC) with top creative professionals for these institutes as faculty
Strategic focus on practice-based learning, co-teaching with industry, and global faculty.
Specialized labs such as the AI & Creativity Lab, Narrative Design Lab, and Culture & Futures Lab
Launch of MICA AI Advisory Board
Mumbai, July 16, 2025: In a pioneering step that combines creativity, technology, and education, MICA, formerly (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad) has launched the School of Applied Creativity, India’s stand-alone institution to prepare students with future skills at the cusp of imagination, storytelling, media, and artificial intelligence.
Scheduled to start in July 2026, both programmes will accommodate 80–100 students in their first phase. Mr. Shekhar Kapur, Oscar nominated Filmmaker is part of the faculty as the Chief mentor for the institute. The institute will also introduce online masterclasses in the coming few years to make the course available to students from all over India and the globe.
The launch was announced at a conference graced by esteemed dignitaries, including Ms. Tina Ambani (Chairperson, MICA Foundation), Ms. Jaya Deshmukh (Director & CEO, MICA), Mr. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy (Former CMD, Cognizant India and currently Partner, Catalincs), among others.
Addressing the gathering, Mrs. Tina Ambani, Chairperson of the MICA Foundation for Communications Research and Education, said, “Since its founding, MICA has always stayed ahead of the curve. We were among the first to see the deep connection between marketing, communication, and culture. We embraced digital when it was still emerging. We brought design thinking into business education long before it became a buzzword. And today, we continue that legacy, by recognizing imagination as the strategic currency of the future and further strengthening our vision to empower individuals to be creative leaders in the Age of Imagination.”
Mr Ramamoorthy announced the formation of the MICA AI Advisory Board—a diverse and accomplished panel of experts, associated with companies like Amazon Artificial General Intelligence, Salesforce, and Google Deepmind. Further adding to announcement, MICA Dean Dr. Githa Heggde highlighted the roles and responsibilities of the board “These experts will guide the journey and ensure that MICA continues to nurture creative leadership in the age of imagination. The advisory board will serve for an initial period of three years and will act as a strategic partner to the Director and CEO of MICA and the Executive Leadership Team.”
Ms. Jaya Deshmukh, Director and CEO of MICA, said, “The vision of the school is based on an understanding that while AI will make knowledge available to everyone, what will create value in the future is human imagination, creativity, and cultural intelligence. While AI is set to transform industries, there is an emerging need-supply gap for AI-trained professionals in India. The new school at MICA meets this need by combining creativity with new technologies making applied creativity a strategic skill. . In introducing the School of Applied Creativity, MICA is not merely answering the international call for educational revolution but also putting India on the world map as a pioneer in AI-embedded creative education.”
The conference also witnessed a stimulating fireside chat on the topic – Beyond Data: Why Imagination Will Define the Next Economy. Moderated by MICA alumna, Malika Rodrigues, the discussion drew input from Ms. Aparna Kumar, Former CIO, State Bank of India and HSBC, Mr. Shekhar Kapur, Oscar nominated Filmmaker and AI Philosopher, and Mr. Suraja Kishore, ex-CEO, BBDO, focusing on increasing necessity to give importance to understand creativity as a medium and strategic tool to add societal and economic value.
ABOUT MICA: Established in 1991, MICA is the first residential institute in the country and perhaps in the Asia-Pacific region, dedicated to creating Leadership in Strategic Marketing and Communication. Its spirit lies in grasping contemporariness and addressing the needs of an ever-changing environment. The MICA brand assures the effective delivery of Strategic Marketing and
Communication solutions to the industry, government and community. Today, it is the alma mater of professionals serving in leadership positions in some of the best-known companies in India and the world in marketing, brand management, research & analytics, advertising, media, digital and other strategic marketing and communication-driven businesses.
Note: MICA – The School of Ideas is India’s premier institute for Strategic Marketing and
Communications in Ahmedabad. MICA is no longer an Acronym