India, August 4, 2026: FLAME University, Pune, has appointed Professor Raunaq S. Pungaliya as Dean of the FLAME School of Business and ENAM Professor of Finance. A financial economist and academic leader with a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Iowa, Professor Pungaliya brings global institutional experience and expertise at the intersection of corporate finance, asset management, and artificial intelligence.
In his new role, Professor Pungaliya will lead the FLAME School of Business, bringing his experience in finance, analytics, and artificial intelligence to further strengthen FLAME University’s globally engaged approach to management education.
Professor Pungaliya joins FLAME University from the SKK Graduate School of Business (SKK GSB) in Seoul, where he served as Vice Dean, Professor of Finance, and Director of the AI in Business Innovation Lab. During his tenure, he led the design and launch of several degree programs, including the Master of Science in Business Analytics, the Business Analytics MBA, and the AI MBA. He has also served as a Senior Visiting Scholar at the Reserve Bank of India’s Center for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL) and as an International Faculty Fellow at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His research has appeared in leading journals, including the Accounting Review, Management Science, and the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, and he is a recipient of over a dozen teaching awards.
Commenting on the appointment, Prof. Dishan Kamdar, Vice-Chancellor, FLAME University, said, “Professor Pungaliya’s appointment marks an important addition to the academic leadership of FLAME University. His distinguished experience in building world-class academic programmes, advancing impactful research, and fostering collaborations across leading global institutions aligns strongly with our vision of delivering a rigorous, interdisciplinary, and globally relevant education. I am confident that his academic leadership, strategic perspective, and commitment to excellence will further strengthen the FLAME School of Business and enrich the learning experience of our students and faculty alike.”
Speaking on his appointment, Professor Raunaq S. Pungaliya said, “Great business schools are built at the intersection of rigor and relevance. As data and artificial intelligence reshape how companies lead, market, and create value, the leaders who matter will be the ones who can see the whole board. That is what excites me about FLAME. Its interdisciplinary foundation is built for exactly this moment, and my ambition is to grow a school whose graduates have the depth to master a field and the breadth to lead across all of them.”
Professor Pungaliya’s appointment reflects FLAME University’s continued commitment to interdisciplinary, globally engaged management education and its focus on preparing future business leaders for an evolving world.
About FLAME University
FLAME University is the pioneer of interdisciplinary education in India. It is driven to be one of India’s most respected and reputed centers of learning—the premier destination of choice for higher education in the nation for learners and teachers—to push the design and nature of studies and to create a societal up-gradation phenomenon, particularly in the fields of interdisciplinary education and leadership. FLAME has been set up with an idealistic vision and a social commitment to contribute to society nobly. With more than 180 quality full-time faculty members, the university offers an unparalleled educational experience. The student-teacher ratio is 15:1, unmatched at the higher education level in India. Spread on 70 acres of green expanse with aesthetically designed infrastructure, the campus currently consists of five faculties: Faculty of Liberal Education, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Communication, Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences, and Faculty of Design, Art & Performance. FLAME University has been established as a state-private university vide the FLAME University Act 2014 (Maharashtra Act No. II of 2015), now Maharashtra Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2023 (Maharashtra Act No. VIII of 2024) of the Government of Maharashtra. It is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f), and degrees awarded by the university are recognized under Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956. FLAME University has been awarded the highest NAAC accreditation, A++.
