The case study method is a key component of the academic program at IBS, which is one of the few institutions in India that has made case studies a critical component of its curriculum.

Management case studies describe the situations faced by practicing managers in a narrative form, and also provide the supporting information necessary to involve students in the decision-making process. These case studies encourage students to think of the possible ways of handling such issues, and help them learn the complexities of decision-making in business and the challenges that managers face every day at work.

Almost all the courses in the IBS program are designed keeping in mind the advantages of the case method. Most of the courses are taught entirely through case studies - the case studies being tailor-made to the requirements of different subject areas and topics. Student evaluation is based on class participation and written reports. Students are encouraged to analyze the issues in-depth by gathering supporting information - either through published sources or by directly interacting with the companies involved.

IBS has dedicated research and content development centers for producing case studies and supporting material. Manned by teams of knowledge workers with many years of academic and corporate experience, these centers develop contemporary and thought-provoking case studies which provide great learning value to the students.

Most of these case studies are also made available to global customers through the European Case Clearing House (ECCH).

Besides IBS, these case studies are being used by a large number of business schools, universities and companies across the world. Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Co., British Telecom, Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett Packard, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG, McKinsey & Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, and Siemens AG are just some of the major business organizations that use IBS case studies. Universities and business schools that use IBS cases include University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Helsinki, London Business School, INSEAD, IMD, University of Michigan, etc.

IBS case studies have also been published in several leading management textbooks published in Europe, the US and the UK. The publication of IBS case studies in these textbooks, which cover a wide range of subjects like Business Strategy, Marketing, Supply Chain Management and Information Technology, has further expanded the global user base of the case studies.

Most leading Indian business schools use case studies developed by foreign institutions which deal only with foreign companies. IBS, however, offers a balanced mix of case studies based on foreign as well as Indian companies. Most of the case studies on Indian companies focus on issues that have not been tapped by other institutions for management teaching. Written in an easy-to-understand and lucid style, these case studies equip students with the latest information on the developments in the Indian and global business scenarios. IBS case studies have won recognition at international case writing competitions organized by institutions such as the Management Development Center of Hong Kong, EFMD, The John Molson School of Business, and other institutions.

All IBS students are provided with books of case studies (as part of their courseware package), which are customized for different subject areas.

By learning through the globally accepted and popular case method of learning, students are able to hone their comprehension, analytical and decision-making skills. In addition, case studies help them become better team players and managers.