NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has established the Mattu Center for Research in Security Pricing and Corporate Finance to advance research on asset pricing, corporate finance, corporate governance and financial economics. Announced on July 13, 2026, the Center of Excellence has been established to strengthen India’s financial research ecosystem through India-specific databases, academic collaboration and evidence-based research.The center has been established with the philanthropic support of IIMA alumnus Ravi Mattu, a 1979 Post Graduate Program (PGP) Fellow 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 policy makers to address issues related to Indian capital markets.Center to build financial research infrastructureOne of the main goals of the Mattu Center 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 fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in areas such as asset pricing, investments, market microstructure, corporate finance and corporate governance.The Center will also promote financial scholars working in Indian capital markets and organize seminars, conferences, workshops and distinguished conferences to encourage interaction between researchers, practitioners and policy makers.The Governing Council includes academics and industry leadersThe center will be guided by a Governing Council chaired by IIMA Director Professor Bharat Bhasker. Professors Joshy Jacob and Ellapulli Vasudevan will serve as co-chairs.The Council also includes Professor Ravi Mattu, former faculty member of IIM Bangalore. R. Narayanaswamy, Prof. Vaidyanathan Venkateswaran of New York University’s Stern School of Business, and Rajan Raju, director of Invespar Pte. Ltd.Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Professor Bharat Bhasker said, “As India continues to grow as a prominent global financial market, the need to address structural challenges in the system and establish strong India-specific databases is essential.”Ravi Mattu said the Center will facilitate collaborative research between Indian and US professors, support dialogue with Indian regulators and help build a comprehensive stock price database. He added that the initiative would also support early career finance researchers in India.With the support of the IIMA Endowment FundThe Center has been established through the IIMA Endowment Fund, the institute’s philanthropic platform that allows contributions from alumni, companies, individuals and CSR partners. According to IIMA, the initiative aims to strengthen long-term research capabilities, foster innovation and support management education and public policy through financial research.