The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, has called off its plan to start full-time operations in Singapore. Instead, it is exploring tie-ups with institutes in Singapore to offer Executive MBA (EMBA) programmes.

"We are not setting up any campus in Singapore. We are in talks with a couple of Singapore-based universities and institutes for offering Executive MBA programmes. The programmes will be delivered partly through the distance learning mode," said Prakash G Apte, Director, IIM-Bangalore.

Though the institute's Memorandum of Association (MoA) does not permit it to start operations abroad, it was said to have started the process of changing the MoA.

"Our MoA does not allow us to open a campus abroad," said Apte.

Besides, at no stage did we plan to set up a campus or any physical structure in Singapore. We were going to rent a place and offer courses from there," said Apte.

"Also, according to the Singapore laws, an educational institution has to be registered as a trust in the country before it can start operations," said Apte.

The institute was said to have has got the HRD Ministry's nod for its plan and was expected to launch its management programmes in Singapore in November 2006.