Dr Kabaly P Subramanian

PhD (India), FCMI (UK), CMBE (UK), SMIEEE (US), IRF (Malaysia)

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian is the Former Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies at Arab Open University, Oman, and holds a PhD in Management. With over 25 years of experience in academia, he has contributed extensively to higher education through teaching, research, academic leadership, community engagement and quality assurance.

He had the privilege of working with colleagues from over 20 countries, including India, Oman, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, UAE, Sudan, Iran, Nigeria, the US, the UK, Sri Lanka, Canada, Iraq, South Africa, Kenya, and the Philippines and gained valuable insights through global academic engagement and cross cultural learning.

Dr. Kabaly taught and trained students from the diverse set of countries including India, Oman, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, UAE, Sudan, Iran, Nigeria, the US, the UK, Sri Lanka, Canada, Iraq, South Africa, Kenya, and the Philippines gaining valuable insights into cross-cultural education and facilitation.

Dr. Kabaly is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), UK, and an International Research Fellow (IRF) at the University of Selangor, Malaysia. He is a Senior Member of IEEE (USA) and serves on the Council of the Global Innovation Institute (GInI). He is also a Certified Management and Business Educator (CMBE), UK, accredited by the Chartered Association of Business Schools, and an accredited Management Lecturer recognized by the University Grants Commission of India.

He is an Executive Member of the Strategy Special Interest Group at the British Academy of Management (UK), a Life Member of the Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD), and a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Academy of International Business (AIB). He also collaborates as a Strategic Partner with the Blue Ocean Strategy Regional Centre, Malaysia.

Dr. Kabaly has extensive expertise in Quality Assurance Systems in Higher Education and has worked closely with the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority and Quality Assurance Agency (OAAAQA) on Institutional Accreditation, Qualifications Framework, and Program Accreditation. His exposure spans major global accreditation bodies, including OAAAQA (Oman), QAA (UK), BGA (UK), EFMD (Belgium), and AACSB (USA). He is an official competition judge for the Reimagine Education Awards organized by QS (USA), a leading global university ranking agency. He also serves as a Board Member of the Oman Association for Quality in Higher Education (OAQHE).

Dr. Kabaly champions a balanced academic approach, integrating research, teaching and learning, university service, and industry and community engagement. His academic journey reflects a deep commitment to educational excellence, innovation, and the advancement of global standards in higher education.

Research

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian’s research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of Business Strategy, Business Innovation, Startups and Startup Ecosystems, and Digital Transformation of Businesses. His scholarly work reflects a deep commitment to bridging theory and practice in addressing contemporary challenges and opportunities in the global business landscape.

He has published in indexed journals and international conferences, and is currently leading multiple funded research projects exploring key emerging themes such as:

• Value as a Strategy
• Digital Transformation of Higher Education Institutions
• Blockchain in Business
• IoT in Education

These projects are funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI), Oman, Arab Open University, and various external industry partners.

Dr. Kabaly has successfully completed six research projects of national and global relevance and impact. He serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Management Science and Operations and the Journal of Intelligence Technology and Innovation and sits on the Editorial Board of several academic research journals.

He has co-edited and published two significant books:

• Co-creating the Post COVID-19 World: Exploring Sustainable Paths (2021)
• Strategies for Empowering Oman as a Competitive Economy (2024)

Dr. Kabaly has travelled and presented his research and ideas at international conferences , academic engagements, professional engagements across

·       4 continents (Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa)

·       14 countries (India, Oman, USA, UK, UAE, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Georgia, Egypt, Japan, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia.)

·       50+ Cities

·       100+ Universities and Colleges.

 His work has been recognized with Best Research Paper Awards at international forums.

Theory Building Research

He is passionate about advancing Theory Building Research, Engaged Scholarship, Transdisciplinary Research, Responsible and Relevant Business Research, and Responsible Management Education. His journey in Theory Building Research began in 2017 with a modest seminar at Arab Open University and has since evolved into a global academic movement, inspiring hundreds of scholars worldwide.

In his ongoing scholarly exploration, Dr. Kabaly is developing an original conceptual framework titled the “Theory of Missed Opportunities” (ToMO) in the year 2025, co-created with noted entrepreneur Mr. C.K. Kumaravel. This emerging theory of business growth is currently in the validation stage and represents a major milestone in his intellectual contributions to the field.

Industry and Community Engagement

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian has trained over 1,000 business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives in Strategy, Innovation, and Digital Transformation across various regions of the world. His industry-facing work spans executive education, enterprise consulting, and strategic coaching, tailored for large enterprises, SMEs, and startup founding teams.

He regularly conducts strategy workshops and coaching sessions focused on helping organizations sharpen their competitive edge, embrace innovation, and navigate digital transformation. Over the years, Dr. Kabaly has provided strategic consulting to large, medium, and small enterprises, helping them drive change and align with emerging business models.

Currently, Dr. Kabaly is:

• Consulting a leading corporation in Oman on its Digital Transformation Strategy
• Serving as a Strategy Coach to the senior management team of a major corporate group in Oman

In his community engagement, Dr. Kabaly is an active proponent of education and entrepreneurship. He has led startup ecosystem development initiatives and has supported educational institutions in building strategic capabilities. One of his landmark initiatives includes organizing the first-ever Strategy Practitioners’ Conference series in Oman, successfully bridging academia and industry through dialogue and collaboration.

He has closely worked with and contributed to several prominent Omani and regional corporates, including:

• Omantel
• Oman Data Park
• Al Ansari Group
• Oman National Life Insurance Company
• Oman Arab Bank
• SSA Business International
• Europcar
• Khimji Group, among others

Dr. Kabaly also plays a key role in promoting Oman’s business and trade interests globally. He is a member of the:

• Oman American Business Council
• British Business Group
• Australian Business Group Oman
• Indo Gulf Middle East Chamber of Commerce

Further, he is a founding member of the Oman Logistics Association and is connected with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), UK, underscoring his active involvement in industry networks and sectoral development.

Startup and Startup Ecosystem Engagement

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian is a dynamic contributor to startup ecosystems across the Gulf and India, playing multiple roles as a startup founder, angel investor, mentor, strategy advisor, and market enabler. His work reflects a deep commitment to building entrepreneurial capacity and globalizing startup education.

He is the co-founder of a food retail startup in Bengaluru, India, in collaboration with FISH MART, and serves as Strategy Advisor to “VEEHIVE”, an emerging startup based in Dubai, UAE. Under his strategic guidance, VEEHIVE successfully raised US$200,000 in 2021 at a valuation of US$1 million.

Dr. Kabaly actively mentors and advises early-stage startups through several global and national platforms:

• Mentor, Founders Institute (USA)
• Mentor, Startup TN (India)
• Global Convenor, Nativelead Foundation (India)
• Startup Ecosystem Facilitator, Crescent Innovation & Incubation Council (CIIC), India

He was also part of the core team that conceived and launched the AICTE-approved MBA in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Venture Development (MBA-IEV)—a pioneering program offered by a leading Indian incubator to bridge the gap between academic learning and startup execution.

In July 2024, Dr. Kabaly embarked on a global startup ecosystem study tour to examine the critical role of universities in high-performing innovative environments. This tour included visits to:

• Silicon Valley: Stanford University, UC Berkeley
• Boston: Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan
• New York: NYU, Columbia Business School
• Europe: Berlin (Germany), London and Manchester (UK)
• Asia: Bangalore (India), Dubai (UAE), and Singapore

This mission enriched his understanding of University-Driven Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, and he continues to apply these insights to shape innovation strategies in higher education and startup support systems.

Dr. Kabaly currently serves as Advisor to River Venture Studio, Singapore, an initiative backed by Enterprise Singapore, where he is involved in a groundbreaking venture to globalize startup education and venture development.

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian is a highly respected educator and facilitator in the fields of Business Strategy, Business Innovation, Digital Business, and Entrepreneurship. He teaches across undergraduate (BBA) and postgraduate (MBA) levels, bringing both academic rigor and industry relevance to his classrooms.

His teaching philosophy centers on active learning (AL), problem-based learning (PBL), and project-based learning (PjBL)—approaches that encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and practical application. His students consistently describe him as an “inspiring” and outstanding teacher, with strong feedback for his clarity, engagement, and mentoring approach.

Dr. Kabaly brings deep expertise in diverse academic environments, with extensive experience in UK-based, Indian, and Omani higher education curricula. For nearly 15 years, he has been associated with The Open University (UK)—the pioneer and global leader in open and distance learning—where he has contributed to the advancement of inclusive, flexible, and high-quality education.

He also has specialized expertise in “Systems Thinking”, a powerful interdisciplinary approach used to address complex global problems. His work in this area enables learners and professionals to develop holistic perspectives, make better decisions, and design sustainable solutions in dynamic environments.

Continuous Learner

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian is a passionate advocate of lifelong learning and actively invests in his own continuous professional development to stay current with emerging trends in business, technology, and policy.

He is an alumnus of the joint Postgraduate Program in Digital Business offered by Columbia Business School (USA) and MIT Sloan (USA) through the Emeritus Institute of Management (Singapore). He also holds:

• A Certificate in Digital Transformation from the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, India
• A Certificate in Public Policy from ISB, Hyderabad, India

Dr. Kabaly has participated in several Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) and Management Development Programs (MDPs) offered by prestigious institutions, including:

• Indian Institute of Management – Kozhikode (IIM-K)
• Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore (IIM-B)
• T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI)
• Indian School of Business (ISB)
• UCSI University (Malaysia)
• University of Oxford (UK)

These learning experiences have continually shaped his teaching, research, consulting, and leadership practices, reinforcing his belief that relevance, rigor, and reflection are essential for academic and professional excellence.

Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian has been the recipient of several prestigious awards in recognition of his excellence in academic leadership, teaching, and service. Notable among them are:

• Best Employee Award from the Ministry of Manpower, Sultanate of Oman, for his outstanding professional contribution.
• Best Professor in Management Studies at the Oman Innovation Leadership Awards 2021, honoring his impact on business education and thought leadership.
• Special Recognition by the Presidentship of Arab Open University for his dedication and outstanding role in successfully accomplishing the Open University (UK) validation process in 2021.

These accolades reflect Dr. Kabaly’s consistent pursuit of quality, innovation, and impact in higher education and institutional development.

Prior Academic Experience

Before joining Arab Open University, Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian served as the Head of the Academic Section at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences – Musanna, Sultanate of Oman (formerly Al Musanna College of Technology). In this leadership role, he was responsible for academic planning, curriculum development, quality assurance, and faculty development across business programs.

Earlier in his career, he was a faculty member at the National Institute of Human Resource Development, affiliated with the University of Madras, India, where he contributed to management education and training programs focused on human capital development.

These foundational roles provided Dr. Kabaly with deep insights into academic administration, curriculum innovation, and cross-cultural education systems in both India and the Gulf region.

Prior Industry Experience

Before fully transitioning into academia, Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian gained valuable industry experience spanning nearly six years, where he played entrepreneurial and strategic roles in marketing and business development.

He led Anjana Enterprises, a dynamic marketing, distribution, and services company, where he successfully launched and positioned the brand “Wallz” (from Graflaks Industry) in the Chennai market, achieving notable regional recognition and market penetration.

During the dot-com boom around the year 2000, Dr. Kabaly also conceived a startup idea in internet-based healthcare services. He raised INR 350,000 in seed funding from friends and family, demonstrating his early vision in digital health innovation. However, with the Internet bubble burst, the venture was strategically shelved, and the investment was responsibly returned.

These early experiences shaped Dr. Kabaly’s understanding of market dynamics, entrepreneurial risk, and innovation management, which continue to inform his academic, research, and consulting engagements.

Community Service

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian is deeply committed to giving back to society through knowledge sharing and ecosystem building. He has delivered numerous seminars, workshops, and public lectures on topics such as Strategy, Innovation, Digital Transformation, Startups, and Academic Research, benefiting a wide audience across educational institutions, professional forums, and community organizations globally.

He has actively served on the School Management Committees of two prominent Indian community schools in Oman:

• Indian School Muscat
• Indian School Muladdah

Through these roles, he contributed to the governance, strategic planning, and overall development of community-based educational institutions.

In India, Dr. Kabaly has played a key role in strengthening startup ecosystems in Southern Tamil Nadu, particularly through collaborations with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, helping to nurture local entrepreneurial talent and build regional innovation capacity.

His community service reflects a long-standing commitment to empowering people through education, innovation, and inclusive development.

Contact Information

Dr. Kabaly P Subramanian
? Institutional Email: kabaly@aou.edu.om
? Personal Email: drkabaly@gmail.com
? Mobile/WhatsApp: +968 9976 3903