Shivam Dandgavhal

Dr. Shivam holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. His research explores how India’s large corporations use political connections and financial donations to influence regulations, win government contracts, and access state-owned resources. His research also examines the political interference in the firm’s strategic decisions caused by the corporate political activity, offering insights into how companies can strategically manage political engagement and corporate social responsibility to protect value creation.

His broader research interests include corporate strategy, corporate governance, and international business. His work has been presented at prestigious management conferences: The Academy of Management, the Strategic Management Society, the Southern Management Association, the Indian Academy of Management, and the India Strategy Conference. His industry experience spans internships at large corporations such as Ring Plus Aqua (a Raymond Ltd. subsidiary) and SMEs, including Dhanraj Switch Gears Pvt. Ltd. and Prasanna Engineering Pvt. Ltd. At IIM Calcutta, he was elected as the New Initiatives, Placements, and External Relations Representative.

Dr. Shivam has delivered keynote addresses and expert lectures at esteemed institutions on themes ranging from Industry 5.0 and smart manufacturing to branding, digital marketing, and careers in management. Before entering management research, Dr. Shivam built a strong foundation in engineering research, with publications and case studies in reputable outlets such as Springer Nature Singapore on topics including nanotechnology, micro-manufacturing, smart materials, 3D printing, and social innovation.

• Ph.D. in Strategic Management, IIM Calcutta, from 2020 to 2026
• Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, Pune University, from 2017 to 2020
• Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education, from 2014 to 2017

Peer-reviewed Publications

• Dandgavhal, Shivam; Lande, Ashish; and Ahmad, Akbar (2020). A state-of-the-art literature review on microelectromechanical systems. Computing Algorithms with Applications in Engineering, Springer Nature Singapore, 181-199.
• Ranade, Pankaj; Dandgavhal, Shivam; Dhokane, Apurva; and Kale, Apoorva (2022). Process Parameter Optimization of Fused Deposition Modeling Using Taguchi’s Design of Experiment. Smart Technologies for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, Springer Nature Singapore, 861-881.

International Conferences in Management

• Dandgavhal, Shivam; and Purkayastha, Saptarshi (2025). How Do Firms Configure Corporate Political Strategy and Social Responsibility: Evidence from Covert Donations in India. Paper presented at the 45th Annual Conference of the Strategic Management Society (SMS) from October 11-14, in San Francisco, California, United States.
• Dandgavhal, Shivam; Purkayastha, Saptarshi; and Veliyath, Rajaram (2025). Why Do Firms Make Covert Political Donations? Evidence from Electoral Bonds in India. Paper presented at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM) from July 25-29, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Dandgavhal, Shivam; Purkayastha, Saptarshi; and Veliyath, Rajaram (2025). Why Do Firms Make Covert Political Donations? Evidence from Electoral Bonds in India. Paper presented at the Journal of Management Studies (JMS) Paper Development Workshop at the Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of Management (INDAM) from January 15-18, at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata.
• Dandgavhal, Shivam; and Purkayastha, Saptarshi (2024). Unconstrained Manager or Figurehead? How Firms’ Political Embeddedness Shapes Managerial Discretion. Paper presented at the 2024 India Strategy Conference (ISC) from December 15 – 18, at IIM Ahmedabad, India.
• Dandgavhal, Shivam (2024). Untangling the Shackles of Political Embeddedness: Investigating the Impact of Political Strategy on Managerial Discretion. Paper presented at the 2024 Annual Conference of Southern Management Association (SMA) from Oct 29 – Nov 2, in San Antonio, Texas, United States.

International Conferences in Engineering

• Ranade, Pankaj; Dandgavhal, Shivam; Dhokane, Apurva; and Kale, Apoorva (2020). Process Parameter Optimization of Fused Deposition Modeling using Taguchi’s Design of Experiment. Paper presented at the International Conference on Smart Technologies for Energy, Environment & Sustainable Development from December 4-5, at G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur, India
• Dandgavhal, Shivam; Lande, Ashish; and Ahmad, Akbar (2019).  A State-of-the-art Literature Review on Microelectromechanical Systems. Paper presented at the International Conference on Computing Applications in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from August 30-31, at Rajkiya Government Engineering College, Uttar Pradesh, India.
• Dandgavhal, Shivam; and Lande, Ashish (2019). A State-of-the-art Literature Review on MEMS for Renewable Energy Applications. Paper presented at the National Conference on Power Systems and Renewable Energy Sources from March 22 – 23, co-organized by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), United Kingdom, hosted at the K.K. Wagh Institute of Engineering Education and Research, Nashik.
• Dandgavhal, Shivam; and Lande, Ashish (2018). A Brief Review of MEMS for Advanced Applications. Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Nano Science and Engineering Applications (ICONSEA) from October 4 – 6, at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad, India. ISBN: 978-81-924726-4-5.
• Dandgavhal, Shivam (2018). Recent Trends in Passive Cooling HVAC Systems for Buildings – A Literature Review. Paper presented at the International Conference on Emerging Trends and Advances in Civil and Environmental Engineering from February 26 – 27, co-organized by Pune University, hosted at the K.K. Wagh Institute of Engineering Education and Research, Nashik.

• Intern at Ring Plus Aqua (A subsidiary of Raymond Ltd), from April 2019 to June 2019
• Intern at Prasanna Engineers Pvt Ltd, from October 2018 to November 2018
• Intern at Dhanraj Switch Gears Pvt Ltd (a key supplier to Crompton, Bosch and ABB), from May 2018 to July 2018

Dr. Shivam’s research lies at the intersection of corporate political strategy, social responsibility, and corporate governance. Firms leverage political connections and make political donations to influence government policy and regulations, gain government contracts, access to state-owned resources, and obtain operating licenses. His work uncovers the dark side of such strategies: politically active firms become susceptible to political interference in corporate governance and face significant risks of political expropriation. His research demonstrates how firms can strategically configure their political strategies and CSR to mitigate these costs and safeguard their long-term value. Before his PhD in management, Dr. Shivam had a research background in engineering, focusing on nanotechnology, micro-electro-mechanical systems, smart materials, flexible manufacturing, micro-fabrication, morphological analysis, and 3D printing.