Purpose: The study aimed to explore the core competencies that make educators competent in delivering and achieving the purpose of business/management education effectively. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory-cum-descriptive approach has been used. Educators at different academic levels in university-led B-schools were the participants of this study. For data collection, a structured questionnaire was developed and implemented. Findings: This study has explored ten core competencies that educators must possess. These competencies have been described based on their attributes and relevance in an educator's academic role. Research limitations/implications: This study was limited to university-led B-schools of South Asia, thus further validation may more adequately generalize the findings. Practical implications: This study is raising awareness of the current state of educators in university-led B-schools in South Asian countries and the need for educator competencies toward responsible management education. This study would help educators to develop core competencies, and university-led B-schools to make and manage a system for their educators to keep them competent and performing. Originality/value: Business/management education is expected to offer the required competencies and opportunities to learn the intricacies of business and management, so students can readily enter into corporate life. It exhibits the significance of educators' competencies. University-led South Asian institutions have seldom tried to develop a standardized framework for the sensitization and development of their educators. It is a key challenge to identify, understand and define a diverse range of competencies and methods of competency development.