India's Best Business Schools Beyond IIMs 2023

Interview 

Prof. Ramabhadran Thirumalai
Deputy Dean (Academic Programmes) Indian School of Business (ISB)

"Consulting Continues to be a Hot Area for Placement Opportunities" [EasyDNNnews:PaidContentStart]

What are the advantages of a one-year MBA programme versus a traditional two-year programme?

One-year MBA programmes are more relevant and useful for those with at least some prior work experience. For such people, a one-year programme keeps them out of the work force for just one year. In that sense, the opportunity cost is relatively lower than if they opted for a two-year programme. MBA curricula around the world are very practice-oriented. To this end, prior work experience helps the students substantially in their learning journey. They are able to relate what they are learning in the classroom to their own experiences from the corporate world.

This leads to better learning outcomes for them in the long run. MBA classrooms tend to be very interactive. These interactions are further enhanced by students being able to relate their experiences to their learnings and narrate and discuss these with their faculty and classmates. While there are many frameworks and concepts taught in the MBA classroom, there are likely sector-specific or company-specific nuances to these frameworks and concepts. By sharing these nuances with each other, students are able to get broader perspectives and learnings about the real world.

What qualities do you value the most while selecting MBA candidates?

Some of the key qualities we look at while selecting candidates are:

• Consistent academic excellence regardless of candidate’s prior field of study

• High-quality work experience prior to starting the programme

• Curiosity to learn new things and to challenge the status quo

• Diversity in life and work experiences – something that sets each candidate apart from the others.

At ISB how is your MBA programme unique and how does it help prepare MBA graduates to be future corporate leaders?

There are multiple aspects that are unique to ISB’s PGP:

• One of a small set of one-year programmes in India. I have already mentioned earlier what the advantages of a one-year programme are.

• ISB’s hybrid model of resident and visiting faculty teaching. The focus is on getting high-quality faculty to teach courses in which they are experts. Their expertise comes from research they have worked on. Many of our faculty bring their research findings to the classroom, which helps our students prepare for what the current trends are in the corporate world as well as peek into what are likely to be trends in the near future. 

• We have a constantly evolving curriculum, which stays up-to-date. Every year, we add courses that mirror the current trends in the corporate world. Even within courses, faculty are constantly updating the content to ensure that their course stays current and relevant.

• We have a very strong alumni network in India and abroad. Alumni have multiple opportunities to interact with each other and with ISB. They support us in many ways all through the year.

All of the above help ISB prepare its graduates to be future corporate leaders. It is important for a successful corporate leader to learn to react appropriately to various challenging situation in the BANI world. The curriculum and the way the courses are designed and presented by ISB’s world-class faculty help ISB’s graduates react appropriately to any situation and at times even proactively assess a situation and address it.

What can you tell us about the placement trends at ISB?

Consulting continues to be a hot area for placement opportunities. One area that has taken off in the last decade is product management. There are many opportunities in this space. Sales and marketing and general management have been fairly stable over time. Those roles are never going to fall out of favour from corporates. While pure analytics roles may not be a great placement opportunity for business school graduates, any corporate role for the foreseeable future will require at least some exposure to analytics. MBA students should focus on picking up at least some analytics skills during their programme.
 

Decoding the Future of New Age Workforce

DR. D. Y. PATIL VIDYAPEETH GLOBAL BUSINESS SCHOOL & RESEARCH CENTRE 

While the world gets older, India is getting younger. India’s growth in the next 25 years will be determined by the sustenance of the digital revolution we are witnessing today. It is reflected in the industry also with Gen Z and Millennials accounting for the majority of the workforce. This new-age workforce wants culture, learning and growth in addition to the company’s brand. Key drivers for continuing in an organization are Job Satisfaction, Good Working Environment, Financial Benefits, Career Growth and Non-Financial benefits like Learning and Development. Also, the expectations of new-age corporate world are new and equally challenging and each industry is responding differently to the post-pandemic new normal. Training, modern management practices and new-age inputs to fresh graduates can help these new degree holders to overcome the challenges of the new normal. Industry today needs a heterogeneous workforce ready to face the challenges of the new era. 

The significant supply and demand gap in both skills and workers has highlighted the role of institutes play in ensuring a smooth supply of skilled, trained workforce. The pandemic underscored the importance of a skills-based talent model and agile work design in building the workforce of the future. In today’s fast-changing world, the corporate world needs fresh skilled and tech-savvy talent. We are in an era when knowledge is expanding at an unprecedented rate. Workers with conventional knowledge sets find it harder to keep up with new trends in technology every year. Managers today are required to confront new realities of business. In the future, the most high-value work will be cognitive in nature. Employees will have to apply creativity, critical thinking and constant digital upskilling to solve complex problems and as they rise on the ladder, will have to take policy decisions which may have far-reaching consequences.

Dr. P. D. Patil Chancellor Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth,Pune 

The digital era demands new ideas, information and business models that continually expand, combine and shift into new ventures. Fresh graduates are required to gain and refresh their digital concepts to meet these challenges. In this situation, a career in management may be rewarding and profitable, but it also has its challenges. 

Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth’s Global Business School & Research Centre comes as a ray of hope for students who aspire to make a mark in the business world. We at Global Business School & Research Centre, believe that quality learning is the key to unlocking a student’s full potential and decoding him for a technology-driven corporate world. To achieve this we have smart classrooms, experienced faculties, state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge resources. 

An MBA degree has several advantages for both personal and professional reasons. MBA degree from Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth helps students to develop management and technological skills to meet the challenges of the new era. Focusing more on practical exposure makes students better at the hands-on application of thoughts rather than theory only. The curriculum is revised and upgraded every year by the advisory board comprising renowned academicians and industry experts to ensure the industry standards are catered to by the best suitable professionals. 

We are proud that we have tie-ups with several conglomerates like Tata Technologies, Bosch, Bombay Stock Exchange and Ball-State University. Through MoU with edX, we offer more than a hundred certification courses of Harvard University, Columbia University, New York Institute of Finance, Rochester Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, IIM and IIT of India. 

Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (DPU), Pune, sponsored by Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth Society, Pune, was declared as “Deemed-to-be- University” under Section 3 of UGC Act 1956 in 2003. From a humble beginning with one constituent unit i.e. Dr D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pune; DPU over the last 20 years has grown exponentially. DPU has achieved significant academic growth and development in the field of professional and health sciences education over the last two decades. Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune has been reaccredited (3rd Cycle) by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with an ‘A++’ Grade with a CGPA of 3.64 on 4 point scale. DPU was declared a category 1 University under graded autonomy regulations, in 2018 by University Grants’ Commissions (UGC). Under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2020, conducted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), New Delhi, Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune has achieved 41st rank in University Category. 

We at GBSRC take special efforts to inculcate new skills into future managers. Students are trained not only in management skills but also in new skills required to face the challenges of digital era. This includes a course on Digital Marketing, Advance Excel etc. IQAC cell of GBSRC in association with CISCO and NIIT Foundation conducted a certification workshop on ‘Cyber Security’ on Friday, 16 September 2022. At GBSRC we invite eminent speakers from all over India to share expertise in respective domains which help our students to become Leaders of the digital era. 

In the recent past, we have received many awards for our academic excellence which include the Best B-School Award 2020 by Asian Education Summit, New Delhi, and GBSRC received Prominent B- School award by CSR 2022. We were also featured in the Top B-School of India list 2022 by Dalal Street.  

Interview 

Dr. Sajeev Abraham George
Chairperson (PGDM), Professor (Operations Supply Chain Management and Quantitative Methods), S P Jain Institute of Management and Research 

"Many Employers View An MBA As A Valued Credential" 

What is the uniqueness of your MBA programme? 

The mission of SPJIMR is to influence practice and to promote value-based growth. The reputation that we have built over the years is a consequence of the continued innovations in management education in alignment with our mission. Our distinctive approach to management education includes a host of pioneering non-classroom and other immersive learning experiences that help our students to become socially sensitive leaders with a global mindset. The curriculum is practice-oriented and focusses on developing managers and leaders who can balance between economic and social purpose of organisations. 
 

How do you ensure that your MBA graduates are corporate-ready in today’s dynamic corporate world? How do you prepare them for leadership roles? 

We strive to keep our curriculum cutting-edge and to strike the right balance between rigour and relevance. With the help of pedagogical innovations, we impart our students with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to make them successful in life. We attempt to provide a superior learning experience to our students by encouraging teamwork and facilitating experiential learning. The curriculum emphasises a multi-disciplinary approach and contains courses on design and innovation, digital technologies and sustainability. Apart from these, we have a host of pioneering non-classroom learning initiatives that help the students to develop the resilience and social sensitivity required to be successful in today’s dynamic environment. 

Participants in our programmes learn cutting-edge innovation techniques like design thinking, the lean start-up method and agile management. They also delve deeper into the fundamental enablers of innovation, such as critical thinking and systems thinking. We launch nearly a half-dozen new courses each year and fine-tune a dozen others based on feedback from internal and external stakeholders. Management and capitalism, design and innovation, digital product management, product innovation lab, systems thinking and dynamics, gamification, user-generated content analysis and other courses have been added or significantly modified in the last year or two. 
 

Does your programme curriculum include digital learning? How important are digital skills in today’s world? 

The emerging digital technologies have increased opportunities for us to deliver cutting-edge content through experiential learning. Apart from courses on digital technologies and their applications, a large number of our courses have ‘digital’ embedded into them. Needless to say, exposure to digital technologies and their applications to develop innovative business solutions are extremely important in today’s digital era. Apart from mastering digital skills, the students should be able to leverage the use of these digital technologies to help them enhance their capabilities for critical thinking, innovation and problem-solving.
 

How does an MBA aspirant assess if pursuing MBA is the right choice for meeting his or her career aspirations? 

Pursuing MBA from a premier institute is a good choice that can positively impact the knowledge, skills and employability options while also helping to achieve the aspirations for those interested in pursuing a corporate career. A large number of options are available and the aspirant has to make the right choice at the right time, based on individual preferences and career goals. Many employers view an MBA as a valued credential, putting graduates in a competitive position in the job market. Graduates also have access to a wealth of resources, such as experienced mentors and alumni networks, which can help them achieve success.

How does one choose between a specialised MBA programme versus a general MBA programme? Why is work experience important before pursuing an MBA? 

It depends largely on individual preferences and career choices. Perhaps a specialised MBA would be more suitable for someone who is clear about the domain that he or she would like to start the career with. Having said this, whichever type of MBA one chooses, it’s important to develop interest and gain in-depth knowledge in at least one of the domains, apart from having the breadth of integrated knowledge across different functional areas of business. 

Specialised MBA programmes tend to be more focused, offering specific courses and training in a particular area of business. This can be beneficial if you have a clear career path in mind and want to gain expertise in that particular area. However, it can also be limiting if your career goals change or you decide to switch industries. Many schools in India and abroad prefer work experience for MBA. Having work experience may help to improve peer learning and enhance the quality of class discussions. However, there is not enough evidence to suggest that those who had work experience before MBA have achieved superior career outcomes post MBA as compared to fresh candidates.  

Interview 

Woxsen University Leads The Charts in Delivering New-Age Management Programs 

"It’s a whole new world brewing with businesses, some established, some unicorns, some start-ups, but all agile towards changes afoot. Changes in the business world are nail-bitingly swift, continuous, and everevolving. As businesses face this dynamism head-on, they demand the ideal new-age professionals. And, what makes them ‘ideal’ and ‘new-age’ is their resilience to change in this VUCA world" 

– Vishal Khurma, CEO, Woxsen University 

Breaking the Conventional Approaches towards Management Studies 

Reckoned as one of the disruptive B-Schools in the country, Woxsen University’s MBA programs embrace reality. The range of programs focuses on developing skills that ensure adaptability to the current work environments and developing a future-proof business mindset. 

◼ Industry-Endorsed Curriculum — With strong industry connect, and on-going dialogue with the corporates & the initiatives taken by the Academic Advisory Board (AAB) ensures the curriculum is globally relevant. 

◼ Curriculum Delivery — An envious mix of leading academicians & industry experts from across the world, deliver the curriculum with a minimum of 40 per cent of the design focused on application-based learning. 

◼ Global Exposure — Student Exchange Programs with 100+ Global Partner Universities facilitate the international mobility of the students. 

◼ Renewed Focus on Personality Development — With a continuous industry interface, incubation centre, and career coach concept, students transform into exemplary and responsible corporate citizens. 

Empowering MBA Graduates with Real-World Knowledge 

An MBA degree is a powerful tool by itself, but an empowered MBA graduate demonstrates real-world knowledge and its application. 

MBA (General), MBA (Financial Services) and MBA (Business Analytics) all the programs draw a strong alignment to the new-age careers. Woxsen’s MBA programs are evolutionary and avidly include disruptive fields such as Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Business Analytics. 

Students stay ahead of the curve with rigorous experiential learning, which brings them face-to-face with business settings and allows them to immediately put theory into practice. From globally benchmarked labs, industry interfaces, the inclusion of latest technologies, Woxsen offers the best infrastructure to facilitate the application of knowledge. 

Needless to mention, the best training gained is on the playground. The program curriculum integrates a full-fledged apprenticeship and live projects. Woxsen’s track record of leading companies scouting talent from the university is a strong testament to the academic rigour and contemporary skills showcased by its students. 

Academic institutions can no longer ignore how technology and data have transformed business and its processes. Early immersion in the relevant specialities or business operations using the most up-to-date technology is the cornerstone of all MBA programmes at Woxsen University and allows students to put theory into practice. 

For instance, via innumerable conversations and interactions with businesses, we discovered that the current MBA programme doesn't adequately address the rapid improvements in fintech, leading to a wider competence gap and the continued inaccessibility of elite professions in finance. To address this shortage of infrastructure, Woxsen's Bloomberg Finance Lab, the biggest in India, was established. For MBA candidates interested in focusing on finance, banking, or financial services, additional real-world knowledge and practice are provided. 

In fact, all the 3 programs offered at Woxsen be it MBA (General), MBA (Financial Services) and MBA (Business Analytics) are designed exclusively where the curriculum is backed by hands-on practice at the Behavioural and Analytics Lab, Artificial Intelligence Lab, name a few. This integration opens a range of aspects for students to work on and aids to boost practical learning of real-time markets, trends, data, business and more. 

MBA where Industry plays a vital role

It is time for academia and business to collaborate for the common benefit. Academic institutions are given a tremendous amount of power to shape careers, and this power must be acknowledged. Only if students' education serves as a springboard for entering the working world can careers be formed. On the other hand, we are observing proactive industry participation with educational institutions as a result of the evolution of talent requirements. The key lies in how institutions deliberately use this partnership to educate the next generation of corporate executives, entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and architects. Institutions that have not changed their ways of thinking about industry-academia partnerships will undoubtedly fall behind, and their students will, sadly, follow. 

Technology development is already influencing occupations and will do so in the future. The value of an MBA degree nowadays is firmly rooted in modern skills and practical knowledge. Candidates who can show they can handle issues in the real world are sought after by industry. Academic institutions are under pressure to develop professionals that embody resilience and can accept change in this VUCA world due to the rising adoption of technology across businesses and domains. 

Leading corporations have relied on Woxsen University to provide the management students that they need since we have always made sure that they meet industry expectations. Through applied and immersive learning, exposure to other cultures, and business practice, students learn about business as well as how to operate within the business world. 

Having worked with some of the top companies in the nation, I must state that adaptability is essential for anyone aspiring for managerial positions today. At Woxsen University, we specifically foster this in our students to prepare them for the workforce and enable them to fit in a variety of professions across sectors in a global environment. 

Corporate needs are unique in terms of their talent requirements; thus our objective was quite clear to abandon the antiquated methodology and place the student front and centre. The goal was to make sure that everyone involved worked together for the benefit of the students.  

Interview

Prof. Sangeeta Shah Bharadwaj
Dean - Graduate Programmes, MDI Gurgaon 

"MDI Believes in Providing A Holistic Learning Environment to its Students" 

What do you look in an aspiring MBA candidate while choosing for admissions? 

MDI’s admission process is a transparent and rigorous process. Our aim is to be a globally recognized management school through academic excellence and continuous innovation to nurture responsible leaders for creating sustainable alternatives. Programmes at MDI are designed to inspire and create the next generation of business leaders. Keeping this in view we are looking for candidates who aspire to develop holistic personality and become responsible managers. We assess the academic performance and how consistence they have been. 

We assess their communication skills, analytical capabilities, general knowledge, conceptual knowledge of subjects, and domain knowledge of the sectors if they have work experience. We assess their ethical behaviour and leadership capabilities in addition to their ability to work in teams. Shortlisting of candidates for the GDPI process is done on the basis of the details provided in the application form and their CAT or GMAT scores. The final selection of the candidates is based on the weightage of CAT/ valid GMAT score, PI, academic merit, academic diversity, work experience, and social diversity.  

How are the placement opportunities shaping up for MBA graduates post-pandemic? Which sectors are hiring MBA graduates aggressively? 

The pandemic changed the hiring scenario by opening new opportunities along with new challenges. The working culture and employment cycle changed drastically. Work from home (WFH) became the new normal. The companies were forced to adopt new ways of hiring candidates. It seemed difficult in the initial days but companies soon became accustomed to this new normal. Every year, companies from traditional sectors like BFSI, manufacturing, consulting, FMCG/FMCD, technology, media and telecommunication, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals come to our campus to recruit from our talent who come from diverse backgrounds. 

In the new normal, companies from sectors like fintech, edtech, and e-commerce have come to repose their faith in MDI Gurgaon. In the 2022 placement drive, 87 organizations recruited students from MDI across a multitude of domains. The diverse talent pool attracted 35 new recruiters to offer esteemed roles. The average salary also saw an increase of 12.57 per cent from the previous year.  

At MDI Gurgaon, how do you prepare graduates for a dynamic and fast-changing corporate environment? 

MDI believes in providing a holistic learning environment to its students. We focus on in-class learning and out-of-class learning modules. The curriculum is revised on an ongoing basis with practitioner inputs to make it industry relevant. The teaching methods include lectures, case studies, seminars, assignments, live projects, group discussions, business games, outbound-based experiential learning activities, educational excursions, role plays, simulation exercises, structured and unstructured group work, and field visits. Student clubs and committees at MDI regularly organize leadership talk series on current topics. These events help students to think out of the box and apply concepts learned in their day-to-day learning. Each club and activity functions as a platform for students to pursue a broad spectrum of interests and enables them to excel at whatever they pursue.  

How does one choose the best business school? How important are institute rankings? How important is the faculty strength when choosing MBA institute? 

Rankings by various surveys and magazines have gained popularity over the last two decades. The ranking of the institute is considered an important factor by students when choosing an MBA institute. Consistency in ranking matters a lot for the institute to differentiate itself from its competitors. Rankings do matter, but only to a certain point. Students should consider rankings as only one parameter of decision-making rather they should try to research and know more about a particular institution from other resources such as well like peer-group perception, placements, academic diversity, etc. 

The changing dynamics of the education sector have made institutions realize the importance of a diversified and experienced faculty pool. The credibility of the institute vests in the hands of its faculty which in turn helps to build a quality perception of the institute at a larger scale. The teachinglearning process is an ever-evolving procedure hence the quality of faculty and the experience that they bring matters a lot.  

Interview

Dr Jaskiran Arora
DeanSchool of Management, BML Munjal University 

"Corporates Will Need People Who Carry a Holistic Viewpoint on Things" 

What are the emerging placement trends that you would like to highlight to the MBA aspirants? 

Businesses are at a point of inflection and so are their placement processes. Placement trends that are shaping up recently are as follows: 

◼ Data-Driven Decision-Making Skills — The placement processes for most of the companies and profiles initiate with MS Excel proficiency and data visualisation assessments. Given the Enterprise 4.0 ecosystem, data is becoming the lifeline of all the businesses and thus companies are ensuring that the manpower is savvy working with data. Preference for students with analytical mindset, therefore, is one of the most significant parameters that the companies look for.

◼ Storytelling and Presentation Skills — Data analysis must have a meaningful and convincing story to support. That is where one’s ability to identify variables comprehensively, connect the various dots and communicate the holistic story is becoming more and more in vogue in the placement drives. Be it marketing, finance, human resources or operations, management graduates need to be able to confidently crack the case studies and present what’s happening in the business convincingly.

◼ Work Across Different Time Zones and Nationalities — This skillset was always important but couldn’t have assumed a greater relevance than now. Odd time shifts and virtual conference calls at anomalous hours have become integral to the work culture. Therefore, companies are seeking individuals who are flexible and agile. Psychometric assessments, testing one’s ability to take stress, navigating through challenging times and openness to change is another trend that is being noticed in recruitment processes.

◼ Creativity and Innovation — Being able to think through the business problems creatively and bring in innovative solutions is another focus area in placement drives. Companies provide the MBA aspirants huge datasets with a mandate to understand what is brewing and then present it creatively and convincingly to the recruitment panel.

◼ Diversity — Companies are consciously seeking variety in their team. Diversity in terms of gender, undergraduate degrees, geographies, hobbies and interests are actively been sewn into the placement process. Therefore, it becomes imperative for MBA aspirants to talk about the uniqueness they bring to the table.

Should one go for a specialised or a general MBA? What are the deciding factors?

Both specialised MBA and general MBA have their own merits. Given the way technology-led businesses are evolving, there is ample room for both. Corporates will need people who carry a holistic viewpoint on things and are able to appreciate the scenario from multitude perspectives. They will also require people who can get to the depth of the situation and are keen to get to the root cause. Which of the two is the right choice for someone depends upon their individual goals, circumstances and experiences. The factors that could help one to decide the same are as follows:

◼ Career Goal —Does one already have a clearly defined specialisation in mind? Has one already done a couple of certifications or courses in it? Is one passionate to pursue it further? Is one willing to spend the rest of his or her life doing that discipline? If the answers to all these questions are affirmative, specialised MBA is the way to go for such an individual. However, if one has not yet come across something enthuses him or her for lifetime, going the general MBA route to explore further is the option.

◼ Learning Style — Does one prefer to learn concepts in a focused manner, exploring the depths and getting to the roots of it or does one like to learn about varied and diverse aspects of the discipline can further add insights into the decision of making the choice.

◼ Adaptability and Change Management Skills — How eager is one to learn and adapt to change, accept new dimensions and horizons and exhibit promptness in changing gears are very important traits for someone thinking of a general MBA programme. In the long run and at more senior positions, one needs both – the ability to appreciate the situation from multiple perspectives and the eye for depth and detail. So, depending upon the preference a person might take up either a specialised or general MBA. Gradually one is bound to escalate to the hybrid approach of cognition.  

How does an MBA programme at BML Munjal University (BMU) help students fulfil their career aspirations? What is the uniqueness of your MBA course? How do you ensure that your curriculum is best suited to develop individuals into corporate leaders? 

At BMU, the MBA curriculum and the learning experiences for the students are designed to work on their three C’s – core self, cognition and capability – which encourages students to have a holistic perceptive and a futuristic mindset. Our learning cornerstones are based on experiential learning that exposes the students to the real time challenges of a workplace. 

Core Self — BMU’s School of Management has designed a formal course in transformational leadership with the name ‘Personal Journey of Excellence’. This course tracks the personal growth story of each student. Starting from the emotional quotient and personal effectiveness to networking, workplace ethics, presentation and storytelling skills, etc., this course goes on over the two years of the MBA programme and becomes instrumental in bringing about the true transformation in our students. Similarly, to become empathic leaders a course called ‘Sankalp’ helps the students not only in becoming more sensitive to the rural challenges but also to leverage their management knowledge and set up social enterprises. 

This will enable them to bring about a positive impact in the socio-economic situation of the villages. Given the way the business world is unfolding, we believe that the tomorrow belongs to people who are innovators and thought leaders. The interventions to develop these skills vary from teaching formal courses like accelerating creativity and innovation and bringing ideas to market to providing the students with an ecosystem that is thriving and promoting an entrepreneurial learning mindset. Running a fully functional incubator, inviting various entrepreneurs to talk and inspire the students are a few steps in this direction. 

Cognitive Ability — Learning to learn and thinking skills to foresee the bigger picture are crucial milestones to be attained in a good management programme. At BMU, not only are formal courses like written analysis and communication, critical reasoning and system thinking, problem solving and consulting skills taught but peer learning opportunities during various events organised by student-led management clubs like Insights Club, Konsultaire (a management consulting club), Finonomics and Sierra, to name a few, are instrumental in developing such meta-skills. The open-book end-term assessments designed in majority of the subjects dissuade rote learning and challenge the students to apply high order thinking skills, thereby further enhancing their data-driven cognitive and decision-making skills. 

Capability — Innovative pedagogical interventions and hero group backing ensure that the academia-industry interface works to its best to provide the students with a unique learning and capability enhancement experience. Live projects, summer and winter internships, simulations, capstone projects and applied business projects formulate a significant portion of the total credits of the programme. The global leadership programme designed and co-created by BMU and its international partners provides students with a unique opportunity to gain multinational perspective on business. 

A flexible academic structure and innovative instructional design and delivery allows our students to acquire interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary learning and exposure. The focus on ‘doing’ undoubtedly makes the students not just employable but also readily deployable by the organisations, thus reducing the onboarding time for BMU students. This is an important aspect in present times when companies prefer to absorb those who can readily deploy their skills.  

What will you advise an MBA aspirant on how best to prepare to get into a top-ranking business school in India? 

By now the results of most of the aptitude entrance exams for 2022-2023 are out and it is time for the next rounds on case discussions and personal interviews. Getting into a top-ranking business school requires a very focused approach and selfconviction to be able to sail through successfully through the rigorous two-year programme. If you have the same, you need to be able to convince the interview panel of your skills and aptitude. It is, therefore, important to be mindful about what a good business school seeks in potential candidates. Staying abreast with what is happening in the economic and business world is the basic factor. 

A good business school looks for candidates who possess at least a few of the following qualities:

• High degree of purposiveness and internal motivation to pursue the management programme
• High learning agility
• Good communication skills and emotional intelligence
• Interpersonal and collaboration skills
• Data-driven decision-making skills
• A multidimensional perspective on situations n High degree of perseverance and conscientiousness
• Sharp business acumen.

So, my advice to MBA aspirants would be to reflect on their educational and professional journey to identify skillsets they most closely relate to and talk about them as evidence-based incidents to impress the panel. Be confident and carry a positive affirmation that the sky is the limit for you and success will be all yours.


Interview

Dr. Prashant Mishra Dean (SBM), NMIMS 

"MBA Graduates are in High Demand" 

Is it the right time to pursue MBA?

The world of business today is experiencing rapid transformations driven by emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) etc. as well as uncertainties created out of unexpected crisis such as the pandemic and also the evolving geopolitical and economic landscape. All these changes means that the knowledge, skills and competencies required to remain relevant in the job market are also undergoing transformation. This is more so true for businesses both traditional and emerging ones. 

The MBA curriculum of today is one instrument which helps young graduates prepare themselves for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Joining an MBA programme helps build business function knowledge through a multi-disciplinary curriculum and also acquire necessary skills and competencies such as problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills and also people skills along with technology tool proficiency. These inputs help young graduates prepare themselves for the desired career. 

So yes, in today’s times characterised by rapid changes and uncertainties, MBA is a good option to prepare oneself for better career alignment. As long as there are jobs and people have ambitions to attain leadership roles, it will always be a good time to pursue an MBA degree. MBA graduates are in high demand in a variety of industries, particularly in the technology, healthcare, consulting and product management sectors. Companies in these industries are reportedly seeking out candidates with MBA degrees and there are expected to be plenty of job opportunities available in the near future. 

Why is accreditation important for business schools? How much importance should students give to accreditation when choosing a business school? 

To answer the first question, accreditation helps the school validate its curriculum, institutional strategy and its execution and graduate outcomes by a reputable external agency which is largely overseen by equally accomplished peer groups from comparable institutions. This process helps to ensure that the institution is providing high-quality programmes and meeting certain globally recognised standards. Accreditations are a symbol of excellence that recognise the overall quality of an institute, including its faculty, intellectual capital, infrastructure, pedagogy, teaching methods and commitment to maintaining and improving on world-class standards. 

Holding international accreditations demonstrates an institute’s dedication to providing top-notch management education and puts it on par with the best business schools globally which provides maximum impact for its stakeholders. There are two main types of accreditations: institutional accreditation which evaluates the entire institution and specialised accreditation which evaluates specific programmes or disciplines within the institution. Accreditation is important because it helps to establish the credibility and reputation of the institution and its programmes. 

There are many accrediting agencies, including the AACSB, which provide specialised accreditation for business and accounting programmes at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Accreditations helps us to establish processes which ensure end-to-end design and delivery of curriculum in a supervised manner. It also helps enable processes to measure the effectiveness of the curriculum in terms of delivering the intended programme learning outcomes for the graduates. 

As for how much importance students should lay on accreditation while choosing management institutes and MBA programmes, it is a very important criterion. As I mentioned before, accreditations serve as a seal of approval from globally reputed agencies when it comes to quality of education. It can also be important for employers, as they may prefer to hire candidates who have graduated from accredited programmes. Overall, accreditations play a significant role in an institution’s journey and should be given due importance by students.  

What are the various career options for MBA graduates? 

One of the primary motivations for obtaining an MBA is the enhanced career opportunities it can provide. The comprehensive professional development and training that MBA students receive equips them with the business knowledge and leadership skills that are highly sought after by employers across various industries. MBA graduates are able to leverage healthcare and finance. MBA graduates are in high demand in the job market currently due to a strong demand for skilled professionals. 

The job market is currently favourable for MBA graduates with positions and functions such as business consulting, business operations manager, analytics roles, digital transformation roles, financial services roles such as investment analysts and banking, human resources manager, IT manager, technology consultant and marketing manager being in high demand. These roles often require specialised skills such as training in artificial intelligence, business analytics, change management, project management or supply chain management. 

MBA graduates must highlight these skills in their job searches and be clear about their dream job goals in order to take advantage of the current job market. Apart from taking up traditional roles in corporate finance, investment banking and management consulting, increasingly MBA graduates today are also opting for unconventional jobs to pursue their passions. Some of them include positions in sectors such as healthcare, education, construction and social services which are projected to have strong employment growth in the coming years. 

These roles may require a combination of business skills and specialised knowledge in a particular industry, and an MBA can be a valuable asset in preparing for these careers. It is important for MBA students to explore their interests and consider how their skills and experience can be applied in a variety of industries in order to find the right career path that aligns with their goals and values. Also, to continue with what I have mentioned before, the world is today in a position of uncertainty and therefore MBA graduates are best suited to adapt to changing trends and volatile business scenarios. 

What are the top three most important qualities you seek while hiring an MBA student at NMIMS? 

What are the top three most important qualities you seek while hiring an MBA student at NMIMS? At the NMIMS School of Business Management, we are always in pursuit of excellence. So, we make sure the students we select possess strong critical thinking ability, analytical ability, and reasonable communication skills apart from acceptable academic achievements. The ability to apply independent thought, analytical and problem-solving skills and critical thinking are important in order to effectively analyse and solve problems presented in case studies and other assignments. A willingness to learn and explore new areas of study are also considered, as it allows them to expand their knowledge and skill-sets. We also look for leadership potential and diversity of perspective in a student, besides their willingness to learn and adapt. Having said this, it is important for MBA students to know when to ask for help as this shows strength and determination rather than weakness.  

Karun Tadepalli
Co-founder and CEO, byteXL 

"We are Expecting Some Impact as a Result of The Global Meltdown" 

How has the job market been in 2022 and how do you expect it to perform in 2023? 

Though there was constant talk about a downtrend by industry pundits, there wasn’t much intensity. From our reading based on the hiring of freshers in the 90+ colleges we have partnered with, I would say only around 10 per cent were affected. Many companies honoured their offer letters and only a few retracted them. Among those, some did not mention the downturn directly, instead tightening their strings when it comes to students passing exams. So overall, the 2022 market has been favourable in spite of the negativity surrounding it. As far as 2023 is concerned, we are expecting some impact as a result of the global meltdown. 

However, at the same time, the Indian market layoffs will be much less compared to the western market because ultimately someone has to keep doing the job. Since there are huge layoffs and cost reductions in the west, offshore markets like India are bound to increase. The only major factor that comes into play is funding. According to some industry reports, in 2022 there was 40 per cent less funding than the previous year. So, the impact of the reduction in funding will start showing up in 2023 on the hiring side. Additionally, while there hasn’t been much impact of it so far on the hiring side, the only unknown at this point is the impact of the new corona virus variant. 

What skill-sets will remain in high demand in 2023? 

There is a high skill induction of artificial intelligence (AI) in India and so emerging technologies including AI and machine learning (ML), data science, cloud (including DevOps) and cyber security, among others, will remain high in demand through 2023. This is in addition to programming languages like Python and Java that will continue to be highly in demand. 

What are the bare minimum IT skills one should develop? 

With the advent of technological advancements, learning to code has become like learning a new language – it is very valuable and will only grow in importance. We anticipate it will become increasingly mandatory in the coming years. The basics, such as algorithms and data structures, will always be necessary because, at the end of the day, one must develop problem-solving skills. Scripting languages like Python and Scala are the newest trend, along with cyber security since everything is online now. 

What IT skills are in demand according to you? 

The idea of what is in demand is constantly changing. At some point, it was C and C++, then it was Java, and now Python. If one knows Python, then they can become an expert in emerging technologies like AI, ML and DevOps. Therefore, I would encourage students to focus on the foundations because then they have the potential to become experts later on. But fundamentally, the technology industry is evolving every year and educational institutes need to work accordingly to keep adapting themselves every couple of years to catch up with the pace with which the industry is moving. And that is where the need for college transformation comes in. 

Why are soft skills important in the corporate world? 

We are currently in a career phase where soft skills are equally important, if not more critical than hard skills. Understanding the etiquette of work, especially in the virtual world, is paramount. This is because be it attending meetings or collaborating on a task with teammates, communication is so ingrained in our work. So, in addition to traditional skill-sets like logical thinking and problem-solving, it is equally pertinent to hone soft skills in the present day.

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