IIM-Bangalore, The third IIM to be established in the country, IIM Bangalore has come a long way in the last 42 years. The four cornerstones of the establishment that have given it its current stature are developing a world-class research and teaching ecosystem, leveraging technology, creating a global perspective and infusing an entrepreneurial mind-set among its students.
With a strong academic system and world-class research, IIM-BangaloreBangalore is the breeding ground for good managerial candidates in the country. IIM aspirants tend to pick IIM-B for its access to and year-round interactions with the telecom, IT, aviation, manufacturing and SME sectors. Like IIM-A, this institute is also EQUIS accredited. Currently helmed by Sushil Vachani as its director, the institute has stuck by its resolve to innovate. Among its noted alumni are Dr K Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of ISRO, author Ravi Subramanian, Damodar Mall, CEO of Reliance Retail and Rajiv Srivatsa and Ashish Goel, founders of Urban Ladder.
Academics
The institute offers a two-year residential PGP in management, Fellow Programme in Management (doctoral programme), PGP in Enterprise Management, Executive PGP in Management, PGP in Public Policy Management, the unique PGP in Aerospace and Aviation Management and other executive education programmes. IIM-B’s curriculum and approach to learning has been designed to address the business needs of India’s rapidly expanding economy and the dynamic global scenario. The two-year PGP is their most popular programme which includes a summer project and compulsory international component.
Engineering graduate Nithya GM went to IIM-B with no work experience. But the two-year PGP has apparently given her a real-world exposure. Now a corporate banker with Deutsche Bank, Nithya says, “The learning at IIM-B was project- and discussion-based, not to mention the case studies that show you how to apply theory. The exchange programme which sent me to France was also a new experience for me. While the pressure I experienced at my job was more content-based, I felt corporate-ready after the two years at IIM.” She also owes her ability to understand the corporate world better to the diverse student population at IIM-B.
The faculty at IIM-B constantly innovates and updates their knowledge through ongoing research projects at the Centres of Excellence in Public Policy, Entrepreneurial Learning, Software and Information Technology Management, Corporate Governance and Citizenship, Supply Chain Management and Capital Markets and Risk Management.
The institute will soon commission two new research labs, one for Big Data and another for Behavioural Research and have structured their Centre for Capital Markets and Risk Management. They have also launched a satellite at Vishakhapatnam. In addition, IIM-B has developed multi-disciplinary centres of excellence in the areas of Public Policy, Entrepreneurship, Corporate Governance and Citizenship and Supply Chain Management.
IIM-B also collaborates with GoI in developing Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative which aims to create a rural impact. The programme also earned them the World Summit on Information Society Award by the International Telecommunications Union and the United Nations.
Campus
Designed by architect BV Dishi, the stone architecture of the buildings is now complemented by the foliage on the 100-acre campus in Bannerghatta. The first university to go fully-WiFi in India, IIM-B boasts of state-of-the-art infrastructure housing classrooms, student accommodation, a well-stocked library and recreational areas that leave room for formal and informal interactions on campus.
Placements
In the last recruitment cycle (batch of 2013-15), over 150 companies participated and made over 400 offers across 200 profiles. The Lateral Placement season for candidates with more than 22 months of work experience saw a total of 156 offers being made by firms in varied domains like Consulting, Business Leadership, Product Management, Operations, Category Management, and General Management.
Around 30 per cent of the entire batch received offers in the consulting sector, with brands like Bain & Company, Strategy&, AT Kearney, Roland Berger, Alvarez and Marsal, Arthur D Little and PRTM Consulting. From the sales and marketing sectors, firms like P&G, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Mondelez International, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Reckitt Benckiser, Johnson & Johnson, Marico and Asian Paints made offers. Telecom majors Vodafone and Bharti Airtel were also a part of the hiring process. A great buzz was generated by Internet and e-Commerce giants like Amazon, Snapdeal, Flipkart, Urban Ladder, AskmeBazaar, Hopscotch, CarTrade, Proptiger, Quickr, Commonfloor and Ola Cabs.
Their engagement with the public and private sector provides unique exposure. The institute was also the first to join edX to deliver Massive Online Open Courses under the label IIMBx. The innovation-oriented approach has set this IIM apart from other B-schools in the country.
The author is a Chennai-based freelance journalist
(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 14-12-2015)
