B-school review: Institute of Management, Nirma University

Earlier this month Careers360 issued the top 50 B-school rankings in the country. The magazine also reviewed 25 institutes, along with vital information students should be aware of when choosing their B-school.

Today we feature Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad and its courses.

The first thing that struck me, as R Nair, deputy registrar, walked me through the 110-acre Nirma campus, was that the institute has invested fairly well for its students. It has a well-stocked library with more than 25,000 books; three hostels with lift facilities, including an exclusive one for women. The gym is well-equipped; the surroundings are clean with no ungainly sight of garbage strewn on the ground, the sports facilities are impressive, and neat eating joints dot the campus.

Dr C Gopalkrishnan, director, Nirma, put my impressions in perspective. "We are committed to students benefiting from our research capability," he said, as we chatted in his office cabin. "More than 50 per cent of our teachers are PhDs." Moreover, the faculty is encouraged to undertake research for which the institute provides seed money of Rs 1 lakh. And it isn't easy for prospective teachers to get a foothold into the institute. "We have a rigorous selection process," the director stressed.

Although most institutes claim that student feedback is essential, at Nirma it is taken seriously and over the years students' voices have improved both the courseware and faculty. Not just that, every year faculty members and key
officials get together in an event called Retreat to critically examine the past year and think about the year ahead.

"The objective is to keep raising the bar, both for ourselves and the students," Dr Gopalkrishnan said.

Other reviews:

• Delhi School of Professional Studies and Research, New Delhi
• Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
• Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune
• Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
• Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore
• Amity Business School, Noida
• Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences, Bangalore

Nirma, in particular, insists that its students work on social projects and are thus attached to an NGO for three months during their term. This kind of training helps in creating socially aware managers, points out a senior teacher. To give you a quick overview of the courses, Nirma offers three management programmes: regular MBA targeted at future corporate citizens; family business and entrepreneurship for those who have their own enterprise or wish to start their own (for this no placement support is offered) and an evening executive management programme for working professionals.

A PhD in management has also been introduced. Each year, around 180 students are admitted to the college, and, at the moment, there are close to 550 students staying in the three hostels. But bear in mind, it's an all-vegetarian mess, not even eggs are served. The mess charges are Rs 2,000 per month which include three meals and evening tea.

It's not all work and no play at Nirma. Plays and debates are a regular scene at the large campus auditorium, and for the artistically inclined, there's an art gallery set up by Karsan Bhai Patel's late daughter, Nima. Of course, a major attraction at Nirma is the opportunity for good international exposure.

Last year as part of industry experience, its students went to China and the US. And students expect no less as majority are high-grade scorers -- the average percentile cut-off for CAT is in the range of 91-94. Many, in fact, openly say they are unwilling to accept a package less than Rs 5.5 lakhs per annum.