MBA

What is an MBA?

MBA stands for Master of Business Administration and is a 2-year programme in

Management studies. On par (in terms of equivalence) with other Post Graduate courses,
an MBA is a practical preparation for individuals in business or management. One thing
to be kept in mind is that if one wants to do an MBA, one should aim for the premiere
institutes. Students passing out of these institutes are the most sought after.

The Advantages of a Management Education

• Imparts skills in all facets of management

• Bestows the ability to provide leadership, inspiration & motivation to people
• Helps in decision making through the use of scarce resources
• Lucrative and satisfying career
• Faster movement on the career path
• Management graduates are perceived to be go-getters, superior in analytical and
intellectual capabilities

Making of an MBA

Typically, the following is the path

• 2 year course with 3 trimesters in each year

• Each trimester of 10-12 weeks
• Each trimester 6-9 subjects

First Year Method of Instruction

• Introduction to functional areas of • Classroom Lectures

management • Home assignments
Summers
• Project work of 8-10 weeks (Opportunity to
check out career specialization interests)
Second Year
• Discussion on assigned readings
• Case studies - Exposure to real life
situations in India and Abroad
• Presentations
• Group tasks and projects
• Business games simulation

• Compulsory Courses + 17-20 electives of

• Real-life Field projects
ones own choice

• Specialization Courses

Systems Management :

Systems are almost synonymous with computers. Actually, though, the latter are only a
means to achieving the end. For instance, even a paanwala at the street corner has his
own system of running his business which includes procurement, stocking , display,
sales, cash management, etc. However, due to the sheer volume of transactions of various
kinds in a large organization, systems are developed and maintained with the help of the
latest Information Technology (IT) tools.

A specialization in IT offers scope for a career in many areas in the industry.

The options could be Project Management in a software development company like

Infosys, TCS, etc., or sales and marketing in IT companies like Tata - IBM, Wipro,
Infotech, etc.

An engineer - MBA with a sound understanding of business concepts in seen as ideal for
the job of a project manager in software development activities, such as developing an
on-line network with company distributors across the country. A fresh MBA starts at the
level or a software development engineer (almost at par with an engineer or an MCA)
and is actively involved in coding. However, the rise is much more rapid for an MBA
who can reach the project management responsibility in 2 to 3 years.

Large Manufacturing Organizations Systems activity is a support function which is

responsible for custom - development of IT solutions in all areas, from automating
attendance punching to putting daily sales and distribution data on-line, to developing
Enterprise Resource Planning solutions.

The skills required are the following:

 • Good Analytical Skills
• Project Management
• Team Work
• Quest for knowledge
• Good communication

Here we list the leading B-Schools of the country. If you want to know more about the
institute kindly visit the corresponding website of the institute.

• Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIM-A) - Founded by the Government

of India in 1961, IIM-A is perhaps the most reputed management institute in the
country. Not only that, the institute is also acknowledged as one of the top B-
schools the worldwide. Besides education, the institute is actively involved in
management development programme, research, consulting, and publishing.
Situated at Ahmedabad, IIM-A offers courses in management at the post-graduate
level. www.iimahd.ernet.in
• Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIM-B) - Founded by Govt. of India in
1973, IIM-B is one of the top three or four B-Schools of the country. Besides
education, IIM-B is actively involved in management development programme,
research, consulting, and organizing seminars & workshops. Situated in
Bangalore, the institute offers courses in management at post-graduate level.
www.iimb.ernet.in
• Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta (IIM-C) - Founded by the Government of
India in 1961, IIM-C is one of the top three or four B-Schools of the country. It is one of
the first two IIMs established in the country. Besides education, IIM-C is actively involved
in management development training, research, consulting, and publications. Situated at
Calcutta, IIM-C offers courses in management at post-graduate level. www.iimcal.ac.in
• Indian Institute of Management - Indore (IIM - I)- IIM-I is the youngest of all the
IIMs. Its initial focus is on teaching, management development training, research
and consulting. Currently, IIM-I is offering Post-Graduate Programme in
Management (PGP) at its makeshift facility in Indore. Very soon, IIM-I will shift
into its 150-acre campus just outside Indore. www.iimidr.ac.in
• Indian Institute of Management - Kozhikode (IIM - K) - Established in 1996, IIM-K
is the older of the two newly established IIMs. An important vision of the institute
is to aid managerial skill formation for effective decision making and problem
solving in the ensuing globalised era. Situated in Calicut, IIM-K currently offers
the Post-Graduate Programme in Management. www.iimk.ac.in
• Indian Institute of Management - Lucknow (IIM-L) - Founded by the Government of
India in 1985. Besides education, IIM-L is actively involved in management
 development training, research, and consulting. Situated at Lucknow in the state
of Uttar Pradesh, the institute offers courses in management at post-graduate
level. www.iiml.ac.in
• Xavier's Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) - Established in 1949 in the steel city of
Jamshedpur, XLRI was born of the vision of Jesuit Priest Father Quinn Enright.
Today, the institute is ranked amongst the top management institutes in the
country. The courses offered are post-graduate courses on personnel management,
labour relations and business management. www.xlri.ac.in
• Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) - FMS was established in 1954 by Delhi
University. It was the first institute to introduce part-time MBA in India. Today it
is one of the top six or seven B-Schools in the country and offers a number of
courses in management including MBA. FMS is also actively involved in
management development programmes, research, consulting etc. www.fms.edu
• Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS) - JBIMS has the
distinction of starting the first full - time two years' Masters Programme in
Management Studies in India in 1965. Situated in the heart of India's commercial
capital Mumbai, the institute is amongst the top six or seven management
institutes in the country. The institute is also rated amongst the top 20 in the Asia-
Pacific region.www.jbims.edu
• S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) - Inaugurated in 1981
by the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, S. P. Jain is one of the top
ten management institutes in the country today. Situated in Mumbai, SPJIMR
offers courses in management at post-graduate level. www.spjimr.org
• Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) - NMIMS completes the
trinity of well know institutes in Mumbai (along with JBIMS and S. P. Jain). It is
the only recognised institute to be accorded a permanent recognition by the
University of Bombay; it is also among the top 10 B-Schools of the country.
Courses offered include post-graduate courses in management, advertising &
communication and rural marketing. www.nmims.edu
• Institute of Management Technology (IMT) - IMT was established in 1980 (in
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh) under the aegis of Dr. K. Nath Public Trust to foster
management education. Rated amongst the top 15 B-Schools of the country, IMT
is known for its post-graduate programmes in management and its highly
professional and successful placement cell in the field of information technology
in the country. www.imt.edu
• Management Development Institute (MDI) - MDI was established in Gurgaon in
1973 with the support of the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI).
Today, the institute has become a leading institution for education, training,
research and consultancy. MDI offers post-graduate courses in management and
is rated amongst the top 15 B-Schools of the country. www.mdi.ac.in
• Xavier Institute of Management (XIM) - Established in 1987, XIM has established
itself as one of the leading centres for post-graduate studies in management in
Eastern India. The institute owes its origin to a 'social contract' between the Govt.
 of Orissa and the Orissa Jesuit Society. XIM offers post-graduate level courses in
management. www.ximmumbai.com
• International Management Institute (IMI) - was set up as an autonomous non-profit
educational Society under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in collaboration
with International Management Institute, Geneva to meet the widely felt need for
Internationally Oriented management education/ training for managers at all
levels in industry, government and public systems. www.imi.edu
• Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) - SIBM is the most prominent
member in the long list of institutes that come under the Symbiosis umbrella. It is
part of the highly acclaimed Pune University. Besides offering post-graduate level
courses in management, SIBM is also well known for research, consulting and
organizing workshops and seminars on management. As a B-School it is
considered among the top ten by many and amongst the top fifteen by most.
www.sibm.edu
• Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD) -
SCMHRD is part of the Symbiosis family of educational institutes, it s also
amongst the top fifteen or sixteen B-schools of India. Situated in Pune, SCMHRD
has rapidly grown into a sought after institute for post-graduate studies in general
management and Human Resource management. www.scmhrd.edu
• Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) - IIFM was born in 1974 when the
concept of professional management of forests was conceptualised by the
Government of India. Situated in Bhopal, the capital of the state of Madhya
Pradesh, the institute offers specialized post-graduate courses in forestry and
natural resource management. www.iifm.org
• Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) - IIFT was established in New Delhi in 1964
with the main objective of evolving and advancing international business
education and research in the country. This Government of India enterprise offers
several part-time and full-time programmes at post-graduate level related to the
field of International Business/Foreign Trade. IIFT is perhaps the first choice for
these types of courses in the country. www.iift.edu
• Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) - Established in 1936 in Mumbai by Tatas,
one of the leading industrial groups in the country, the institute is one of the
premier institutes for social sciences and management education in the country.
The institute offers postgraduate courses on personnel management, labour
relations and social work. www.tiss.edu
• Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) - IRMA is an autonomous institution
with the mandate of contributing to the professional management of rural
organizations. It was founded in 1979 (in Anand, Gujrat) at the initiative of the
National Dairy Development Board of India and with the support of the
Government of India. Ever since its inception, IRMA has been working closely
with Co-operatives, NGOs, various state Governments, National and International
agencies. IRMA offers courses post-graduate level courses in rural management.
www.irma.ac.in
 • National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) - Established in 1987, NIFT was
conceived by the Indian Government to cater to the manpower requirements the
nascent but rapidly growing Indian Fashion industry. With centres at Delhi,
Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar and Mumbai, NIFT
churns out professionals in several areas in related t6o fashion and clothing. It
offers under-graduate as well as post-graduate programmes in fashion, garment
manufacturing technology, accessory design, jewelry design etc.
www.niftindia.com
• Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) - Situated in Ahmedabad,
MICA is the premier institute for post-graduate level courses in Communications
and Advertising. MICA is an autonomous institute conceived by the well-known
advertising agency Mudra Communications, its objective is to meet the need for
professionals in the highly specialized field of advertising and communication.
www.mica-india.net
• Bharatidasan Institute of Management (BIM) - Established in 1984, BIM is one of
the leading management Institutes in Southern India. It was setup through the
joint efforts of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and Bharatidasan University.
BIM offers post-graduate level courses in management.

Almost all tests are of 2 hours' duration. They have multiple-choice questions. Some of
these tests have negative marking while some of them like CET (Common Entrance Test)
in Maharashtra do not. The scores of a year cannot be carried over to the next year unlike
GRE and GMAT.

Areas tested in the Written Test

• Quantitative Ability (QA): This section tests your mathematical skills and it
comprises essentially high school mathematics. Topics covered are Number
System, Profit & Loss, Percentages, Averages, Progression, Work, Speed,
Geometry, Algebra and some miscellaneous topics.
• Data Interpretation (DI): This section has problems on different types of Data
Representation. You have to analyse and give specific information from Tables,
Activity Charts, Bar Charts, Pie Charts and Graphs.
• Verbal Ability (VA): This is a section on English usage. Topics tested are
Grammar, Vocabulary and Verbal Reasoning.
• Reading Comprehension (RC): This section tests your reading skills. This section
consists of about 5 passages followed by questions on the same. Passages are of
about 800 words length and cover various topics such as music, astronomy,
civics, sociology, art and literature.
• General Awareness/Business Awareness (GA/BA): This section basically tests if
you have been keeping in touch with the current affairs and business events. This
section is there in most of the tests except CAT. You are asked questions on
 political events, scientific developments, awards, economic indicators, brands,
CEOs and books.
• Logical Reasoning (LR): Your analytical skills are tested in this section. Under
this section you can have Data Sufficiency, puzzles and deductive reasoning.

What are the different tests to be taken?

CAT for the IIMs

The 2nd Sunday of December is when CAT, the entrance test for the IIMs is held. Other
institutes like Management Development Institute (MDI), T.A. Pai Institute of
Management (TAPMI), Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Mudra Institute of
Communications (MICA), S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR),
International Management Institute (IMI), and the Fore School of Management also
conduct their admissions through CAT.

The CAT of Dec 9, 2001 has been relatively easy as compared to the CAT of the
previous two years when students emerged shell-shocked from the centres. The paper
was of 2 hours' duration. There were 3 sections of 50 Questions each and there was no
sectional time limit, meaning that you could attempt the whole paper in any order. There
was negative marking for a wrong answer which we assume to be ¼ th of a right answer.
The paper was easy, but the time pressure was tremendous as students get carried away
while attempting the paper. The problem is not of complexity of the paper but of efficient
time management.

XLRI

( Xavier's Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur ): XAT, the test for XLRI and Xavier
Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, was suppose to be the first test to go online from
2002. But XLRI had to finally conduct the test in a paper and pencil format, as its effort
to go online were not successful. The XAT is usually held on the first Sunday of January
and it has questions on General Awareness and Industrial Relations as a separate section.
There is stress on higher level maths topics such as probability, set theory and
permutations and combinations.

FMS

Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi : FMS has a paper whose pattern is similar to that
of the CAT, and in addition, they have a Business and General Awareness section as
well. The paper tends to have long passages but is relatively easy to solve. During the
second stage of selection process, FMS has extempore apart from GDs and interviews.

MICA

Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad: MICA specializes in Advertising and

Market Research. If you get a call from MICA after the written round (CAT), you would
find yourself going through a special aptitude test for advertising at the interview stage.
This is to check your innovativeness, creativity and presence of mind. They also check
awareness of brands, advertisement agencies, ad punchlines, and knowledge about socio-
cultural environment.

IIFT

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi: The general awareness section of the IIFT paper
has questions based on trade-related figures, dates, UN bodies and WTO. Rest of the
sections are like CAT, but of a lower difficulty level. Usually, there is no negative
marking in this test.

TISS

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai: TISS specializes in Human Resources and
Personnel Management. It is one of the most sought after B- Schools for Personnel
Management. TISS paper consists of an essay on a socially relevant issue, apart from the
aptitude test. The test is conducted in June in Mumbai.

CET

CET stands for "Common Entrance Test" - conducted by the Directorate of Technical
Education, Maharashtra. In case you need to pursue an MBA Degree course from any of
the affiliated universities in Maharashtra, you need to take this test. The competition is
tough as there are very few seats for outside Maharashtra candidates. The number of
institutes covered under CET runs into hundreds, but only a handful are worth a try.
Some of these are Jamunalal Bajaj, Narsee Monjee, Symbiosis, etc.

JMET

The Joint Management Entrance Test for the Indian Institutes of Technology and the
Indian Institute of Science; JMET is conducted in December. The Techno-MBAs passing
out og IITs and IISc focus on Systems and Technology Management and go for relevant
jobs in high-tech industries or consultancies.

It is a discussion by a group of people. The discussion involves an exchange of thoughts

and ideas among members of the group. Group Discussions are largely used in the
selection process for admissions into institutes, where there is a high level of competition.
The number of participants in a group can vary from 8-15 people. In most cases a topic or
a situation will be given, and the group members will have to discuss it within a given
period of time.

Reasons for employing a GD

• Value for time

 GD helps in forming an opinion about a large number of candidates in a
short period of time on a common platform.

• Skills assessment

GD helps in assessing certain skills that cannot be evaluated even in a

personal interview (leave alone the written application form etc.). These
skills include team membership, leadership skills, listening and
articulation skills etc.

What is checked in a GD

All that one observes in a GD can be categorized into two broad areas: - The Content and
the Process.

• The content is all about 'what' or the 'matter' spoken in the GD. Whereas, the
process refers to the 'how', 'when' and 'why' of the GD.
• Both are equally important and need adequate attention at all stages.
• High quality contribution by one with no regard to the 'process' is as suicidal as
another's contribution, which is high on packaging with little content.

Critical Success Factors in a GD

• Cognitive skills or knowledge

The most important aspect of your contribution to a GD is the Quality of

Content (QOC), which is reflected in the points you speak and knowledge
of the relevant subject you have, the supportive examples you give and
data you generated etc.

• Comprehension of core idea

It is essential to deliver a high quality content. But to do that , you should

speak on the topic and not deviate. It is checked whether you have
identified the crux of the problem or not and whether the solutions you are
offering is relevant to the problem or not.

• Logical reasoning

It includes understanding the topic, generating quality arguments, analysis

and a progressive approach to a justifiable conclusion. This is one of the
necessary attributes to be seen in an influential participant. Such people
convey an impression of open minded and logic driven rather than that of
an opinionated individual.
 • Behavioural and Personality Skills

This includes certain attributes like rapport building, team membership,

participation, patience, assertion and accommodation, amenability,
leadership etc,. that are assessed during a GD.

• Communication Skills

You should be able to articulate your thoughts properly and you should
also be able to understand what others are trying to tell you.

• Clarity of thought

In whatever you are articulating, are you following logical sequence/ order
or is that you are presenting the points in some bits and pieces.

• Body Language and Eye Contact

These are some tools which check your level of confidence and whether
you can work together effectively in group or not.

Types of Group Discussions

• Structured (or Default) GD

1. A structured GD is one that is most commonly used.
2. The group is given a topic for discussion with 10 to 20 minutes for
discussion. The topic can be anything going under the sun.
3. There is no leader appointed for the group and the brief may or may not
include anything but the topic for discussion. Here the topic of discussion
is clearly defined and students know what is the objective of discussion.
• Unstructured GD
1. Unstructuredness can be built into a discussion wherein no clear
instructions are given. So first of all, the students have to decide as to what
is to be done.
2. The panel expects the group to achieve some objective(s) during the
course or by the end of the GD, but here the objectives are to be decided
by the group itself and not given by the observer.

These might include tasks such as choosing the topic for discussion, appointing the leader
or a chairman etc.

The Interview
An interview is a face-to-face meeting, especially for the purpose of obtaining a
statement or for assessing the qualities of a candidate.

An interview tries to obtain a statement or opinion, as is done for e.g. when film stars are
interview

MBA In India

Indian B-Schools have come a long way to become the source of some of the best
management talent in the world. The IIM graduates get placed on par with graduates
hailing from the best schools in the world.

Entry route to the best

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the entry route to the best B-schools in India.
Other exams include the Common Entrance Test (CET) for entry into management
institutes in Maharashtra. However the selection process across most of the institutes is
essentially same, comprising of the following.

The Aptitute Test

Evaluates the candidate on

• Managerial ability in subtle manner

• Decision making capability under constraints of time and data
• Ability to eliminate unwanted choices

Personality Assessment comprising of:

Group Discussion (GD)

Evaluates the candidate on

• Communication - Clarity and Presentation (Articulation)

• Listening skills
• Quality of Content (Knowledge)
• Team membership (Interpersonal Skills)
• Ability to influence (Leadership)
Personal Interview

Evaluates the candidate on

• Strengths and Weaknesses

• Career Objectives
• Academic Performance
• Communication skills
• Areas of interest
• Achievements

Final selection to any business school is based on criteria such as the candidate's
performance in Aptitude test, GD, Interview, Academic performance and Work
experience.

What is the eligibility criteria for an MBA ? Atleast

a 3 year bachelor's degree or equivalent
in any discipline recognised by any Indian University / AICTE as eligible for post-
graduate studies. Students in final year of graduation can also apply. Such candidates, if
selected, will be allowed provisional admission with the condition that the mark sheet and
a certificate of passing is produced by certain specified date.