Announced in January 2024, the blended post graduate programme in management (BPGP) MBA is a blended (hybrid) programme that combines on-campus, in-person sessions and live, interactive online sessions.
Navya Naveli Nanda, Escorts Kubota Limited Chairman and Managing Director Nikhil Nanda's daughter, has secured a seat at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
The 26 year old will be pursuing the newly launched blended post graduate programme in management (BPGP), a two-year course at the premier management institute.
Navya -- whose maternal grandparents are legendary movie star Amitabh Bachchan and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan -- has a bachelor's degree in digital technology and UX design from Fordham University, USA.
She is the founder of Project Naveli, a non-profit initiative that aims to provide women with equal opportunities so that they can achieve social and economic independence.
What is BPGP MBA at IIM-A?
Announced in January 2024, the BPGPA MBA is a blended (hybrid) programme that combines on-campus, in-person sessions and live interactive online sessions.
According to IIM-A Web site (external link), 'It will primarily be delivered in an online synchronous mode, suitably complemented through five distinct on-campus modules.
'In tune with the IIM-A pedagogy, the programme will predominantly follow a case-based approach that focusses on applied learning to ensure that the participants gain the knowledge and skills required for success in today's dynamic business environment.'
The approximate cost of the BPGP MBA programme is Rs 2,000,000.
Who can apply for BPGP MBA?
Will a BPGP degree help working professionals?
According to rediffGURU Aashish Sood, the "BPGP is a two-year course tailored for individuals with at least three years of full-time work experience.
"Working professionals generally either go for the Indian School of Business, choosing a full time post-graduate programme or prefer a one-year executive MBA. This course (BPGP) is more akin to the three-year weekend MBA at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi."
Navya's Instagram post has received mixed reactions from netizens, with some of them questioning the institute and her credentials, calling it a 'publicity stunt' to boost admissions.
Sood, an IIM-Lucknow alumnus who has been teaching maths and quantitative aptitude to MBA aspirants for over a decade, dismisses the possibility.
He says, "It is a good sign that a celebrity student like Navya has decided to do her education in India and not go abroad.
"On a side note, the BPGP has finally got some marketing. Otherwise, apart from PGP (post graduate programme in management) and PGPX (post graduate programme in management for executives), no other programme was promoted."
"I doubt if this is a marketing gimmick because admission to central institutions like the IIMs are subject to RTI (Right to Information) and it is not easy to bump up an admit. While she (Navya) might have had received higher scoring during the interview, she would have had to reach the interview stage on the strength of her own ability."