IIM-A ties up with MEA

The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad will open its doors to students from several least developed countries as part of the ministry of external affair's bilateral programme of increasing people-to-people contact.

The countries IIMA will reach out to are Sri Lanka, Kenya, Bangladesh, Malayisa, Indonesia, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. IIM-A will also focus on France, South Africa and Canada, and those in West Asia, including the United Arab Emirates, institute Director Bakul Dholakia told Business Standard on Thursday.

The business school has already made forays into Singapore and Egypt in the past months, and with this new programme, it will position itself as the ministry's brand ambassador.

IIM-A is planning roadshows in March in these countries to sell the first-ever full-time post-graduate programme for executives for foreign nationals in India. The course will start from July, 2006.

Dholakia, who has recently been appointed as the chairman of the National Board of Accreditation (management institutions), has already held discussions with the external affairs secretary, Shyam Saran, in New Delhi to finalise the course of action.

"While creating a niche market, IIM-A will make a global impact with the PGPX course. IIM-A will be the first business school in the country to introduce such a course for foreign nationals and Indian students as well," Dholakia said. "GMAT will serve as the admission examination and we are planning to start the campaign in these in the next month."

The roadshows will be held in nine least developed countries suggested by MEA and in other countries in Europe, West Asia, and Canada with co-operation from Indian embassies.

IIM-A will also seek the help of its alumna based in these countries. They will launch a public relations drive with local media and industries, to be followed up by interactions between the IIM-A counsellors and various groups in these countries, Dholakia said.

IIMA Alumnus now employed by various corporates in these countries, mainly those in Europe and Canada, will also help market the institute's PGPX course, he added.

Both the MEA and IIMA want to make this programme a success to create a positive impression about management education available in India.

At present, under the scholarship and technical educational support schemes of the government, a many foreign under-graduate students go to Indian colleges but the number is small in post-graduate courses, especially in management courses.

"IIMA will be responsible for working as an entity bringing in more foreign students to India to study management," said Dholakia.

The admission process will start in March 2005 along with the roadshows while interviews will take place between July and September. IIMA will offer 50 seats for this course. The institute expects 25 per cent seats to be be filled up by foreign nationals.

Eventually, the capacity will be hiked to 70, Dholakia added. The introductory course fee will be Rs 800,000, including expenses for a 4-5 week overseas training for all students and their air-conditioned accommodation in the IIMA campus.