XLRI's One Year MBA program (PGDM-GM): An Insider's View!

Disclaimer: Since I am a current student at the institute, there’s an obvious bias! ??

Inherently, the Indian educational system sets up majority of its students to join an MBA program, irrespective of the field they take. An MBA is considered a psychological culmination to all the knowledge gained in the years of one’s academic existence. Needless to say, for me too, an MBA was a no-brainer.

My Background: I am a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) graduate from Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University – class of 2011. Post completing my graduate studies, I was picked up by Maruti Suzuki as an Executive Trainee in the Marketing & Sales department. From the very start of my professional tenure at MSIL, I knew that I had to do an MBA.

I was sternly of the opinion that an MBA was to be done straight after graduation. But being engrossed in a demanding job profile (Territory Sales Management) I hardly found time to concentrate on anything else, let alone academics/entrance exams. Like a lot of prospective MBA students in India – I had no knowledge of the advent of One Year MBAs. As I was sure of pursuing an MBA, I was also very sure about doing it as a regular/full-time course. A distance education one, or a week-end program was nowhere on the cards (just a personal choice I made).

Three years into my job, I read an article about the One Year MBA courses in India, a one-year MBA for me was always an Executive MBA, which was never considered a regular MBA in the eyes of educational regulators (AICTE, UGC, etc) and the student community alike. That article (link shared) changed my whole perspective about the course and served as my inflection point for the eventual decision I made. I had 2 years to prepare and apply to the schools that were to be on my dream list (most one-year MBA programs in India require a work ex of upwards of 5 years).

(Link: https://www.oneyearmba.co.in/1-one-year-full-time-mba-in-india-executive-mba-no-indias-first-globally-accepted-mba-yes/)

Upon rigorous research, I was convinced of the sanctity and the prospects of the one-year MBA program in India. Since these programs are at a very nascent stage, there were not a lot of schools to choose from, I made a list of the top 5 schools where I would want to study, the list consisted of the usual suspects (XLRI, ISB, IIMs).

Choosing the Program: I chose the one-year MBA program at XLRI for the following reasons:

1.     History - XLRI is the oldest B-School in India, established in 1949

2.     Brand - XLRI demands great respect in the field of management and research

3.     First of its kind - First one-year MBA in India (started as GMP in 1998)

4.     Alumni - A long history ensures that we have an illustrious list of alumni

5.     ROI - One of the least expensive One Year MBAs in India

6.     Facilities - State of the art facilities for residence, academia, recreation & sports

7.     Faculty - Opportunity to be taught by the who’s who of management education

About the Program: The General Management Program was started in 1998 as one of the very first one-year MBAs in India. It was the first program that got an AICTE recognition, again, a first of its kind given to a program that runs for 15 months. Currently, the course is christened as PGDM (General Management) – in an effort to re-brand this course as a full time MBA program and to avoid any confusion by prefixing/post-fixing Executive, One-Year, etc. to its name. PGDM (GM), along with PGDM (BM) and PGDM (HRM) is a flagship MBA program at XLRI.

The biggest USP of the course lies in the fact that it has the best international accreditation to boast of. The course has met the standards of the holy accreditation trinity: AICTE, AASCB and AMBA – one of the very few courses in India that can brag of such accreditation - this means that one’s degree is fully recognized as an MBA in foreign lands.

Initial Days: The memories of my initial days at XLRI are fresh as dew, it seems that I joined this institute yesterday. Meeting people ranging from the ages 25 – 40+ was in itself a crash course in networking. A mandatory orientation course was followed by the fulfilling of registration formalities. Art of Living classes were arranged to help people manage the ‘supposed’ oncoming stress. We all were set to go on a ride of a lifetime, excited and nervous in equal parts. I distinctly remember an orientation class helmed by Father Ozzie Mascarenhas on ‘Intrinsic Motivation’. Father Ozzie is a legend in his own right at XLRI, his session was a quick insight into what was in store for us. We were ready!

One thing that I look back to most from my initial days at XLRI is the process of interacting and forming friendships. Your mates truly become your family here at XLRI. You do everything with them. I am sure you’ll find a Coach, a Joker, a Player, a Helper, a Lazy-bum at your respective floors when you’ll join, and they’ll all become an integral part of your life!

Faculty:

MYTH: XLRI is Human Resource Management Institute.

TRUTH: It’s a management institute that started with a Personnel Management & Industrial Relation course, which become the most sought after in the country, but has rapidly and steadily grown to be known for achievements in Operations, Marketing, Finance, and Analytics.

I have had the good fortune of being taught by the most brilliant academicians of the country. Be it Prof. Sengupta teaching Strategic Cost Management like you’re being shown an orchestra or Prof. Ballabh whose invaluable Economics sessions are full of insights & humor. Be it Prof. Ajit Kumar whose calculated, almost crystal clear approach to Operations leave you spell-bound or Prof. Pranabesh Ray who makes sure you take HRM seriously - each and every professor brings something unique to the table - these stalwarts of XLRI are considered legends, but their humility and modesty would give you an inspiration for a lifetime.

I would be doing a great disservice to the new Profs if I didn’t mention them. One common thread that binds the young blood teaching at XLRI is PASSION. There is palpable energy in the lecture hall whenever you’re attending a newbie’s lecture. Note, since the batch consists of a healthy mix of experienced students, some of the students attending classes are way older than the new Profs teaching. I can’t think of a bigger compliment to give to the new Profs than to proclaim that I've never once seen any of them faltering or being intimidated while tackling experienced students and addressing their queries – a perfect testimony to their teaching prowess and XLRI’s recruitment standards.

Facilities: I was pleasantly surprised by the facilities that were made available to all the PGDM-GM students. Normally, an MBA student is given a shared room in a hostel in addition to some basic facilities. At XLRI, all the students of GMP are provided with separate rooms with apartment like settings – you have the luxury of an attached bathroom and AC. The rooms are fully furnished with a study table, cupboard, LAN port, WiFi and bookshelf. Don’t worry about the daily cleaning, there are workers coming every morning to do that for you. This is done to make sure that a student has sole concentration on academics while minimum effort is put to be concerned about anything else.

The newly constructed learning centre (where all classes are held) is a marvel in its own, having lecture halls of the highest standards integrated with all the latest technologies. The learning centre is very close to the GMP block and cycles are readily available for easy mobility. The usual sporting and recreational facilities are all there, and for the fitness junkies – there’s a 24/7 gym available to burn all the fat you need ??

Campus Life: A normal day in the life of a PGDM-GM students starts at 7:30AM when everyone flocks to the mess to have a hearty breakfast. The first lecture is usually scheduled at 9AM. You won't be having more than 4 lectures a day. Sufficient breaks are given in between lectures for lunch and snacks, the mess food is strictly OK but it can pleasantly surprise you sometimes.

After the lectures are finished, students are usually found completing group projects, solving case studies or studying for a quiz. If the students are lucky and have a free day – they’re usually found strolling around campus, partying or playing sports. The campus is constantly bustling with activities like Cultural Fests (XLerate, organized by PGDM-GM students & Ensemble-Valhalla, organized by BM/HRM), Conferences, Leadership Talks (was lucky enough to be in the audience when Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus delivered an inspiring talk), and Sporting Events – it’s truly an inclusive experience.

Placements: With a brand history of over 65 years, XLRI cannot go wrong with placements. The program attracts a number of recruiters and the recruitment is carried out on a rolling basis. The placement activities are headed by a democratically elected PlaceCom. A plethora of companies are there to scout for talent, you just have to make sure that you’re fully prepared when the D day approaches!

Who should come here? (Not an exhaustive list!)

1. Someone who's had substantial experience in the corporate/public sector and wants to acquire skills that would further his/her chance of an accelerated growth path in jobs post-MBA

2. Anyone who wants to unlearn and break free from the monotony of the corporate life, come back to school to test himself in a very competitively challenging environment

3. People looking for a great B-school while on sabbatical

4. Someone who wants an MBA but doesn’t want to invest 2 years on academics

5. Since it is a hardcore General Management course, a student is exposed to all the 5 pillars of corporate functioning, namely – Finance, Marketing, HRM, Operations, IT. If you’re a specialist in a particular field and want to open your horizons to different avenues – this is the place to be

Concluding View: I would go out on a limb and say: Joining PGDM-GM (GMP) was the best decision I made. It hasn't disappointed me on any front. I had the chance to interact with great minds, attend lectures that challenged me intellectually, party with my block-mates endlessly, debate on topics ranging from films to current-affairs against the best of friends, organize cultural events, re-experience bunking classes after 6 odd years, and become a student all over again!

I still can't believe that in one and a half months I would be leaving this place and going back to working full time. The past 11 odd months have just fizzed by - in hindsight, I reckon I lost track of time because I was constantly doing something, continuously having fun, continually making memories.

The feeling is slowly sinking in!