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What can be my prospects of joining IIM Ahmedabad for an MBA and later going to Harvard for some courses after becoming an IAS officer?
It has become a trend for IAS/PCS to pursue an MBA these days. But it’s important to note that there are no reserved seats for civil servants for the PGDM (MBA) program. You have to attempt CAT to join the Post Graduate program.
However, IIM-A offers a number of Professional Development programs suitable for senior government functionaries.
Personally, I will advise you to clarify your career goals. Determine what is more important in your career: Civil Services or an MBA. This is because people usually join the IIMs for careers in entrepreneurship or jobs in the corporate sector.
How is life in IIM Ahmedabad?
Life at IIM Ahmedabad depends on your course, which year or term you are in, and your personal goals.
Until Summer placement:
- The schedule is pretty hectic until the summer placements (Nov). Apart from the course work, you will need to work on your CV, attend presentations conducted by recruiting companies, prepare for interviews, and complete work for the clubs you joined.
- It will take some time to get used to the rigorous academic routine. Lectures go on from 8:45 am to 1:10 pm. Being late to lectures isn’t an option. The notification for the 2:45 pm surprise quiz comes around 1:45 pm. Also, the deadline for most assignments is 11:59:59 pm.
After Summer Placements:
During this time, you will be considerably relaxed. You can concentrate on your academics and other activities since you will be placed.
2nd Year:
- 2nd year is different for most students. You will choose your course. So, the academic rigor will depend on the courses you are opting for.
- Some students opt for exchange/dual degree programs. Some pickup positions of responsibility within the campus.
- The final placements start from January and go on until February. Most start placement preparation from October/November.
Irrespective of the choices you make, life on IIM A campus will be enriching.
Why is IIM Calcutta not so talked-about as IIMA or IIMB?
I think IIM Calcutta is not as recognized or talked about as IIMA or IIMB because it did not gain fame from Bollywood. Bollywood movies have been shot at IIMA and IIMB. So they are more talked about than IIMC. It has nothing to do with its own facilities. That being said, some amazing features of IIM Calcutta are
-
Top notch alumni base
-
Beautiful campus: The campus of IIM Bangalore is not an average one. Its beautiful infrastructure and location give it a surreal ambiance.
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Amazing Placements: IIM Calcutta is the best for finance placements. Reputed banks like Merrill, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and Chase, Goldman Sachs prefer students of IIM Calcutta over IIMA and IIMB. For consulting IIM Calcutta has all the top 4 Mckinsey, Bain, BCG and AT Kearney.
So nothing about IIM Calcutta is less than other IIMs. It just lacks the general fame, not the works.
What is so special about IIM Calcutta? It is one of the oldest IIMs in the country, but what makes it stand out from other institutes in imparting management education?Why would someone join IIM C?
Surely IIM Calcutta is the oldest and yet stands out the most from other IIMs. But trust me it has nothing to do with its campus, alumni, education, placement, extracurriculars or any other features. All the IIMs are equally good in all these aspects.
What makes IIM Calcutta different from them?
In reality, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore welcome students only who have been toppers throughout their life. Their academic reports are flawless. Be it their 10th or 12th or Undergraduate. They have never seen failure in their lives.
But in the case of IIM Calcutta, it has both genius students with flawless reports and people who have great CAT scores but below average undergrad or 10th and 12th scores. IIM Calcutta welcomes a mixed crowd and this is what sets it apart from other IIMs.
At IIM Calcutta, you will find peers who have failed or been to the lowest level once. But they have climbed the ladder of success with determination. Studying alongside people with such qualities makes education much more than just learning your subjects. You grow as a person. You don’t find people here, you find profiles. A manager needs to have these qualities in order to excel.
All the IIMs are great but it’s only IIM Calcutta that welcomes a mixed crowd.
What are the fees of IIM Ahmedabad?
The course fee for 2024-25 MBA PGPX batch at IIM Ahmedabad is Rs. 33 Lakhs for Single Accomodation (SSH), and Rs. 35 Lakhs for Married Student Housing (MSH). The additional caution money is refunded on completion of the course.
There are two modes of payment for the fee.
Payment Mode 1-
|
Phase |
Married Student Housing (MSH) |
Single Accommodation |
|
First Commitment fee |
INR 2,00,000 |
INR 2,00,000 |
|
Second Commitment fee |
INR 2,00,000 |
INR 2,00,000 |
|
Third Commitment fee |
INR 14,50,000 |
INR 14,50,000 |
|
Balanced Programme fee |
INR 16,50,000 |
INR 14,50,000 |
|
Caution Deposit (Refundable) |
INR 70,000 |
INR 35,000 |
Payment Mode 2-
|
Phase |
Married Student Housing (MSH) |
Single Accommodation |
|
First Commitment fee |
INR 2,00,000 |
INR 2,00,000 |
|
Second Commitment fee |
INR 2,00,000 |
INR 2,00,000 |
|
Balance Fee: 1st Installment |
INR 17,00,000 |
INR 15,10,000 |
|
Balance Fee: 2nd Installment |
INR 9,60,000 |
INR 9,50,000 |
|
Balance Fee: 3rd Installment |
INR 4,79,000 |
INR 4,79,000 |
|
Caution Deposit (Refundable) |
INR 70,000 |
INR 35,000 |
The first and second commitment fees are non-refundable. The fee does not include meal expenses. MSH candidates have to pay separate monthly charges for electricity, water and LPG consumption. You can visit the official website to check on the last payment dates.
This is the complete breakdown of PGPX fee-structure for the upcoming batch at IIM Ahmedabad.
Which is tougher to survive, BCG/McKinsey or IIM Ahmedabad?
Life at BCG/McKinsey is more difficult. During your B-School years, you will have fewer numbers of distractions like social commitments, attending to family, etc. So, you can easily focus on your studies. The perform or perish culture makes life at BCG/McKinley more nerve-wracking.
These companies pick 2-3% of the top students from the most reputed B-Schools in the country, so competition is way higher.
Did anyone convert IIM Ahmedabad and not join?
IIM Ahmedabad is definitely one of the best institutes for studies. But it’s not the only one with excellent opportunities. Many other colleges offer better opportunities and a wide range of career options than IIM Ahmedabad.
Many people get selected in IIM Ahmedabad but do not join it. This is because their career goals do not restrict them to IIM Ahmedabad only. One such example is Sudhakar Gupta from NSIT who scored a 100 percentile in 2014. He got selected in all the IIMs but instead chose to pursue a Masters Degree from Cornell University.
At the IIMs, while the career opportunities are excellent, they are more or less streamlined and restrictive in the initial period. So people with broad prospects tend to suffer here.
It depends on your long term career goals and your own conveniences at the end.
Are the salary packages for IIMs higher than those from JBIMS?
IIMs can be broadly categorized into two categories; the first comprising IIM ABC and the second comprising IIM KIL. The total fees will be around 16-18 Lakhs or a few lakhs more for these IIMs. As far as the average package is concerned for IIM ABC, it is around 19-20 Lakhs while for IIM KIL it is merely 2 lakhs less. The highest CTC is around 60-70 (International) for these IIMs.
Coming to JBIMS, we get to witness a much higher ROI. This is because the average package is almost similar to these IIMs while the fees are much less. Also, it is a Mecca for Finance enthusiasts. JBIMS has many notable alumni that carry its brand name proudly. Some of them include
- Vinita Bali, Managing Director of Britannia
- Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director & CEO, ICICI Bank, India
- Nitin Paranjpe, CEO and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Ltd
- Ajay Piramal, chairman of Piramal Healthcare
So yes, the salary packages of certain IIMs might be slightly higher than that of JBIMS but considering the ROI factor that slightly differs doesn't really matter.
Are placements at IIM Calcutta as good as that of IIM Ahmedabad?
I will mention the placement statistics of both and let you decide if IIM Calcutta has placements as good as that of IIM Ahmedabad.
|
Particulars |
IIM Calcutta |
IIM Ahmedabad |
|
Highest Package |
INR 1.15 CPA |
INR 1.15 CPA |
|
Average Package |
INR 35.07 LPA |
INR 34.36 LPA |
|
Top Recruiters |
Avendus Capital, Citi Bank, HSBC, Goldman Sachs |
Emaar, A91 Partners, BCG, PwC, KPMG, HSBC |
|
Total Offers |
573 |
280 |
Following are my insight from the above comparison:
- Almost all students of both institutes IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta are placed so there isn’t much difference.
- Moreover, the median packages are similar proving that the placement scenario is similar.
So I don’t think there is much difference between the placement scenarios at IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta.
Did you choose IIM Ahmedabad over elite business schools abroad, like Harvard Business School?
One cannot easily choose IIM Ahmedabad over elite business schools abroad like Harvard Business Schools. But if one actually does then the main reasons could be
-
Long term market: If you are willing to work in India for the long term, then IIM Ahmedabad is for you. This is because every business school provides best access to domestic markets. So if you want to stay in India IIM Ahmedabad offers the best access throughout Indian Markets.
-
Opportunities at fairly less cost: India is a developing country and its market is slowly coming at par with the US market. So if you are looking for an investment less earn more opportunity, IIM Ahmedabad is a good option.
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Personal Convenience: It is not an exaggeration to say the quality of life you will be experiencing in your home country with your family will never be the same as that of abroad.
So both the B Schools are fantastic options. It depends on your convenience which to choose. If you wish to stay in India, IIM Ahmedabad is for you. But if you want to explore the US market go for any elite business school abroad.
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