SIDTM: A JOURNEY FROM ENGINEER TO TECHNO-MANAGER

Admission process at SIDTM was completely in online mode due to the pandemic that had wrecked havoc across the country. The selection at SIDTM is based on an all-India Management exam called Symbiosis National Aptitude Test or abbreviated as SNAP. It is conducted by Symbiosis International University (SIU). The test pattern in objective in manner with questions ranging from English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. The test is 60 minutes long. One can give the exam twice with the best of 2 is taken and can be send to the college you have applied of your choice. The application form of SNAP is available on its official website and it costs Rs. 1950/-. One needs to be a Graduate from any stream with 50% marks and a valid SNAP score of around 78 percentile in order to get shortlisted for further rounds which is GE-PIWAT. WAT is essay writing conducted on an online portal and GEPI is conducted on ZOOM.

The course curriculum is unique of its own kind as it's a specialized Telecom B-school that offers a mix of Telecom and Managerial courses to cater to the current industry needs which require expertise in handling both Telecom technologies and marketing them to various customers or consumers. I chose this course as I am an Electronics Engineer by profession and therefore this is the age where there happens to be rapid changes in the Telecom Industry and this requires me to be completely an expert in both the Telecom side and the Management field of Telecommunications. The faculty is highly qualified with mostly having PhD degrees and many of them having NET qualification and also various IT related certifications. Term end examinations are quite difficult however with everyday revising the slides and resource material its easy to solve the questions. Teachers uses smart boards and simulation software and provides case studies to analyze concepts. Teacher to student ratio is 8:1.

Summer Internship season begins in the first year in the month of September and ends around April of next year. The roles mostly offered are Pre-Sales, Business Analysts, Growth Interns, Researchers, Statistical Analyst, Systems Analyst Intern, etc. The projects are mostly based around research, finding solutions to real-life problems, conducting surveys, and generating leads. The companies that mostly arrive for internships are: Vodafone, Tata, Adani Group, MathWorks, EY, CollegeDunia, etc. The highest stipend offered was Rs. 1,60,000 and the average was Rs. 59,000. 100% of the students get placed in summer internships.

Once you are in your senior year, that is during the second year, you are eligible for campus placements, however, if during your first year internship you recieve a PPO, you are considered to be placed too. The companies that usually arrive during placements are: VOIS, Aircel, Reliance Jio, TCS, Infosys, Capgemini, etc. They offer roles mostly in IT strategy, Consulting and Sales. SIDTM always has a record of 100% placement with 30% to 40% of the batch getting PPOs. The highest package offered was 29LPA, the average was 15.7LPA, median was 13.4LPA and top 100 recieved more than 10LPA.

The fee is approximately 7 lakhs per annum and should be paid in 4 installments. Fees can be hiked to 10% subject to government and university guidelines. Fees is structured in the following manner: Tuition fees, institute fees, hostel fees, mess fees and any extra security deposits as required by the university. If one comes from a lower income group with relevant documents, the university will provide financial aid to the student in order to study at SIDTM. If you are a semester topper with a minimum CGPA of 7.5 or 8.5 out of 10 you will recieve approximately 50% merit scholarship from academic fees. Placements here are always 100% and is supervised by the Placement Committee. The highest package is 29LPA and average package is around 16LPA. If you are doing a summer internship you might a recieve a stipend of Rs.58,000 to Rs.1.6 lakhs

Classrooms are equipped with the best computer software labs, smart interactive boards, and a beautiful landscape to look at outside the classroom windows. There is a Central Library of Symbiosis University that is the same for SIDTM that contains books of various genres, at least of more than 100 genres and subjects. What's great about this library is that there is an Online Open Portal which has research papers, ebooks, emagazines, and journals. The library is large and one of the best places for self-study. There is a sports committee where they conduct competitions and games, and there are various sports clubs such as basketball, cricket, tennis, etc. SIDTM also has student-led committees such as Branding Committee, Fest & Welfare Committee, Placement Committee, Academics Committee, Photography Committee which tries to make a student an all-rounder if one joins any of them. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Koo are some of the social media handles that students handle.

Hostel registration is done during the first year, but you have no choice on the rooms that is single occupied, double, or triple occupied, and only have a choice of your own preference in the second year. The fee is 1,00,000 per year for hostel rooms. LAN connector for internet is available in rooms, a cupboard, bedsheets, pillows, study table is available in rooms. The fees for hostels may be hiked if the University decides to do so but is rarely done. The Mess Food is pretty delicious and caters to various cuisines and delicacies with preference to students' health and dietary requirements. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are served in the Mess.

Yes, after getting shortlisted into the prestigious SIDTM, I had to go through Written Ability Test, Group Discussion and Personal Interview. In Written Ability Test, I was asked to write ONE essay out of 6 topics ranging from current affairs, History, and Literature. It was done on an online portal and I was given only 30 minutes which means speed is the key here. Read about current happenings around the country and the world, practice, practice, and practice as much as you can. The next round was a Group Discussion where I was with a group of 8 people and I was given 1 minute to put my opinion on a topic called "The use of nuclear weapons in war". In this round one needs to be quick and accurate in explaining their points, read newspapers and go through the daily news. The final stage was Personal Interview which comprises a panel of 5 members, all from the SIDTM faculty asking questions on your academics, hobbies, and your reason to do an MBA. Here just be yourself, be confident, and calm.