SIDTM: GREAT CAMPUS LIFE

The admission process was exciting and smooth. It was conducted without any problems in online mode. The eligibility for MBA in Telecom Management at SIDTM is 50% in Graduation from any stream and a valid SNAP score of 80 percentile. SNAP is also known as the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test which is a 60 minutes objective test conducted by Symbiosis International University. The subjects that are tested are English Language, Mathematics, and Logical Reasoning. One needs to practice mock tests to get a high percentile in SNAP. The application form for SNAP can be available at the official website of SNAP and the application fee is Rs. 1950 /-. After fulfilling the above requirements one can get shortlisted by SIDTM and has to go through further rounds of selection that is Written Ability Test, Group Exercise, and Personal Interview.

As I am an engineer specializing in Electronics, I had a natural interest in Telecom Research. As Telecom Industry is booming in India and I want to work as a telecom manager and help India upgrade its Telecom facilities, I decided to pursue the course of MBA in telecom management from SIDTM as it offers a blend of Telecom and Business Management and prepares one to be a brilliant telecom manager. SIDTM also offers 3 specializations to choose from Systems, Analytics, and Marketing. Faculty is well qualified with PhDs, Masters degrees and some also have qualifications in NET. Faculty relies on Powerpoint presentations, youtube videos, pdf handouts to give adequate study material to students. Term-end exams are fairly easy provided one revises and studies the study material that is provided by the faculty.

Summer internships begin during the first year in September. The companies that come during internships are EY, VOIS, Reliance, Airtel, etc. The roles offered during the internship are Growth Intern, Sales Intern, Risk intern, Strategy Management Intern, etc. The highest offered stipend is Rs. 1,60,000 and the average stipend is Rs. 57,000. There are also live projects that are offered by companies.

During the 2nd year, that is during the final year the placement season begins. If during the first year one had received a Pre-Placement Offer during the internship then there is an option for not sitting during the placements. The companies that come during the placement season are EY, Deloitte, AT&T, Salesforce, etc. The profiles that they offer are Marketing analyst, Sales Analyst, IT Strategy Manager, Risk Manager, etc. The placement percentage of SIDTM is always on record 100% with more than 20 people receive PPOs. The highest package is Rs. 30LPA, the average is Rs. 16LPA and the top 100 receive Rs. 12LPA.

The fee structure has the following breakdown: Academic Fees, Institutional Fees, Hostel Fees, and Mess Fees. The fees at SIDTM are approximately Rs. 7 lakh per year. Fee can be hiked to 10% subject to government and institute guidelines. Financial assistance can be provided to lower-income groups provided you have the relevant documents as proof. 50% Merit Scholarship from Academic fees will be awarded provided one is a Semester Topper with a minimum CGPA of 7.5 out of 10. Scholarship criteria are flexible and can be changed from time to time depending on university guidelines. Placement is managed by the Placement Committee. SIDTM records 100% placement each year. The highest package offered is Rs. 30LPA and the average is Rs. 16LPA.

Campus life is amazing and filled with fun. There are various committees in SIDTM such as Branding Committee, Student Fest Committee, Sports Committee, Academics Committee, SPARSH Committee. Classrooms are completely sophisticated and have smart boards and projectors to make the class more interactive and have healthy discussions. There is a Central Library where there are books and journals of more than 200 plus genres and themes. Also, there is an online portal of the library where there are a plethora of online books, magazines, journals, and research papers. This online facility of the library is also useful for Ph.D. Scholars and Researchers. There are Whatsapp groups, there is Instagram and Facebook, and Twitter handles of SIDTM where there is regularly updated information of the various events conducted by the committees.

The hostel fee is Rs. 1,00,000 per year. There is single occupancy, double occupancy, and triple occupancy. During the first year one has no choice of which one to choose as the faculty administration allots the room to you. However during the second year, one has to choose to switch to any other room depending on availability and level of comfort. There is a LAN cable available in the rooms for WIFI connectivity. Mess food is satisfactory, and there is a mess committee that handles any concerns or requests by the students. There is lunch, breakfast, and dinner that is provided by the Mess. The menu changes every week to cater to students' different tastes and wants.

Yes after getting shortlisted by SIDTM, I had to go through the rounds of Written Ability Test, Group Discussion, and Personal Interview. For the Written Ability Test, I had to write ONE essay out of 6 topics given to me on an online portal with a time limit of 30 minutes. One needs to practice daily writing essays regularly and keep updated with static general knowledge to do well here. The next round is the Group Discussion where one is allowed a group of 7 to 8 members and the panel assesses you give a topic of discussion or debate. Every individual has 2 to 3 minutes to give an opinion on the topic or provide their own version of the solution of the problem. Here one needs to practice speaking more in a limited time, get updated with current affairs. The final round was the Personal Interview round where there was a panel of 4 members of the SIDTM faculty who had assessed me on my academics and my overall personality. The key thing here in this round is to be calm, confident, and honest.