IBS Business School, Mumbai

About College:

The Institute for Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) was started back in the year 1984. The same year, also saw the opening of the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE) come in to being in Hyderabad, then the capital of undivided Andhra Pradesh (AP). The IFHE is right now, one of the leading educational groups in the country. Its tentacles spread far and wide, across multiple locations in India. Some of the leading cities with presence of IFHE centres include the likes of- Kolkata, Bengaluru, Shimla, Gurugram, Jaipur, Dehradun, Pune, Agartala, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Shillong, Raipur, Ahmedabad, Kohima, Ranchi and of course in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra. 

These institutions exist under two broad brand names- the ICFAI University and the IBS (ICFAI Business School). The IBS in Mumbai is an independent professional institute, not affiliated to any government body. The total campus spans an area worth twenty acres of land. The college was founded in the year 1995. Due to its independent status, the college only offers the autonomous PGPM (Post Graduate Programme in Management). It is a two- year programme. Students may choose specializations between Finance, Marketing, Operations, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management (HRM) and for IT & Systems. The IBS Mumbai remains committed to the field of management education, so has not felt the need to expand to other academic areas. 

Students are selected using the IFHE’s own test, the IBSAT (IBS Aptitude Test). Post the results of the concerned tests being declared, shortlisted students need to appear for the PI (Personal Interview) and GD (Group Discussion) or WAT (Written Ability Test) round. The IBS Mumbai also conducts its own leadership development programmes for students, as well as working professionals. These sessions include training on soft skills. The methodology applied is using the renowned case method, and the use of extra- curricular activities. The IFHE even has its case building team, so first- hand cases can be developed to further aid this. 

The IBSCDC (Case Development Centre) is in fact, the Asia- Pacific region’s largest repository for management- related case studies. As research is accorded top priority here, there is also the ICMR (IBS Centre for Management Research). Several of the top corporates also use the cases and research developed by the ICMR. This includes the likes of KPMG, British Telecom, Johnson & Johnson, PwC, Coca- Cola, McKinsey, Siemens AG, P&G, BCG, HP, plus a few more. Even international management institutions and educational bodies make use of these case studies. This includes the London Business School, INSEAD, IMB, University of Michigan, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Helsinki and some more. 

The campus has much to offer. There is a sports field where cricket and football may be played. Facilities are also there for indoor sports. The gymnasium may also be used by all. A large auditorium is there to facilitate major events, at both intra and inter college level. The campus is Wi- Fi enabled. Science laboratories have the latest of equipment. A health centre is also there to cater to medical emergencies. Hygienic food is served at the college cafeteria. The library here is one of the best stocked within the region. Besides the physical books on display, it also provides digital access to en number of international academic journals for research and academic purposes.

Social initiatives are given much importance, here at IBS Mumbai. That is why, there is a student- led initiative here, known as Parivartan, that works for positive social change. A national management event is held here, known as Konflux. Teams from B- Schools all over India, participate in this. Entrepreneurship is another area, accorded much significance over here. For this, the IBS Mumbai has developed a collaborative venture with the University of Essex, in the UK to further propagate, entrepreneurship opportunities. This one is known as the BS- Venture Academy. It helps develop the budding entrepreneurs among the students for the institute. 

Experienced trainers and entrepreneurs are invited to campus to deliver guest lectures and interact with those who have such business models. Needless to say, the Mumbai location does help. The college even develops its own periodic academic journal, where all on- campus research gets chronicled. It is known as Dimensions. To boost up the students’ placement opportunities, IBS Mumbai, has curated a Joint Certification Programme with HDFC. The campus placements have also improved over the years. The rankings have also likewise shot up. The Careers 360 magazine has placed the IBS Dehradun within the AA+ category among institutions offering an MBA.