The Hindu Business Line : TAPMI offers management training for professionals

THE Manipal-based T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) seems to be diversifying its activities to cater to the industry. It has come out with the "corporate college" concept for those working in various sectors.

Addressing presspersons at Manipal in Udupi district on Saturday, Prof S. Balasubramanian, Group Chairman — Industry Interface, said that TAPMI has also diversified into research and consultancy.Under the "corporate college" facility, it has been offering a 30-month management training programme for 40 employees of Mphasis BFL in Bangalore. Thirty employees of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) are being offered an 18-month training programme in Mangalore.

Later, speaking to Business Line, the Director of TAPMI, Prof D. Nagabrahmam, said that TAPMI is planning to offer the "corporate college" service to many other companies. Nearly 40 employees of Hewlett Packard will be offered this facility in a month. Talks on the above offer are in the final stages with IBM and Oracle, he said.

Prof R. Rajagopalan, Dean-Academic Affairs, told Business Line that the "corporate college" concept is gaining importance. . He feels that there is a big market for this service in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector and in private insurance companies. While private insurance companies are on a spree of recruiting sales people, many fresh graduates are joining BPO sector.

Those working in these areas; who are doing the front-end work, may feel threatened about their career in a few years. In such a situation, this facility imparts them training in management. Corporate college facility is offered both at company premises and TAPMI premises.

Prof Nagabrahmam said that TAPMI is trying to get accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). It may get the AASCB stamp in the next two years. The curriculum of the MBA programme is reviewed once in a year, he said, adding that there are 30 regular faculty members.

The institute also hires consultant faculty. These faculty members come to Manipal for a specified duration — say three to six months - and teach the course during that period, he said. The institute is also planning to offer a doctoral programme in management. Prof Nagabrahmam said that new campus of the institute would come up on 38 acres of land on Manipal-Alevoor Road in the next 18 months.

Industry Interface Day

TAPMI also celebrated Industry Interface Day on Saturday with a workshop on `Nurturing today's MBAs to meet India's needs tomorrow.' Mr K.K. Pai, TAPMI Chairman, inaugurated the workshop. TAPMI observes last Saturday of every September as `Industry Interface Day.'