The Hindu Business Line : ICFAI tapping demand for MBAs in non-metros

Hyderabad June 26 Betting big on the increasing fad for an MBA degree in the non-metro regions, the Hyderabad-based business education major ICFAI is expanding its presence in non-metro and moffusil areas across the country.

"There has been a perception change in the tier-III towns and moffusil areas and students and parents are seeing MBA degree as a passport to a decent job in the corporate world," Mr R. Prasad, Head, ICFAI National College, told Business Line here.

The ICFAI is offering MBA in 172 tier-II and tier-III towns from this academic year and is planning to expand to 30 more towns soon.

"We expect that the demand for MBA in rural areas is bound to increase further and we will be constantly growing in the segment," Mr Prasad said.

The business school started its rural branches in seven coastal district headquarters in 2003 with 340 students. "`Now we have over 13,000 students," he said.

According to Mr Prasad, the employability of the rural MBA graduates had been on the raise. "The average CTC (cost to company) is around Rs 10,000 and goes upward to Rs 15,000 in some cases. With the corporate penetration into tier-III and moffusil areas (particularly retail and telecom), there is a need for local candidates," he explained.

Girls show interest

If one takes ICFAI statistics as an indicator, the interest of girl students in the MBA programme in non-metro regions has been growing. "Out of about 13,000 of our students in non-metro areas, about 35 per cent are girls. As most of the parents in towns may not like to send their daughters to distance places for studies, they are joining in the local centres," Mr Prasad pointed out.

To ensure quality of teaching in its non-metro centres, ICFAI is imparting special training for its faculty in these centres. "We give a four-month exclusive training to the faculty in non-metro regions to divert them from traditional, non-effective ways of teaching," he said.

There is some special coaching for the students too. "The only problem with the non-metro students is lack of communication skills. We are taking extra care to ensure that they over come it," he added.