The Hindu Business Line : Training managers for rural markets

Even as companies devise their own strategies aimed at garnering a larger share of the growing rural market for goods and services, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) is laying special emphasis on a two-year full-time PG Programme in Rural Management (PGPRM). The programme is aimed at creating a pool of management professionals who are trained and equipped to tap opportunities and meet challenges in any sector of the economy that directly or indirectly affects the rural community.

Professional expertise

Says Fr. E. Abraham, Director of XIMB: "FMCG companies, rural marketing agencies, non-government institutions, agencies under the United Nations, micro-finance companies, banks, insurance, companies engaged in agro-based businesses and others foresee exponential growth in the rural areas. Our PGPRM equips our students with professional expertise to effectively address the specific requirements of rural areas and the rural economy."

Immersion courses

Besides theoretical training in classrooms and field-training programmes, the "immersion courses" are aimed at facilitating industry-academia interaction. Practising managers visit the campus and interact with the students even as relevant practical experiences are discussed.

While in the classrooms the students are exposed to theory and concepts related to the rural economy and developmental issues, the objective of field training is to enhance the practical knowledge and learning opportunities of the students. The field training programmes enable students to come face to face with rural realities.

Traineeship programmes

The management traineeship programmes provide students with practical work experience and learning opportunities. At the end of it all, the students are expected to have developed skills, acumen and attitude that have specific applications in various aspects of rural management.

Set up in 1987, XIMB offers three post-graduate programmes, one doctoral programme and one certificate programme. They include a Two-year Full-time Post-Graduate Programme in Business Management, Two-Year Full-time Post Graduate Programme in Rural Management, Three-Year Part-Time Post-Graduate Programme in Business Management for Working Executives, a Fellow Programme in Management and a One-Year Part-Time Post-Graduate Certificate Programme in Business Mangement. A total of around 650 students are covered under all the five programmes.

In the campus placements this year, 120 students received offers from 193 companies. The average salary offered was Rs 7.12 lakh per annum, a rise of 40 per cent over last year, according to Fr. Abraham.

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