Most B-schools decide not to increase fees

Top-rung management institutions in the country have ignored the cue from the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) by deciding not to increase fees for their two-year flagship management programmes.

Mumbai-based SP Jain Institute for Management and Research (SPJIMR) for instance, says it has decided not to increase the fee this year, in tune with its social obligations. The institute, at present, charges Rs 4.5 lakh for its two-year management programme.

“We have decided not to increase the fee, as we consider it a social responsibility not to make management education expensive,” said an SPJIMR professor.

Gurgaon-based Management Development Institute (MDI) has also decided against an increase in fee for its management programme from Rs 10.95 lakh at present.

“We had increased the fee last year and we see no reason to increase it this year again,” said B S Sahay, director, MDI Gurgaon.

To cope with rising expenditure on salaries and infrastructure, some of the IIMs are planning to increase fees by Rs 1-2 lakh for their two-year post-graduate programmes (PGPs).

IIM-Bangalore’s board of governors, chaired by Mukesh Ambani, on Monday decided to raise the fees from Rs 11.5 lakh to Rs 13 lakh for the batch coming in from 2010.

Last week, IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) said it would raise the fees for its two-year PGP course.

IIM-Kozhikode (IIM-K), too, decided to increase its PGP fee by Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh from the next academic year. IIM-K Director Debashish Chatterjee told Business Standard: “The board has decided to increase the fee by Rs 1 lakh for PGP students from 2011 academic year. At present, our fees are Rs 9 lakh for two years.

Likewise, IIM Calcutta will decide on the increase in its board meeting on April 3.

Jamshedpur-based Xavier Labour Relations Institute has also decided not to increase fee immediately. Its current fees for the two-year PGP course are Rs 9.5 lakh, which were after an increase from the 2009 batch onwards. The 2008-2010 batch paid Rs 7.5 lakh for two years.

The institute however, is increasing its student intake from 180 students at present to 240 students this year.