Management schools in India drive GMAT growth

In three years, number of Indian B-schools accepting GMAT score is up from 20 to 45

In a bid to take their schools international and make them comparable to world class Business schools, more and more Indian management institutions have begun accepting the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) as an admission criterion.

Consider this: In 2007 around 20 B-schools in India were accepting GMAT scores. In 2010, 45 B-schools are accepting GMAT scores.

According to Ashok Sarathy,Vice President GMAT programme, “Part of the value proposition of GMAT is that it is an internationally recognised test. And as B-schools in India desire to be comparable to the best in the world, GMAT provides them with that opportunity.”

Mumbai-based Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies’ Vice Chancellor, Rajan Saxena, agrees with Sarathy.

“GMAT will help us improve our admission process and learn from the global best practices in the world. It will also help us us accept international students in future,” says Saxena. NMIMS is already using GMAT scores to admit students for its executive management programme delivered in Bangalore. The B-schools in future, plans to use the same for its two-yera management programme.

At the S P Jain Institute of Management and Research, accepting GMAT scores will help the school be counted among the world’s best, according to its dean M L Srikant.

This means that B-schools in India plan to accept GMAT along with other examination scores like the — Common Admission Test (CAT), NMIMS Admission Test (NMAT)and Xavier Admission test (XAT) — among others used.

GMAC has also invited various Indian B-schools to be its member. These include — Indian School of Business, Hyderabad; Indian Institute of Management — Ahmedabad and Bangalore; SPJain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR); Great Lakes Institute of Management and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).

“One of the primary reasons for Indian students opting for Indian B-schools is that more number of institutes are starting one-year management programmes. The numbers could go up further, with institutes increasing the sizes of their batches in the future,” said Samir Barua, director, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). IIM-A runs a one-year post graduate programme in management for executives, with a batch size of around 100 students. “The institute may look at increasing the batch size in the future, as the programme establishes itself,” Barua said.

GMAC, which opened its India office this February, has its headquarters in Virginia (USA) and an office in London and Hong Kong, is looking at growing its GMAT volumes in India and also get more Indian B-schools to begin using GMAT for admissions.

The council says it would look at creating India specific research and data so that it can provide some value to Indian B-schools.

“In India we are looking at doing things that we have done successfully across the globe. We do volumes of research on management education and related trends. We also do professional development programmes. So being a part of GMAC allows B-schools an opportunity to network, educate themselves and bring up to speed with other B-schools,” adds Sarathy.

The council plans to grow GMAT volumes by marketing at different levels including web based and digital communication to candidates.

According to the Asian Geographic Trend survey report released by GMAC last month, GMAT exam takers from India declined by 12 per cent between testing year 2009 and 2010. The same increased by 29 per cent for Chinese students.

The council says it is also looking at expanding access to the test in India and make it much easier and available to Indian candidates.

“We are looking at at the fact that candidates who travel long distance could they be better served if we were to put up centres in those locations. We would be looking at secondary market where significant volumes come from,” adds Sarathy. GMAT administers test at 18 centres in India.