Private equity lures B-schools

Special lectures, courses planned for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) firms appear to have caught the fancy of business schools this year. Be it for creating awareness among aspiring entrepreneurs to raise funds, or merely understaning the operations of a VC/PE firm, management institutes have increasingly begun interacting with the industry.

While some have announced setting up of a PE club for aspiring entrepreneurs, others are planning courses, special lectures and seminars to create awareness about the booming sector.

Students of the Post Graduate Programme for Executives (PGPX) at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), will go through a course on PE in their last term between December and February.

The course, spanning 10 sessions, will be taken up by Arun Duggal, vice-chairman of International Asset Reconstruction Company.

Arvind Sahay, chairperson, PGPX, IIM-A, said: “Apart from number of venture capital and private equity fund companies queueing up during placements, the subject has also gathered interest in the wake of students opting for entrepreneurship.”

IIM Lucknow’s (IIM-L) Alumni Association, will organise India Private Equity Forum on September 19 at Mumbai. “This is for the first time that the institute has initiated such a forum. The forum will witness industry experts talk about VC/PE funds to alumni and aspiring entrepreneurs. If successful, we intend to continue conducting such forums in future,” said a member of Alumni Committe (Alcom) at IIM-L.

The Finance Club, a student run body at the Indian School of Business (ISB), is all set to come up with a Private Equity Conference on September 6. A unique PE event , it aims to provide the students an opportunity to gain greater understanding of the PE activities in India.

B-schools are also putting in effort to train students in raising funds. K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies, which has been witnessing close to 10 per cent of students opting for entrepreneurship, has an e-cell which organises PE meets, workshops, VC colloquium, entrepreneurs meets (including some by the alumni), and guest lectures.

“The outside groups of VCs and PE managers and entrepreneurs have wholehearted and willingly supported the cause and in fact have become mentors to the new students. Students have the spirit of entrepreneurship, but they need the funding, mentoring and handholding for some time. The focus on PE/VC funds is important to give the necessary practical shape to the dreams and business plans,” says Suresh Ghai, director of K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies.

Private equity and venture fund clubs function as the interface between students and financial institutions and regulatory bodies by organising various events.

Finance clubs across B-schools bring private equity players and industry leaders to the campus with an aim of lending a platform to students and faculty to interact and discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the field of private equity and venture funds.

Recently, PGP students of IIM-A set up a Private Equity and Venture Capital club to help students get hands-on experience by involving PE/VC players from India and abroad.