IISWBM, Pantaloon tie up for retail diploma course

Pantaloon Retail and the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM) have tied up to offer a diploma course in retail management.

According to an official release by IISWBM, the two-year course will be the first management course specialising in retail in eastern India. Students will be placed in various retail formats of Pantaloon during the course.

The course would lead to careers in retailing which was witnessing exponential growth and creating huge demand for skilled people, Ashoke Dutta, director of IISWBM, said.

"IISWBM is glad this association will give a chance to youth from the eastern region to explore an exciting career option," Dutta dded.

The joint venture (JV) was the first of its kind for an educational institute in eastern India. PRIL has identified retail education as a priority area and this is its fifth tie-up with educational institutes, a release by Pantaloon Retail India (PRIL) said.

"We are very committed to the growth of the Indian retail industry and through this association are trying not only to address the need for retail-specific managers, but also generate employment opportunities for the youngsters of the region,"C K Kurien, senior manager for human resources at PRIL, said.