IIM-B move India's loss, says Goh

Senior Singaporean minister Goh Chok Tong today said New Delhi's decision to not allow Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore) to set up a campus in Singapore "is a loss to India".

Goh, who is the former prime minister of Singapore, told reporters here, "We are happy to welcome IIM-B in Singapore. But it is for the Indian government to decide on the matter. We will encourage any reputed institute to come to Singapore."

The IIM-B's ambitious plan got a jolt on January 11 when the human resource development ministry denied permission to the prestigious business school to set up a campus in Singapore and asked it to first cater for the demand at home, considering the huge demand-supply gap in Indian Institutes of Management seats.

"Singapore is a hub for education and the institute (IIM-B) has a good reputation. They could have made some money as well." Goh was visiting the IIM-A for discussions with its Director Bakul Dholakia and some members of the faculty.

He also said a memorandum of understanding signed between Singapore's National Kidney Foundation and the IIM-A, which had been shelved for sometime due to managerial reasons, was likely to be activated soon. "It will take about 3-4 months," he said.

The National Kidney Foundation is a non-profit charitable trust which functions like a corporate body. IIM-A students were to interact with this foundation as a case study on management of non-profit organisations.

The IIM-A already has a student exchange programme with National University of Singapore and Tong expected the programme to deepen.

The minister also said the university was also exchanging case studies with IIM-A and would also "explore probability programmes".

On the possibility of IIM-A and other Indian institutes setting up campuses in Singapore, he said, "We will encourage any reputed institute to come to Singapore." Commenting on the IIM-B decision,he said, "It is up to the Indian government to decide."