Bidya S Sahay took over from C V Baxi as the new director of Gurgaon-based Management Development Institute (MDI) on April 1, 2009. He was director at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad, since 2005. Prior to that, he was the Dean (Research and Consultancy) and Professor of Operations Management at MDI. In a chat with Kirtika Suneja, he shares his plans for the institute where he worked for nearly nine years.

'What matters most is the quality of placements'

Business Standard

The economic slowdown appears to have taken a toll on satellite education or virtual classrooms for professionals too as corporate sponsorships dry up for sponsored executive education programmes. B-schools say the applications for satellite programmes for 2009 have either remained flat or seen a drop close to 10 per cent.

Satellite education sees flat growth due to slowdown

Keeping in mind the rising costs for an MBA programme, Bangalore-based YGen Management Consulting Services has launched YMAT, a centralised aptitude test for aspirants for management colleges in the country. The test offers a complete end-to-end selection and admission process involving an aptitude test, group discussion and personal interview to be be conducted in a single day.

YGen introduces YMAT for MBA aspirants

Corporate enrollments bear the brunt of the slowdown as companies reduce their training budget by 20 per cent.

Finance, IT firms cut online MBA sponsorship

After providing a gamut of services across all rungs of education&mdash;from higher education to K12&mdash; Manipal Education Group&rsquo;s, Sikkim Manipal University which offers distance education programmes, launched a virtual campus called Edunxt this week. Anand Sudarshan, CEO and MD,Manipal Education, tells Kalpana Pathak how the group&rsquo;s growth plans are on track despite the slowdown.

'The best way to grow is to build a brand by providing value'

In an attempt to find a solution to the global meltdown, foreign high commissions and embassies are increasingly seeking academic tie-ups with B-schools in India. The meltdown, say institutes, has resulted in a decline in the value of foreign economies while the Indian economy looks comparatively better, thereby attracting such agencies to look for collaborations.

Indian B-schools attract foreign high commissions, embassies

While educational institutes across the country may be reeling under pressure due to lack of faculty members, some have already begun taking initiatives to tackle the issue. Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID), for instance, has planned to set up a faculty development centre soon to cater to the growing demand for design faculty members.

NID, IIM-Lucknow to train faculty

Even as Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) gears up to welcome the new batch on board, the communications management school is getting ready to bid adieu to its director of eight years. According to sources in the institute, Atul Tandon, director, MICA, is set to quit by the end of June this year. &ldquo;It is true that Atul Tandon will discontinue being the director of the institute by June end this year. The process of looking for the new director is on and the governing council at the institute has hired a consultancy from Mumbai for the same in a hushed manner,&rdquo; a source on campus confirmed.

MICA's director's term to end in June

Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSOM) at IIT-Kharagpur was established in 1993, and was the first management school to be set up within the IIT system. It was initiated by a distinguished alumnus and a Life Time Fellow of the Institute, Vinod Gupta, whose endowment was matched by support from the Government of India. In an interview with Pradipta Mukherjee, the institute&rsquo;s dean, S Srinivasan, says its focus for the current academic year would be research.

&#39;We will increase the number of sponsored research students&#39;

Delhi-based Foreign Trade Development Centre (FTDC) has tied up with the Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) to offer the university&rsquo;s students an MBA in International Business and a Certificate course in Export-Import Trade.

FTDC ties up with Sikkim Manipal varsity

# Kolkata: Institute of Computer Accountants to announce its expansion plans. Venue: Oberoi Grand.

Book launch and e-security

Even as the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are reeling from the placements of the two-year post-graduate programme (PGP), the country&rsquo;s premier business schools are faced with yet another Herculean task of securing jobs for the one-year executive programmes amid slowdown.

Hiring season for executive programmes extended at IIMs

The Indian School of Business (ISB) has set up a task force with support from board members to continue to find the right opportunities for the students. The schools&rsquo; Career Service Team is working closely with student volunteers and companies to find the right fit for the students.

ISB sets up task force to find jobs

B-school students opt for teaching as a career...

Asmit Kumar secured admission in a second-tier management institution in Pune and was confident he would be able to bag a good offer through the institution&rsquo;s placement cell. But he is no longer confident now, since the global slowdown is taking its toll with companies slashing salaries, showing the exit doors to non-performers and freezing recruitment.

Placements take a dip in Pune B-schools

Despite the shortage in infrastructure which is forcing the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) to take the students off-campus, the premier B-school has launched one more programme to its bouquet of offerings.

IIM-B launches 1-yr exec programme

* Mumbai: RBI Governor D Subbarao to address Ficci members on &ldquo;How to bring back to earlier growth trajectory: Short and long term measures&rdquo; at the Hotel Taj Mahal, Colaba, Mumbai.

RBI Gov's vision on growth trajectory

Hyderabad-based entrance exam coaching institute, Triumphant Institute of Management Education (TIME) is expanding its footprint in India by setting up more pre-schools, two Central Board of Secondary Education CBSE schools and more coaching institutes, to achieve this target.

TIME to expand footprint in India

When the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) displayed signs of being scorched by the slowing economy with a poor placement scenario and lower salary offers, it was widely expected that the scene would not be very different for second-tier management institutes this year.

Non-IIMs witness comfortable placements, but drop in salaries

XLRI Jamshedpur has hiked its two-year post-graduate-programme (PGP) fee by around 18 per cent for the 2009 batch onwards. In an interview with PRADIPTA MUKHERJEE, the institute&rsquo;s director E Abraham, S J, said the institute this year will focus on initiating collaborations with international universities and offering more incentives to encourage research studies.

&#39;The placement scenario has been difficult this year&#39;

Israel-based Tel Aviv University&lsquo;s Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration is offering the Sofaer International MBA (SIMBA) programme to Asian, Indian and Arab students to neutralise the Middle East conflict through a shared philosophy of commerce.

Tel Aviv varsity to offer MBA to Asian, Arabs

Education News: Stay informed with the latest education news in India. Get updates on exam dates, board exam results and more. Visit Business Standard for timely updates.

Education News India | Latest Updates on Exam Dates, Results, Admit Cards | Business Standard

Stay informed with the latest education news in India. Get updates on exam dates, board exam results and more. Visit Business Standard for timely updates.

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