Even as the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are reeling from the placements of the two-year post-graduate programme (PGP), the country’s premier business schools are faced with yet another Herculean task of securing jobs for the one-year executive programmes amid slowdown.
Most IIMs have pushed the date of final placements for their executive education programme in order to accommodate companies to absorb all its students. At IIM-Lucknow (IIM-L) and IIM-Ahmedabad(IIM-A), the placement season has been extended and is still continuing, according to sources familiar with the placement process. IIM-A, which usually wraps up its placement process by March, is yet to place all its students. “Although the institute was to make a formal announcement soon after the convocation, there are some students who are yet to be placed. The placements will continue, in all probability, till April-end or may be extended indefinitely,” the source said.
IIM-A Director Samir Barua had recently said that a minority of students are yet to be placed. “There has been some difficulty in placing the batch this year and only a minority is yet to be placed. We hope that the remaining students will be meaningfully placed,” he said.
Similarly, half of the first batch of the International Programme in Management for Executives (IPMX), the one-year residential executive programme at IIM-L, has been placed so far. Around 70 companies have visited the batch of 45 students at its Noida campus for its ongoing final placements.
“The final placement process for the IPMX students is going on and we aim to place all the students by the end of this month and before the convocation on May 16. Seventy companies have visited the campus so far and 40-50 per cent of the students have already been placed. Interesting sectors like manufacturing, service and infrastructure have visited but it is too early to comment further,” said Ajay Singh, chairperson, placements for IPMX at IIM-L’s Noida campus.
But, at IIM-Calcutta, compared to the very difficult task of securing placements for the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) batch against the backdrop of global meltdown, the one-year executive programmes seem to have fared better, in spite of extended placements.
It has achieved 100 per cent placements for its executive management programme, PGPEX batch of 2008-09.