IIM-A gears up to pip IIM-B global ranking

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad is drawing up plans to overtake its southern sibling IIM Bangalore in global rankings.

At present, IIM Bangalore is the only Indian business school to figure in Wall Street Journal's top 100 business schools. IIM Ahmedabad wants to leapfrog into the list of top 20-30 B-schools in the next five years. The topic is expected to be discussed at IIM-A's next board meeting scheduled for April 2.

The institute organised an international conference recently on return of marketing investments with the objective of sharing the latest academic findings, methodology and approaches in the field and establishing a research franchise for it to improve its standing in the global rankings.

"The economists list us at 65. One of the reasons for such a listing is our less number of research publications outside India," Arvind Sahay, an IIM-A faculty, said.

On the other hand, IIM-B is setting up a research and management education centre in Singapore campus, which is expected to further augment its research, a major criterion that decides an institute's ranking.

"Research at IIM-A does not reflect true capabilities," Sahay added. The institute has lined up about five-six such international conferences to strengthen research at IIM-A.

According to a senior faculty, a few years ago, researches done in the institute were not noticed, as the country did not have the kind of prominence it has achieved today.

"We used to get request for one or two working papers and case studies a month two years ago, now it has increased up five to 10," he said.

IIM-A has also set up a retail business centre, an insurance research centre and a centre for management and health with a focus to strengthen research at the institute. "We expect to be in the top 25 in the next five to 10 years," he added.

The institute will also encourage faculties for more research on topics of global relevance and publish in international journals.

Similarly another yardstick is internationalisation of institute, so it has plans to diversify and internationalise its student community through exchange programmes.