ISB offers hit new highs

With the IIMs having concluded their placements with offers hitting the roof, all eyes are set on the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, that annually gets the cream of offers.

In 2006, ISB scripted a success story with placements touching the $233,800 mark (slightly over Rs 1 crore) and this year expectations are soaring. In 2006, the average international salary at ISB saw a jump of 21 per cent at $120,700 (around Rs 53.70 lakh).

The highest domestic salary stood at Rs 30.33 lakh while the average Indian salary stood at Rs 11.77 lakh, reflecting an increase of 18 per cent from 2005.

This year too, news of the institute having done exceptionally well on the placement scene is ripe. Though the institute will release the placement figures by April 15, general trend at the institute, like other B-schools, so far has been of the non-conventional sectors making a beeline to recruit its students.

A total of 200 companies across sectors visited ISB's campus this year as against 143 companies last year. Each student was given at least two offers.

Non-conventional sectors that participated in placements this time included "" Novartis and Pfizer from the pharmaceutical sector ; ABP and HT media from the media; BP Plc and Schneider Electric from the energy sector and Tischman Speyer and Jones Lang La Salle from the real estate sector. Around 65 offers came from these sectors of which 51 were domestic offers and 14 international offers.

Says PK Menon, placement chairperson, ISB: "ISB fulfills the middle management executives need of the corporates. Some of the roles that the ISB students have acquired this year are those of divisional managers, AVP corporate strategy, unit head, senior managers, strategy and business development head, corporate planning and research amongst others."

As compared to consulting and technology which dominated the placements last year, this year the finance sector (25 per cent of the batch) has attracted most of the students.

Meanwhile, placement for the first batch of one-year post-graduate programme for executives (PGPX) at IIM Ahmedabad, recorded a maximum international salary figure stood at $250,000 (about Rs 1.12 crore) and the maximum Indian salary stood at Rs 60 lakh. A total of 135 offers were made to 58 participants during the placement process and around 54 companies participated in the placement process.

Around 34 per cent of the batch chose to work with the information technology sector with 19 per cent joining the consulting sector and 15 per cent joining the finance sector.

The students bagged job offers in capacities varying from chief operating officer and chief financial officer to group engagement manager to corporate strategy officer to

Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), Senior Analyst to Operations Manager.

200 companies lined up for placements this year

Each student got at least two offers

Pharma, media, energy and real estate sectors participated for the first time

Plans to launch its first joint research project with foreign universities

Plans to introduce shorter duration MBAs and long-duration customised executive courses