| The country is speeding ahead with mega infrastructure projects such as the National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP), National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) and airport modernisation and upgradation programmes. However, there's a dearth of experts in this field. |
| Sensing the need in this space, Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has designed a series of courses in infrastructure development. The special courses include: infrastructure development financing, urban management, strategic port management, shipping management and frontiers in infrastructure financing. |
| The course on frontiers in infrastructure financing is a 10-day programme in association with the World Bank. "The original design of the programme is done by World Bank but managed by IIM-A. The bank will also send its international faculty for this course along with marketing support," says IIM-A Professor and Chairman of the post-graduate programme in management for executives G Raghuram. |
| The fee for the course, which is open to all, is $2,000 (approx Rs 92,000). According to education analysts, this course focuses on financing and syndicating of loans for infrastructure with exposure to futures and options. "Interestingly, there will be international participation. This helps one to understand finance structuring practices in other parts of the world," they observe. |
| The course on infrastructure development is approved by Department of Personnel. Therefore, at least 25 civil servants would be taking part as a part of training. "Top executives from Larsen & Toubro, government departments, Railways, National Highway Authority of India are participating in this one-week course. The fee of the course is between Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000," Raghuram says. |
| The courses on strategic port management and shipping are meant to give a commercial orientation to professionals and government officials. "Several shipping personnel are looking out for shore jobs after serving several years in sea. This course on shipping management will also give a new perspective to the sector. This will help them to relocate to jobs of cargo handling, shipping agency business and even logistics," notes Raghuram. |
| The fee for both the courses are around Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000. The strategic port management course is carried out with the tacit support of Indian Ports Association (IPA), a platform for all major ports of the country. |
| Interestingly, Raghuram has scripted a blueprint to country's largest container port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust to ease the burgeoning container backlog. IIM-A is also carrying out certain courses on demand for railways and NHAI. According to industry analysts, the demand for the special courses on infrastructure development and financing is increasing as the PPP model is gaining momentum. IIM-Bangalore too is currently offering specially designed courses in infrastructure development but not on this scale. |
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