'B-schools should be cued to industry'

The Bombay Management Association (BMA), in its golden jubilee year, is seeking to position itself as a facilitator for strengthening the industry-business school linkage.

It is also looking to play a role in the fine tuning of the curricula of management institutes so that the graduates passing out are not just academically qualified but are 'ready to work'. Barring the top management institutes, the industry-business school interface is woefully lacking in India. BMA wants the business schools to undertake projects so that the faculty as well as students are cued to the latest developments in the industry. A spin-off of this is that institutes can generate funds.

"In the context of globalisation, knowledge and skill-sets are vital. If the faculty is out of tune with the times, students will be unable to get right inputs. Hence, the need for closer industry-business school linkage," said Devender Nath, president, BMA. Although there were umpteen examples of successful Indian business enterprises, case studies pertaining to them had not been written. "It is important that Indian case studies are available for the students to appreciate the nuances of business strategies," he said.

In a fast changing environment, it is essential that companies get 'ready-to-work' management graduates. This will save the firms the bother of training graduates. Nath felt that faculty and companies should have regular interaction so that the curricula could be customised to meet industry requirements. He averred that the days of standalone 'mom and pop' shops were numbered as the franchisee concept was fast catching up with the establishment of shopping malls.

The association is kicking off its golden jubilee celebrations in Mumbai from March 29 with a meeting, in which Maharashtra Governor Mohammed Fazal will be the chief guest.