CART your retail dreams in style

The Retailers Association of India (RAI) is offering a Post Graduate Programme in Retail Management (PGPRM) through 15 chosen B-schools all over the country.

Students willing to enrol for the test have to take part in the Common Admission Retail Test (CART).

RAI CEO Gibson G Vedamani said: "The objective of the PGPRM programme is to provide students with a high level of knowledge and an understanding of the concepts and processes involved in retailing and to equip them with operational and analytical skills necessary for a professional career in the retail sector."

He pointed out that modern retailing in India was witnessing a transformation with the emergence of department stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, specialty stores and malls.

"With the phenomenal growth in the organised retail sector, the demand for quality human resources is also rapidly increasing. The availability of suitable talent to aid this growth has been a challenge that organised retail players are grappling with," he said.

CART application forms will be available through Career Launcher Centres, select branches of Axis Bank, all PGPRM Partnering B-schools, and all retail outlets of Shoppers' Stop, Croma, Vishal Mega Mart, Viveks Ltd, Landmark Bookstores, Odyssey Bookstores, Big Bazaar, Crossword Bookstores and Kirtilals.

RAI Chairman BS Nagesh said faculty members from the retail sector in India have prepared the course content.

"They will deliver guest lectures in these partnering B-Schools, so that the students can get to have an interface with the right industry resources," he added.

CART will be conducted in 25 cities. It will comprise Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and Consumer Comprehension. The test time would be 90 minutes. The first CART will be conducted on 27 January.