What's in an MBA ?

Well this piece of article is especially for my non-MBA friends. I have been getting queries from quite a few of them if quitting an existing job for a MBA program is really worth it. Now that I am almost nearing the end of my MBA stint, so thought of sharing some experiences here! These are entirely my opinions!

To start with as well all know, we need to crack the Common Admission Test (CAT) more popular as CAT. And of course, we have the XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT etc. for some of the other reputed colleges. Once, you are into a B-School, your initial days would comprise outbound tours, bonding sessions, personality and effective communication workshops etc. This is more of the fun part when we meet new fellows from diverse backgrounds be it academics, nationality, work etc.

In tier I – III B-school the pedagogy is almost similar. In the first year one studies general management with topics like business statistics, fundamentals of management disciplines – Finance, Marketing, Sales, HR, Operations, IT, international business etc., Strategy, tools like Excel, ERP, databases, foreign languages and so on. The idea is to equip oneself with a generalized skill-sets required by a manager.

At the end of the first year, we go for a two-month long internship program. The area of internship is generally the specialization we want to opt for in the final year. Though, there are cases where students do opt for a different specialization after the internship experience. Your internship may or may not have a stipend depending upon the company you are in. This is where top B-Schools have an edge over tier II peers. Around 70% - 100% of the students get paid internships in the top ten colleges of our country. Good performance during the internship can help you bag a pre-placement offer from the company.
Post internship, when we are back, it’s time for our specialization. The batch is restructured into Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain (Operations), Human Resources and Information Technology (offered in some colleges). I will take you through the specializations.

One needs to keep in mind that during the middle of the final year, the companies start visiting the campuses. So, the first six months of the final year is the most crucial and the toughest part of your MBA program.

On academic front, if you have opted for Marketing – you would come across areas like sales, integrated marketing communication, consumer behavior, international marketing, online marketing & social media, services marketing etc.
In finance, one would study corporate valuations, banking, capital markets, financial derivatives, investment banking - Mergers and acquisitions, private equity, hedge funds, bonds etc.
Human Resources would help you study industrial relations, managing performance, talent management, organizational structure design, negotiation, conflict management etc.
In Supply Chain, one studies Retail supply chain, materials and quality management, procurement, warehouse management and so on. As I had told before, the course structure is very similar in most B-Schools, the subjects might have a different name here and there.
One also gets an opportunity to purse exchange programs where in you generally go to a B-school in Europe, Singapore or US for a six to twelve months stint.




Now coming to the most important part, placements and return on investment. The fees in a decent B-School (top 30) vary from 10 lpa to 18 lpa. The median salary would be from around 7 lpa to 13 lpa. If you are working in a company and earning 5 lpa, do not ignore the opportunity cost i.e. 10lakhs for the two years you invest in a MBA program. But yes, with a MBA you get a broader perspective and can rise up the corporate ladder faster. And yeah, you are friends with some 100-200 influential peers.
Having said that, some other things which a placement report might not say – you can consider these both as positives or negatives. Trust me, it varies from person to person.

• It is difficult for people with high work-ex (3 yrs or more) to change their domain. If one is hell bent, he/she may have to be contend with a salary given to a fresher.
• Mostly marketing profiles are sales oriented.
• Only a few handy people land up with a investment banking profile.
• In a college, HR profiles are provided the lowest CTC.
• There would be a sizeable bonus or variable component in your salary.
• There is considerable difference between MBA academics and industry. Hence, it is advisable to pursue live projects to bridge the gap.
• Very few people receive the highest packages.

Apart from the academics and placement, there are whole lot of things that goes in a B-school which turns one into a global professional. There are committees – Corporate, Public & Alumni Relations, Fest committees, Food Committee, Clubs which provides a great exposure other than academics.

Hence, weigh your options and make the decision.

For any queries, you can write to me at d.santanu1@gmail.com.
You can also connect with me at
www.facebook.com/das.santanu or http://in.linkedin.com/in/santanudas1

UP Politics

Mulayam's Puttar


UP election saga was quite interesting. I was tempted to give it a second look to seek the finer aspects.


Achilles oops Akhilesh is clearly the winner. He defeated competition within and outside of his party. Now, he is ready to take the beacon of leadership from his dad. So what made him standout – Well, his choice. He chose not to abide by conventions. Instead, generation Y inside him brought closer to the voters. He was committed to clean the party image by dropping veteran goons. Tech-savvy image of him carrying laptops & iphone backed by intensity and km-driven campaigning helped his cause. He travelled more than 3000km campaigning for the party. A sitting MP, he strengthened his connect with the aam junta and emerged the strongest. SP veterans (some unwillingly, though) projected him as the CM. Well done Akhi. Law & order is your biggest challenge now.

In a victory, the winner’s virtues are equally important as losers’ vices. I will take the losers one by one. First, the BSP . You can it on the anti-incumbency factor. Although , law & order improved drastically and efforts were made to revamp the administration , but the support of the Muslims , upper castes and may be even dalits could not be sustained.Mayawati did not do anything special to let people give her a second mandate. She was never a Modi or Nitish. The resurgent SP, multi-cornered politics, infighting and disconnect with the people buried the nail into their coffin. But going by numbers, they still remain a formidable opponent.


Congress. The less said the better. Its struggle at the centre was reflected in the UP elections. Not only was it demolished badly, dynastic politics gain hit a road block. Rahul Gandhi’s prime ministerial ambitions will be finished for now. UP proved again the lad’s failures to assess politics & mood at the ground level. He could not capitalize on the mileage he gains by the virtue of being Gandhi scion. Other congress leaders were also relegated to sidelines.


BJP would never learn. Its brand of core competency no longer works. Proof? Look at the Goa elections where the party gave tickets to Roman Catholics. All of them won. Development, infrastructure and industry , finally , a refreshing leader is what BJP needs . Hope , BJP will learn from itself only. When will the winds of change blow!!!


Overall, elections in UP is arguably the toughest polls. With, four parties fighting in nearly all seats, SP did a splendid job. Kudos to them!!!

Doing Business in Bharat

It had been a long time since this blog saw a post . I have redesigned the look and feel of the blog with a promise of regular postings . Today I took up - Entrepreneurship in India .

Becoming an entrepreneur is one of the most cherished dreams of all ambitious people . Consider India and it is a Herculian task .For those who find it hard to believe , let us look at the stats. As per ' The ease of doing business ' ratings , India ranks a dismal 132 out of 182 countries( ref : http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings ). Just to give you an idea of what rank 132 means , look at these rankings of our neighbour : Nepal 107 , Bangladesh - 122 , Pakistan 105 . Shocked ? Well , I was shocked too !

You might wonder about government creating policies to remove hurdles but for each hurdle removed , another is added (dekhna hoga na policy kyu ban raha hain - votebank or business) and let us not forget the kickbacks and patronage networks.

Leftists do shout that the business policies in India are highly skewed towards big businesses but then , did they not rule one famous state of eastern India for 30 years and the results are there for every one to see (No offence please).

Businesses are money churners for governments in the form of taxes , excise , VATs - but people even don't know where , how and even why to pay taxes. And so not so surprisingly , India ranks 147 in terms of 'Ease of paying taxes'. Our governments are not even eager to collect the same. Don't remember last time when Indian budget showed a surplus! Can anyone tell me what are they doing in the administration ? Maybe hereditary or some other hidden motives ( hey , I'm not talking about ministers watching porn:P:P).

Before we shout - ' FDI FDI FIIIIIIII ' , we need some good policies . Reforms . Policies that would would act as a bait to start businesses. Millions of Indians would be able to stand on their own feet and it also offloads the subsidy or reservation burdens off the shoulders of the government. Silent reforms may not grab the newspaper or TV headlines as say , Volkswagon wanting to invest in Bengal but people would be empowered to buy one of those cars .


( You can mail me your feedbacks to santanudas@engineer.com )

Africa...

Never Been to one but have heard from friends that it is wonderful . Yeah . The African Safari - the ultimate destination for honeymooners , photographers and wild life enthusiasts . It has something for all .One such safari is the Masai Mara Reserve of Kenya .The gentle rolling grasslands ensure the animals are never out of sight . Such is the density , that in a radius of five miles , you can see congregation of all sorts of anilmals and their antics - elephants drinking and splashing water , herds of zebras , giraffes and buffaloes , pride of lions positioning for hunting a gazalle , alligators waiting for their and even the birdlife is also prolific . Live Discovery Channel.

But the best of all is the "The wild beast migration". The sensation is unparalleled . Ten million or even more cattle migrate from the Serengeti in the south to the Masai expanse in september every year .


Driving in the midst of these great herds is an unimaginable experience. Whilst the eyes feast on the spectacle, the air carries the smells, the dust and the sounds of hundreds of thousands of animals. There is nowhere else on earth to compare with this wildlife marvel. But the trek is costly. The herds' draw ravening packs of predators, especially hyenas and lions, and thousands of the lame, laggard and sick never complete the cycle.
More die, by drowning or by the teeth of the cunning crocodile, while trying to cross the swirling muddy waters of the Mara river.
A well worth it and recommended activity in the Masai Mara National Reserve is the balloon safari. Early in the morning, you will be woken and driven to the departure site. Once in the air, the view of the surrounding landscape, the rising of the sun between the mountains and the congregation of the animals at the river is beautiful.

Cant wait to realise the experience live !