SP Jain Institute of Management and Research PGDM Review By Aditya Pawar

SP Jain ranks just after the IIMs and the admission process is just like the IIMs. The CAT score are accepted and I got 86 percentile and thereby became eligible for the college. By the time I enrolled at SPJIMR, I already knew that I am entering a premier institute but after spending a couple of years there, I realized that the college is much better than what I actually thought. Just like many others in India, ran after IIM tag and was disappointed after I didn’t receive a call from any of the IIMs. SP Jain helped me overcome that and I will tell you few areas where SP Jain is actually better than IIMs. SP Jain invited the students based on their CV. They actually check what you have done beyond academics. Thus the student who come there are a mix blend of people who bring new ideas into the campus. The other thing that stands out is specialization. From the 1st year itself we were asked for the specialization and it helped me focus on that from the beginning. Various companies visiting the campus also appreciated this point of the college and that is why the placement of SP Jain is equivalent to that of lower ranked IIMs.

The academic section of this college is enormous. The institute has identified the problem which many of us are not aware of and that is our strength and weakness. The projects that the college gave were designed in such a way that it was easy for us to figure out what we are good at. This is how the first semester went by. During the second semester we were given opportunities based on our strength and that is how it all went by. The classes timing was awful though as there were literally no timings. I still remember during our second semester the classes lasted till 11 at night. The best part was that college arranged taxis for us to go back home who were day scholars. It was all worth it at the end of the day as when I look back now, I only have happy memories from the college.

If you were to take my words the best teachers are not the ones who share their knowledge but the ones who create a knowledge engine in the students that are attending the college. This is what the thought process of faculty was and that is why we were able to generate ideas on daily basis. Just having a great degree don’t make good teacher for sure. Just like every other institute our teachers held some of the best degrees and had a hoard lot of experience behind them. It was the way they taught us and made us the best mattered. If one doubts their abilities then the alumni of SP Jain would have never reached the position they are in. The faculty of SP Jain was the main driving factor behind the institution success. We had many star professors in our batch and were fairly popular among the students.

You name it and that company was at the doorstep of SP Jain. Over the years the institution has changed its policy by inviting a lesser companies but in our time as many as 40 companies were there at the campus. We all were asked to fill a form which looked a centralized placement agency form. Our faculty members guided us with the preferences as they knew where we can contribute our best. We were called as per our preferences and I was chosen by a major corporate with whom I was associated for 5 years. Many FMCG companies like HUL, Nestle and ITC were among the top recruiters. Look in 2013 we were still in recession but still the placement at SP Jain were 90%+.

I so really wish that it was mandatory back then to stay in the hostel to at least experience what it is like staying at the hostel. It is mandatory now and rightly so. The hostels back then have been changed so no point talking about it. The programs at SP Jain are mandatory residential and therefore one has to stay in the hostel. From what I have heard students feel home at SP Jain hostels.

Classrooms are still the same as in 2018 our batch had a reunion at the college. They were and are still equipped with audio recording. The classrooms are designed in a semicircle type of seating. The labs which have undergone drastic changes have all the facilities like computers and high-speed internet. The huge library had an array of books and it was easy to take them with us. Separate toilets for boys and girls and were clean and good. There are 2 canteens and the main canteen that serves food was quite good. The college did a tie-up with one of the famous hospital named spring health hospital and students underwent health check-ups every semester. The campus is large and has all the sporting facilities including a large swimming pool that had timings reserved for both boys and girls.

Daily 10 hours in the college and 2 hours travelling was my daily routine while I was studying at SP Jain. Dr. Anjali Malik was assigned as our project guide and the time spent with her while working on projects was the biggest learning curve during my college life. Having college campus in Mumbai had an easy access to top companies for internships placements, and most importantly the exposure. In all the campus life at SPJIMR was full of fun.