Indian School of Business Review By Ashok Kumar

ISB Hyderabad was the first institute in India that brought the concept of executive MBA or similar PG courses. After working for 3 years my company sponsored me for MBA from ISB Hyderabad and all that I have achieved in my life is because of 1 year at ISB. If one thinks that time passes by, I would say that time flew my folks because that one year finished in a flash and I couldn’t even realize that I am done with ISB. Even today I feel like taking some course there as the college accommodates students in mid-30s and for all those who can afford and want to enjoy the college life to the fullest than ISB, Hyderabad can work wonders for you. All this may sound so good but the biggest part is entry at the college is also one of the toughest. Highest percentile students along with some good work-ex and the long interview and PI sessions are mandatory and from that pool also only a few are selected. I prepared for it for 8 months, day in and day out, to crack the entrance and impress the masters who interviewed us. Once entered you are destined for a time of your life.

International styled education as I never saw such classrooms, facilities, and teaching style ever in my life. The college is for class and therefore the education too was classy. My program EFPM was of 1 year and out of which last 6 months were training which I did at my company only. The education system at ISB is unmatched as I have been friends with many IIM students and even they agreed that the course content and the teaching style of ISB, Hyderabad is more advanced than IIMs. It’s not that I am blowing trumpets of ISB because I am an alumnus from there but ISB doesn’t need any introduction as ISB is a topic of discussion in abroad as well.

It was a little confusing but something new again. We had visiting faculties from Duke’s, Kellogs, and other top B-Schools and we had a set of faculty from India that was always busy in their own research. Our professors were such that they had an answer to any question on this earth and if I say they are from the generation of Socrates I won’t be wrong. At ISB, we hardly questioned the faculty as they questioned us and dare you if you don’t have an answer for that. It happened so quickly that I couldn’t even spend time with my faculty because that is once in a lifetime opportunity.

Some students are sponsored by their companies and the others have a placement much before they appear for the final semester exams. MNCs have made ISB their go-to destination as half of the students from my batch are settled in abroad while the other half too at the latter part of their life for sure. Either India goes drastically or the ISB students can’t find a suitable role for them in India. One can doubt what I say but they can check the status quo of the college because placements at ISB are a class apart.

Inside the campus, there’s an equipped student villa where there are 4 beautiful hostels. Students who come here are of modern thinking and therefore the activities of the hostel where we played Splitsvilla and fun games are still so fresh in my memory. There is a hostel for the married students as they are allowed to bring their spouse along and all the students shared an intact relationship that will last for life. I made some friends for life at the campus and can proudly say that if they ever come to Kolkata they will have dinner at my place and whenever I will go to their city, I will have dinner at their place. Oh, how can I forget the food part as we were served an international kind of breakfast that had a menu of beans on toast and pancakes. Lunches and dinners at the hostel were exquisite too.

Modern infrastructure with all the latest amenities was available at ISB, Hyderabad. In an alumnus meet in 2018, I went there and saw that there’s not much of a change because ISB was always ahead and what the other colleges and Universities are adopting now, ISB did it a decade back. This is what makes ISB so special. The student corner where films were screened was the best time pass at the college. There was no time restriction on the campus and we were free to wander at the campus even at night. The infrastructure of ISB is an absolute gem.

From midnight parties to endless lectures the life at ISB was hectic but amazing. Made friends for life and had so much fun inside the campus that I don’t mind getting lockdown there again. It wasn’t a lockdown but everything was there inside the campus and we hardly had to step out for stuffs. It was a gem of a spell that I had at the ISB and something that I will esteem for this life if not more.