Symbiosis Institute of Business Management MBA Review By Brij Mohan Rathi

SIBM Pune is ranked just below the IIMs and one of those B-Schools that are innovative than even the IIMs. Symbiosis Knowledge Village is the campus name where there are many colleges of the institutions along with SIBM. I couldn’t clear the entrance on the first attempt, and therefore I stayed back in Pune for 1 more year to prepare for the entrances. I was targeting IIMs, but beyond that, SIBM was my choice. I was so ecstatic when I finally got admissions here. The knowledge village is in Munshi. After missing out on the hostel due to low occupancy during BBA, I finally got my first hands-on experience at the hostel because SIBM offers only the residential program. One thing about the Symbiosis group of institutes that fascinates me the most is that you will find students with cultural and ethnic diversity. Our batch had students from some 20 states and from over 10 countries of the world. The institute that stated with the slogan “Vasudeva Kutumbhakam” has maintained this legacy since it started in 1978. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management Pune was the first MBA institute of the group that was at the Symbiosis main campus till 2009.

SIBM may be after IIMs in terms of overall rankings, but during a NIRF survey, a poll on which is the most desirable MBA college in India and SIBM ranked first in that. Academic wise there was little leniency as lectures attendance was strict, but you can take excuse from that, if you have a valid reason. SIBM campus is full of corporate action as B-school’s competitions like Abbott Business Challenge, Godrej LOUD, and ABG Head start were some of the competitions that were held at our campus. There were many other corporate events that SIBM is holding for a while now. SIBM students have at least reached the finals of most of the competitions. Studies from books was not just the way at SIBM as having business knowledge was more critical in SIBM.

The faulty were much better, and because we got the opportunity to meet students from IIMs, FMS, MDI, and XLRI, one general consensus was that SIBM teachers were comparatively better than other b-schools in India. Most of them had the teaching experience at IIMs, but Symbiosis wealth brought them here. The case method was not the only way we were taught. In subjects like core marketing and HR, the hypothetical situation practicals were organized by the faculty. SIBM is about innovations, and this was one of those.

The specialization that we did at SIBM may have a placement disadvantage for initial placements but had an overall learning advantage. We were picked on the basis of the specialization that we did, but our overall knowledge of different subjects was much better from a general student perspective. SIBM’s strongest suit is HR, and placements average was around 15 lakhs per annum. Companies such as ITC, L'Oreal, Cipla, Michael Page, Asian Paints, Aditya Birla and others hired students from the campus. The companies mentioned above were for HR, while there were 50+ companies as specialization played the significant role in placements at SIBM.

SIBM hostel is different because the hostels for other colleges were shared, while SIBM had its own hostels close to the dining hall. There were two blocks for boys’ hostel and one for girls. The hostel rooms were big, and if they weren’t adequate, the central library’s study room was opened 24*7, and there were also study rooms at the Annex block of SIBM hostels. The hostel Had Wi-Fi access and the rooms were allotted on double and triple sharing as per our choices. The dining hall was open till 10 pm officially but we had the access even after that. There was also an all-day café at the campus in case the mess food doesn’t satisfy our taste buds. The food had variety and also hygienic. The mess was student-driven, and therefore we could demand change in the menu as per our choice.

The Knowledge City Village (Lavale Campus) is spread across 300 acres of land. If Symbiosis group brings all its institutions to this campus that I believe they are planning, it won’t be a village anymore. They will have to rename it as a district because it has all the facilities one could imagine. Since the campus is far off from the main city every day, the college arranges 8-10 buses to drop students till the main campus. Students who had to catch bus or train are dropped till Shivaji Nagar Bus Stand. The Central Library of SIU is bigger than some of the college buildings. A two-storied library had almost all the books that you can find at Crossword or any other central library in general. Sporting facilities were again something that I had never thought of a billiards table, an Olympic sized swimming pool along with lush green football and cricket grounds was outstanding. Above all the facilities that were there at the campus, it was picturesque hilltop sight for the students that was most refreshing.

Many B-schools in India claim that they have a student-driven culture, but it was not just followed at SIBM but also phenomenal. Our director used to guide us and it were the students who conducted the sports tournaments and fests. However, it’s not all, as the students also managed the admissions and placements at SIBM. It was the most crucial part of the learning for HR students at the SIBM Pune campus.