Management Development Institute PGDM Review By Apurva Sharma

If I say I wasn't targeting IIMs, I would be a fool to say that. Like many other CAT aspirants, I also wished to get into any of the IIMs. I would have preferred Jamnalal Bajaj and FMS over MDI, but MDI was in my destiny, and I have no regrets that I joined MDI. Many B-Schools today have become shops as they charge fees that are not worth it. MDI, too, charges very heavy fees for the PGDM program, but it's worth it. MDI has an alliance with many international universities. And is given enough exposure through them that you will feel ready after the internship. The fees now look reasonable as MDI students can search for jobs. If they are not happy with the campus placements. The institute's industry connection has given students enough leverage. To know about different sectors before picking the industry of our own choice. The placement outcome is also fantastic; management and faculty play a vital role in that.

Academics started off with a bang, and a sorry looking previous degree took the back seat. Engineering skills accounted for little. Once you join MDI because of the skill set, syllabus, and diverse student background. Make it almost impossible to remember what you have studied. Every day, we had to spend a hell lot of time in the classes and then get along for group projects. I can't remember a single day, when I slept before 1 am. The projects and studies are one thing. But the fun and entertainment at MDI made our interest grow more in studies.

Without a marginal doubt, they were second to none. Most professors had won various prestigious awards. And have been serving in this institute for years now. Many new faculties have come and brought some freshness. The fresh legs were always welcomed because the number of faculty at MDI was 70 or more. The number is staggering for a B-School because IIMs don't have half the number of faculty that MDI has. The faculty would take all the questions thrown their way and solve each one of them on priority. It's sad that they hardly get their due because they always take the back seat. The non-teaching staff would boast themselves for the institute's rankings. Even during Alumni meetings, the faculties are nowhere to be seen. In my books they were the real heroes.

One doesn't have to go beyond any B-School for the placement value that MDI brings. The number of companies that came were 70+. For each stream, 20 odd companies were available. And there were hardly any students with a single offer. If you have a single offer means you have underperformed big time. There's always a healthy competition between the students. Which makes the placement scenario a bit tough to get above the average placements. A million rupees CTC is the least here, and it has gone strength to strength with IIMs for quite some time now. IIM's pedigree may be better than MDI but placement wise, MDI's force is more or less equal to that of IIMs.

If it wasn't a Residential Program, life at MDI would have been half. The hostel didn't have any special events but hostel students made events every single day. A circular for discussion was sent to all, with the topic of discussion. All the hostel students would decide on a venue on the huge campus. And mostly it was the Takshashila hostel lounge where we would hold our meetings. Mess provided quality food as there was enough variety daily. The rooms were great, food was fantastic, and the students staying in hostels were the greatest. Thus, the hostel life at MDI, became more happening than I thought in my most imaginary dream.

Explaining every acre of the campus would be impossible, so I will start with the canteens. If there was something that kept us awake till 1 pm, it was the campus's night canteens. One thing that ensured we woke up on time was the institute's beautiful gardens. And the last thing that ensured that maximum students participated in events was the world-class auditorium. And performing there among the best was the biggest motivation.

Life started with an alarm of 7 am and ended with the last byte of knowledge at 1 am, 2 am, or beyond. Breaking the rules and crossing the campus boundaries at night was a common practice at MDI. Staff members were staying at the campus, but they didn't mind. We came back to the campus even if it was 4 am in the morning. The guards got enough bribes; they could keep their salaries intact in their accounts. This was the campus life that one could live.