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IIM Ahmedabad’s PGP-FABM programme maintains world number one ranking
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Friday, 13 July, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The two-year post-graduate programme in food and agri-business management (PGP-FABM) offered by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) was recently ranked number one in the world for the third consecutive year, including 2017-18, by Eduniversal, Paris, France.
The commitment of the institute towards socially important sectors like food and agri-business dates back to its inception, when the institute accepted managerial issues related to agriculture, food and other developmental sectors as part of its thrust areas.
In pursuit of this a post-graduate programme with specialisation package in agriculture (PGP-SPA) was started in 1974.
In 2000, IIMA revamped the programme after a review of the institute’s approach to agri-business management education under changing economic environment and launched the two-year PGP in agri-business management. Over 1,25,000 candidates apply for this programme, and only about 46 candidates are selected with a rigorous selection process administered throughout the country.
PGP-FABM is a full-time residential programme. It has evolved over the years and expanded beyond agriculture to other allied areas such as food processing, commodities and rural development sector, and rural infrastructure.
IIMA has an intake of 46 students with inclusion of more industry interaction, rural immersion modules and have made project-work a significant part of the curriculum than ever before. The programme attracts many companies across the supply chain, for academic collaboration, internships and finally for recruitment.
Course content
The programme curriculum has a solid managerial foundation, with a focus on food and agribusiness marketplace. It includes compulsory management courses in the first year and is common with the PGP of the institute.
The second year of the programme includes compulsory as well as elective courses designed to have specialised multi-function knowledge and skill required by the food and agri-business sectors.
The rural immersion module (RIM) also helps students to spend about three weeks in rural areas. The students have the opportunity to meet the rural community, know their lifestyle, values and help them carry out project on issues of socio-economic nature.
The students exchange programme is also offered in collaboration with four foreign universities - ESSEC B School, France; University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, Antai College of Economics and Management, China and NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Norway - with a view to enhance the international exposure for the PGP-FABM students.
Students spend about one term (10-12 weeks) at the foreign university. Efforts are always in place to expand the pool of universities/institutes that are a part of exchange programmes.
Course objectives
The programme is designed to expand students’ perspective knowledge and skills necessary for management and leadership in the agri-business, food industry and allied sectors. It also nurtures in the participant a commitment to integrity, ethical behaviour and a sense of social purpose.
The objective of the programme is to develop young men and women into competent professional managers for the food and agri-business, rural and allied sectors.
Increasing environmental concerns and challenges of working in a highly market oriented environment requires the agri-food industry to be dynamic in terms of responses to changes in policies and managing those changes.
Along with innovative skills, those working in this industry require a range of management skills, familiarity with the policy environment, and a strategic perspective and the programme prepares students for the arduous task of leading change in dynamic industry and managing the process of those changes.
The programme adequately prepares students for the rapidly-changing agri-business sector with specific programme objectives.
Prof Viswanath Pingali, chairperson, PGP-FABM, said, “To me, everyone who is a part of the IIMA community is privileged. You have to use this opportunity to propel yourselves to greater heights. As the saying goes, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected’.”
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