Global companies vie for IIM students

The slowdown in the US economy and gloomy market forecasts has failed to dampen the festive spirit at campus placement here.

 

At the IIMA campus, 260 students are in the race for Final Placements 2008 with 120 companies showing keen interest with two new entrants - Google and Amazon - joining the fray.

 

Not only do the annual campus placements bring whopping salary offers to students, both to the freshers and the experienced, but also proves to be a bonanza for the IIMA.

 

Every time an IIM student gets selected by a global player, the IIMA gets anywhere from Rs.200,000 and above. And even recruiters from India have to cough up some cash, a source said.

 

"The whole placement process which began today is a six-day affair," faculty and chairman of placement committee of IIMA Piyush Sinha told IANS.

 

"Placements at IIM, Ahmedabad have confirmed that IIMA not only provides good education for entry level but also for middle level management as well as for entrepreneurs," he said.

 

So how much would IIM Ahmedabad be making this year from the placement process? Or what would be the record salaries offered to its students this year? All this will become clear March 11 about who gets what, said Sinha.

 

If the previous records are anything to go by the salaries offered to IIMA graduates have steadily increased over the past few years and this year may not be an exception. The average entry level domestic salary is Rs.1.3 million per annum while the average lateral domestic salary is Rs.1.6 million per annum, a source said.

 

In terms of lateral placements for the two-year post graduate programme on Agri-business management (PGP-ABM), IIMA has reaffirmed its leading position as the best sector-specific programme in the country, said IIMA spokesperson Ishita Solanki.