CAREER

Sunday, 4 August 2013

Indian Institute of Management IIM Ahmedabad Post-graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management (PGP-ABM)

Post-graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management (PGP-ABM)
The Two-Year Post-Graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management (PGP-ABM) is designed
to prepare students for careers in management related to food & agribusiness and allied sectors in
an international environment. What makes this sector-specific programme special compared to
many other agribusiness programmes is that the programme curriculum has a leading-edge
managerial foundation firmly rooted in IIMA's "management" culture and proficiency with a
focus on food and agribusiness. PGP-ABM has been consistently ranked Number 1 in the World
in Agribusiness and Food Industry Management programs by Eduniversal, Paris, France.
1. Eligibility
Candidates must satisfy requirements as given in either section 1.1 or 1.2 below:
1.1 The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in agricultural sciences or
agriculture-related disciplines, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [in case of the
candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Differently Abled
(DA) category, this is relaxed to 45%], of any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the
central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of
Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or
possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
The Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a
minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or
equivalent.
OR
1.2 The candidate must hold at least a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree or equivalent qualification in
any non-agricultural discipline from a University or Institution as defined in the above
paragraph and have a strong interest in agriculture, food, rural and allied sectors. Such
candidates will be required to submit a special form as described in section 2.1 under
admission procedure. Failure to submit the form will disqualify the candidate from
being considered further for admission to the programme. The Bachelor’s Degree or
equivalent qualification obtained by the candidates must entail a minimum of three years of
education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent.
The percentage obtained by the candidate in the bachelor’s/master’s degree would be based on
the practice followed by the university/institution from where the candidate has obtained the
degree. In case of the candidates being awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the equivalence
would be based on the equivalence certified by the university/ institution from where they have
obtained the degree. In case the university/ institution does not have any scheme for converting
CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by IIM Ahmedabad by
dividing obtained CGPA with the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the resultant with
100.Candidates appearing for the final year bachelor's degree / equivalent qualification
examination and those who have completed degree requirement and are awaiting results can
also apply. Such candidates must produce a certificate from the Principal/Head of the
Department/ Registrar/ Director of the university/ institution certifying that the candidate is
currently in the final year/is awaiting final results and has obtained at least 50% marks or
equivalent (45% in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST/DA category) based on latest
available grades/marks. Such candidates, if selected, will be allowed to join the programme
provisionally only if they submit a certificate latest by June 30, 2014 from the
Principal/Registrar of their college/institute (issued on or before June 30, 2014) stating that
they have completed all the requirements (the results may, however, be awaited) for
obtaining the bachelor's degree/ equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the
certificate. Their admission will be confirmed only when they submit the mark sheet and a
certificate of having passed the bachelor's degree / equivalent qualification referred to in the
certificate issued by the Principal/Registrar with at least 50% marks (45% in case of
candidates belonging to SC/ST/DA category). It is mandatory for the final year students, who
are provisionally admitted, to submit the mark-sheet and degree certificate of the final year
Bachelor’s degree examination (including supplementaries, if any) held on or before June
30, 2014, to be eligible for admission to the Post Graduate Programme in Agribusiness
Management (PGP-ABM) batch 2014-16. The deadline for submission of the mark sheet and
the certificate is December 31, 2014. Non-fulfilment of this condition will automatically
result in the cancellation of the provisional admission. IIM Ahmedabad would not allow any
candidate to join the programme in case the candidate is unable to complete all the
requirements for a bachelor degree on or before June 30, 2014. The IIM Ahmedabad would
also not offer admission to any candidate after June 30, 2014.
2 Admission/Selection Procedure
(To be uploaded soon)
3 Preparatory Programme
Students who are identified by the Interview Committee for attending the Preparatory
Programme are expected to attend the programme which will start by end May/ early June
2014. The preparatory programme provides special inputs in mathematics, communication and
computers/information technology, and is designed to enable the students to prepare themselves
for the first year of the PGP-ABM programme. (Students who are in the final year of their
bachelor’s degree education and need to go back to complete their examination formalities
during June will be granted special leave from the preparatory programme).
4 Curriculum
The programme curriculum has a solid managerial foundation, a focus on food and agribusiness
marketplace, and is designed to build and enhance a global perspective among participants. The
course comprises three components: the core management courses, compulsory food and
agribusiness related courses and electives courses. The core programme consists of 33 core
management courses encompassing 25.50 credits in the first year and is common with the PGP to
enhance learning due to multiple perspectives and competitiveness. The first year is spread over
six slots, each of which is of five to six weeks’ duration. The compulsory package in the
programme is designed to: provide basic conceptual and analytical knowledge and inculcate attitudes and skills
necessary for managerial effectiveness in different functional areas of agri-business
management.
 develop an integrated view of organizational and managerial functioning and an
understanding of the interdependencies of subsystems; and
 create awareness and understanding of environmental forces impinging on managerial
behaviour.
Following the first year programme, students undergo Rural Immersion in two phases for a
period of about four weeks and summer internship for a period of eight weeks with the institute’s
corporate partners, which provide students field and organizational experience.
The second year of the programme consists of compulsory as well as elective courses and is
designed to impart specialized multi-functional knowledge and skills required by food and agribusiness sector managers for excellence in planning, decision-making, organization and
implementation in different sub-sectors and activities in the sector including agriculture, food,
agribusiness, rural and allied sectors. The elective courses allow students to exercise complete
freedom in the selection of courses and help the students in developing an integrated
understanding and approach on agri-business management issues and problems. In the second
year, students can do project course that involves research in the practice of management in
particular organizations or sectors. The project course helps students in gaining first-hand
experience in current management practices and philosophy.
5 Courses
The detailed list of courses offered during the first and second year of the programme is given
below:
First Year Courses (Slot-wise list of courses)
TABLE I
First Year Compulsory Courses, Common with PGP – 2012-2013
Credit Units No. of
Sessions
Slot 1
1. Financial Reporting and Analysis 0.75 15
2. Probability and Statistics – I 0.75 15
3. Managerial Computing 0.50 10
4. Microeconomics 0.50 10
5. Individual Dynamics 0.75 15
6. Written Analysis and Communication - I 0.50 05
7. Managing Ethically - 10
Sub-total 3.75 80

Slot 2
1. Financial Reporting and Analysis 0.75 15
2. Probability and Statistics – II 0.75 15
3. Managerial Computing 0.25 05
4. Microeconomics 0.50 10
5. Interpersonal and Group Processes 0.75 16
6. Financial Markets 0.50 10
7. Marketing I Module – I 0.50 12
8 . Written Analysis and Communication-I 0.25 03
Sub-total 4.25 86
Slot 3
1. Cost and Control System 0.50 10
2. Probability and Statistics – III 0.50 10
3. Macroeconomics and Policy 0.50 10
4. Organizational Dynamics 0.75 16
5. Legal Aspects of Business 0.50 10
6. Financial Markets 0.50 10
7. Marketing I Module II 0.50 12
8. Operations Management I 0.50 10
9. Spoken Business Communication (Pass/Fail
mode)
0.50 10
Sub-Total 4.75 98
Slot 4
1. Cost and Control System 0.50 10
2. Decision Making I 0.50 10
3. Macroeconomics and Policy 0.50 10
4. Business Taxation 0.50 10
5. Legal Aspects of Business 0.50 10
6. Operations Management I 0.50 107. Socio-Cultural Environment of Business 0.50 06
Sub-Total 3.50 66
Slot 5
1. Information Systems for Business 0.50 10
2. Decision Making – II 0.50 10
3. Economic Environment & Policy 0.50 10
4. Business Research Methods 0.25 05
5. Corporate Finance 0.50 10
6. Marketing II 0.50 11
7. Operations Management – II 0.50 10
8. Strategic Management 0.50 10
9. Personnel Competence and Capability Building
Systems
0.50 10
10 Written Analysis and Communication II 0.50 03
Sub-Total 4.75 89
Slot 6
1. Information Systems for Business 0.50 10
2. Economic Environment and Policy 0.25 05
3. Corporate Finance 0.75 15
4. Marketing II 0.50 10
5. Operations Management – II 0.75 15
6 Business Research Methods 0.25 05
7. Strategic Management 0.75 15
8. Personnel Competence and Capability Building
Systems
0.50 10
9. Written Analysis and Communication II 0.25 02
Sub-Total 4.50 87
First Year Overall Total 25.50

Second Year Courses ((Slot-wise list of courses)
TABLE II
Second Year Courses, PGP-ABM
*Compulsory Courses
Credit
Units
No. of
Sessions
Slot 7 & 8
1. Agricultural & Food Policy* 1.25 25
2. Agricultural Finance* 1.25 25
3. Marketing of Agricultural Inputs* 1.25 25
4. Strategic Food Marketing* 1.25 25
5. Micro Finance Management 1.25 25
6. Social Entrepreneurship: Innovating Social Change 1.25 25
7. Public Finance 1.00 20
8. Shodh Yatra 1.25 25
Slot 9 & 10
1. Agricultural Entrepreneurship 1.00 20
2. Logistics, Supply Chain, and Infrastructure
Management for Agri-business
0.75 15
3. Sales and Distribution Management For Agriculture 1.25 25
4. Management and Finance of Agro-Food Projects 1.25 25
5. Public Policy 1.25 20
6. Analyzing and Building Competencies 1.00 20
7. International Agri-Business 1.00 20
8. Rural Marketing 1.00 20
9. Strategic Management of Intellectual Property Rights 1.25 25
10. Digital inclusion for Development 1.00 20
11. Seminar Course on Globalizing and Resurgent India
Through Innovative Transformation
1.25 25
12. Rural Immersion Module
Slot 11 & 12
1.00
1. Agricultural Futures and Option Markets 1.25 25
2. Rural Advertising 1.25 25
3. Managing Contract Farming 1.25 25
4. Management of Technology for Sustainable
Agriculture
1.25 25
5. CINE: Understanding Creativity, Innovation,
Knowledge, Networks And Entrepreneurship
1.25 25
6. Energy Markets and Agribusiness 0.75 15
7. Investigating Corporate Social Irresponsibility 1.25 25
8. Participatory Theater for Development 1.25 25
9. Rural Immersion Module 1.00

6 Pedagogy
The cornerstone of the pedagogy used in the academic programmes at IIMA is the case method
of learning. Other methods such as lectures, seminars, group exercises, independent projects,
games, role plays, and industry/field visits are also used. Cases are descriptions of actual
management situations based on the experience of organizations in a wide range of settings.
They present facts known to executives responsible for dealing with the situations presented, and
through discussion of these situations, students learn how to solve different kinds of managerial
problems. Both Indian and international cases are used. Cases are reviewed every year to reflect
current managerial practices and trends.
7 Rural Immersion Module
After the end of the first year, students undergo the Rural Immersion in two inter-woven phases:
Phase I is conducted after the completion of first year in April and Phase II is organized during
December. The principal objective of the Rural Immersion is to give students an exposure to
rural economy, learning from interaction with the rural people, and becoming familiar with the
rural environment, society, institutions and economy. The first phase of Rural Immersion
Module is to understand the rural set up and Rural Immersion Module II known as
implementation phase is to undertake a live project dealing with managerial issues related to
agri-food and rural issues. Through Rural Immersion the students get a unique opportunity to
stay in rural India, which exposes them to rural set-up for a better understanding of rural mind
set, customs and behaviour of the rural folk. The exercise not only brings the students closer to
the ground realities and constraints in vast rural market, but also gives them a firm base on which
they could base their future decisions.
8 Summer Placements
IIMA considers that the education of a future manager is incomplete without exposure to
working in an organization. Summer placement, therefore, is an essential academic requirement
for students of the Post-Graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management. After the end of the
first year, students work in an organization engaged in food and agri-business on a summer
assignment lasting about eight weeks. The summer assignment provides the student opportunities
to have a first-hand exposure to the functioning of an organization and appreciate the links across
different functions; relate classroom learning of concepts and skills in the first year to real life
management situations, and make an informed choice of specialization and career.
The second year of the programme is designed to impart specialized multi-functional knowledge
and innovative skills required by agri-business managers for excellence in planning, decisionmaking, organization and implementation in the sector and in its sub-sectors. The second year
courses also provide the students with an opportunity to pursue areas of special interest to them.
The second year includes compulsory courses in agri-business management and elective courses
from general management programme as well as from this sector.
9 Diploma
The graduates of PGP-ABM are awarded the ‘Post-Graduate Diploma in Agri-Business
Management’.
10 Placement
PGP-ABM graduates will be assisted in finding suitable placements in organizations engaged in
agri-business, food, agriculture and allied sectors. Excellent opportunities are available for
careers in upcoming agribusiness sectors like retail management, micro finance, agricultural
input companies, food processing industries, rural marketing, international agricultural trade,
global supply chain, marketing and sales forecasting for agri-business related industries, commodity exchanges, rural financial institutions, market research in agribusiness and NGOs
engaged in rural development. Students also join the companies that are engaged in procurement
business in African sub-continent.
11 Information Common to PGP and PGP-ABM
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2013 is the first step in the process of seeking admission to
the PGP and PGP-ABM. For more details, please refer to our website www.iimahd.ernet.in
under programme details.
Method of Instruction
The case method is one of the major instruments of learning at IIMA. Other methods, such as
seminars, group exercises, role-plays, lectures and discussions, are also used. Cases are
description of actual management situations based on the experiences of organizations in a wide
range of settings. They present facts known to the executives responsible for dealing with the
situations presented, and through discussion of these situations, the students learn how to solve
different kinds of managerial problems. Both Indian and foreign cases are used.
As per Government of India requirements, seats are reserved for OBC-NC/SC/ST candidates.
Candidates also need to mark carefully the category to which they belong while filling up the
application form. 3% seats are reserved for Persons with Disability Category (DA). The three
categories of disability are: a) low-vision/blindness, b) hearing impairment, and c) locomotor
disability/ cerebral palsy.
The candidates belonging to categories for which seats are reserved need to note and read
carefully the eligibility requirements before applying. It should be noted that while it is
endeavour of IIMs that the candidates belonging to OBC-NC/SC/ST/DA categories join the
programme in proportions mandated by the law, they have to meet the eligibility criteria and a
certain minimum level of performance in CAT and personal interviews. The candidates should
read carefully the description of admission process specified on the website:
www.iimahd.ernet.in under IIMA programme details.
Expenses
The Fees and other charges payable by the PGP-ABM students of the 2013-2015 batch for their
first academic year (2013-2015) is approximately Rs.7,90,000. Mess Charges, Laptop computer,
personal expenses on travel, clothes and laundry will be extra.
Financial Assistance/Scholarships
It is the endeavour of the Institute that no student be denied opportunity to pursue the PostGraduate Programme in Management at IIMA for want of adequate financial resources. Keeping
this objective in view, IIMA has instituted a need based scholarship scheme from its own
resources to help its economically weak PGP-ABM students. Under this scheme, every year
many students are provided with scholarships. The scholarship amounts are fixed on the basis of
the annual gross family income, parental asset ownership, number of dependants, etc.
Applications for these scholarships will be made available in July.
The Government of India Merit-cum-Means Scholarship are also available provided that these
students meet the merit and means criteria. The Institute is in the process of working out
modalities to provide merit scholarships to PGP-ABM students based on their academic
performance in the First Year of the Programme. In addition, IIMA offers enough Need Based
Scholarships/assistance for economically disadvantaged students. Many nationalised/
commercial banks and financial institutions provide educational loans to students. For details,
candidates may contact branch offices of such banks.

Students’ Affairs Council
The students Affairs’ Council has primary responsibility for developing and implementing
policies and codes for the conduct of student activities. The coordinator, who is elected by the
student body, has the overall responsibility for academics, financial, students mess, publications,
cultural, and sports activities at the Institute.
IIMA Alumni Association
The Alumni Relations Activity Committee provides a forum of continuing education and for
strengthening the bonds between IIMA and its alumni. The Association has chapters in
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Baroda, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow,
Mumbai, Nagpur, Nasik, New Delhi, London, Muscat, Singapore, UAE and USA (NJ). Alumni
receive the Institute’s publications, participate in seminars and conferences at
IIMA, and are provided hospitality during their visits to the Institute. The Association brings out
the IIMA Alumnus three times a year; this magazine serves as an important medium for
communication among alumni. Students who graduate from PGP-ABM will have to register with
Alumni Office along with their contact details in order to get update of the events that take place
amongst the Alumni Chapters and the Institute.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please note that IIM Ahmedabad will conduct its Group Discussion and Personal Interview
(GD/PI) process for PGP-ABM Programme in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and New Delhi
only. Keep this in mind while darkening the circle against your interview centre choice in the
Application Form. Candidates short-listed for GD/PI process will be intimated by
registered/speed post by third week of January 2014.
The CAT takers applying to IIMA’s Post Graduate Programmes can also find out if they have
been short-listed for Personal interview by visiting the IIMA website (www.iimahd.ernet.in) by
third week of January 2014. No individual regret letters shall be sent to candidates not shortlisted for GD/PI Process.
For further details, please contact:
Ms. Pushpa Hariharan,
Programmes Officer
Post Graduate Programme in Agri-Business Management
Indian Institute of Management
Vastrapur, Ahmedabad 380 015
Email: pgpabmofficer@iimahd.ernet.in
Phone: 079-6632 4689, 6632 4688
Fax: 079-6632 6896, 26306896

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