The 15th batch of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad’s one-year full-time residential Post-Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (MBA-PGPX) for 2020-21 was e-inaugurated today by Director, Prof. Errol D’Souza, and welcomed by Prof Viswanath Pingali, Chairperson, MBA-PGPX and Prof Shailesh Gandhi, Dean-Programmes, amidst the current COVID lockdown. All the new batch students were greeted by IIM-A professors via e-mode for their introductory session.
Speaking on occasion, Prof Pingali, Chairperson, MBA-PGPX said, “Academic rigour and mental discipline would determine success in this programme. Keeping in view the overall structure of the programme, we decided to take a small portion of Term 1 online. This will enable the students to hit the ground running when the campus classes eventually begin. Looking at the profile of the current batch, I feel very confident that the batch will take the programme to newer heights.”
This year too, gender diversity was on the rise (see Table). Other than the increase in gender diversity, the current batch is also very diverse in terms of NRI students (9.29 per cent are residing outside India, spread across eight countries) and international work-experience (36 per cent of the batch has worked abroad before joining MBA-PGPX).
Shruti Shekhar, student of new the 2020-21 MBA-PGPX, IIM-A, said: “Diamonds are a product of high stress and pressure. The PGPX course that is demanding, even under normal circumstances, promises to shape us into something far tougher than ever before. Being resilient in the face of calamities, adapting in the times of uncertainty, and building the strength to chart our course into the unknown future are qualities that IIM Ahmedabad will ingrain into us this year. There is no taking away the fact that we, the class of 2021, are the “Covid Batch”. It is a badge that I will wear with pride.”
Launched in 2006, more than 1,500 students have graduated from MBA-PGPX so far. Till 2016-17, the MBA-PGPX intake was 90, and from 2017-18, the institute added one more section to enhance the learning experience of participants. With the overwhelming response, we have continued the extra section and accordingly, have had 140 students since last year.
The 2020-21 batch has an average GMAT score of around 690 and GRE score of 317, an average age of about 31 years and seven months, average total work experience of 8.6 years, and average international experience of approximately a year and half.