Today, India can well be called the Genghis Khan of MBAs. With Indian MBAs in the top notch positions the world over, India has well become a brand in itself. An MBA is the most coveted on every CV. Such is the prestige this postgraduate degree holds in the contemporary scenario. From analysing case studies and crunching numbers to having those envied zeros on the paycheck, it’s a long journey. An MBA is a post graduate degree in business administration. MBA stands for Masters of Business Administration and is a very popular course for business students the world over. The MBA programme is recognised worldwide and is considered as a major step towards a successful business management career.

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India Shining, India Rising, India Poised, and Brand India – the labels are far too many. The point is but one: the last decade has witnessed a tumultuous change in the way in which India is viewed by the world. No longer does the West turn up its nose at the slow-paced, restrictive, third world capital of poverty and stagnation; India today is a country with an ever growing economy, a land of unending human potential, the next global superpower. If the truth be told, much of this image makeover (if not the whole) has been due to the business and corporate sector which, after the dismantling of socialist shackles during the 1990s, has proved its true mettle, catapulting itself to the ranks of the best and most powerful globally. Needless to say that the enhancement and transformation of business in India has brought with it a fierce demand for professionally trained management personnel. Consequently, MBA education in India has also evolved to meet the varied objectives of individuals wishing to make it to the league of business leaders and executives who have changed the face of our nation.

We present here a broad study of the different types of postgraduate programmes that business schools have on offer today.

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Hallelujah, you have decided. For better career prospects, expanding your horizons or killing two years, you have picked an MBA as the weapon of choice. You have weighed the test reading material and sharpened your pencils. The postal department has dutifully delivered your test prospectus, which is when Zeus gifts you a thunderbolt – where should I apply?

Unassuming as the question seems, hitherto nascent doubts suddenly present themselves. Everyone dreams of the IIMs when they throw their hats into this ring. Those fat pay packets and blitzkrieg career progressions dilate all our pupils. Those three letters beside your name become an all-consuming desire. However, like all the good things in life, there is the catch – too many pegs, too few slots. There are around 1,300 seats and roughly 1.5 lakh people, only too eager to have them. Simple mathematics will show you that there will be a healthy number of unfulfilled souls at the end of this exercise. What to do? Apply at other schools, of course. But which ones?

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When you need to reach a destination, you can fly, take a train or go by road. The means of travel you take depends on various factors like your budget, the time you can travel travel and your comfort level. Depending on the route you take, you will reach the destination sooner or later. Similarly, whichever bschool you go to, you are sure to get the coveted MBA degree. But how coveted it is depends on which school you have passed out of.

There are many choices for students in terms of B-Schools, whether in India or abroad. In India alone, there are about 1,000 + B-Schools. Making up your mind about which B-School to apply to and most importantly that one B-School you will get into is an arduous task. What makes things more difficult is the money involved. Usually each application costs approximately Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200. It thereby becomes imperative to invest money prudently.

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As they say, “Love is like a ghost who everybody talks about, but very few have seen”. Everyone these days talks of being an MBA, but only those who have reached there know how difficult it is to work towards being one. Even matrimonial advertisements accentuate the fact that the hopeful bride or groom has the enviable MBA degree, need one say more? There is already enough of hype created.

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The curricula in most two-year fulltime MBA programmes follow a typical path: the first year exposes you to the functional areas and basic principles of management through certain common core courses. It is in the second year that, depending on your competency and interests, you choose elective subjects leading to a specialisation in a particular field.

Reams have been written on why and how you should choose your specialisation wisely. While you may pore over all these different studies, the bottomline remains that in order to make the right choice, you need to have a sound knowledge and awareness of what each specialisation is all about, what are the careers that each would lead you to, and finally where your inherent interests and capabilities lie.
To help you build that knowledge, we present below a look at the essence of the traditional specialisations offered to an MBA student.

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It's a very rosy picture. You've had a fabulous two years that have turned you into a tough team player. You've crunched those incomprehensible numbers, analysed dozens of case scenarios, you've made those daring presentations, you've networked to your best, you've been smart at all your interviews. Multinationals are hot on your pursuit, each one wooing you with bigger bucks than the other. And of course, you're soon acquiring an MBA.

And then real life begins. It's not about cracking case scenarios over a pizza with roommates for the next day's class presentation. It's not even about giving orders sitting in a comfortable cabin and working on a cutting edge laptop. Ten hours of grind a day, sixteen hours of travel a week, that's what it's all about! Equipment never functions right, information is either absent or it's overwhelming! The boss is grumpy, the colleagues who were supposed to "teamwork" with you turn out to be monsters who would do anything to get you down.

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