Rural Development is the Next Big Opportunity for Management Students

The rural economy contributes 25-30% to the nation’s GDP and employs a considerable number of people. Yet, the focus of management institutes is mostly on urban centres and problems. The conventional MBA Programmes focuses on Marketing, Finance, Operations, Retail, and Human Resource with emphasis on urban centres. However, it is the rural sector that provides the next big opportunity to management students.

Admissions Open for PGDM(RM) 2023-25

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In simple words, Rural Management refers to the application of the concepts of management studies and all the knowledge gained to the rural sector. The rural sector includes agricultural activities, co-operatives, development organisations, NGOs and allied fields. A course in Rural Management will enable you to:

• Plan
• Organise
• Direct
• Control

the activities in the rural sector. The course includes practical approach and incorporates interactions with people in the rural areas.

Dr. Verghese Kurien, ‘Father of the White Revolution in India’ founded The Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)

• IRMA is the pioneer institute when it comes to Rural Management in India.  
• IRMA focuses on grassroots development.
• IRMA creates professionals who work in the rural sector to bring sustainable, eco-friendly and equitable growth.
• IRMA nurtures management acumen in its students to shape policy decisions at the grassroots level.
• IRMA has collaborations with Governmental, Non-Governmental Organisations as well as International Organisations, which help students learn, carry out research and execute live projects while pursuing their course.
• IRMA has designed an intense curriculum, which takes students to the field to understand real problems on the ground and the problems of the rural community.

• This is a two-year fully residential course.
• It employs case studies to analyse real problems.
• It incorporates intensive fieldwork and students spend time understanding the socio-economic problems of people living in the rural community apply their classroom knowledge of management studies to these problems.
• Experiential learning is an essential component of the programme. All core management subjects such as Finance, Economics, Marketing and Human Resource Management are covered under the course.
• The classroom learning of students is enriched by the experience they gain by staying with a host family for a few days in the rural part of Gujarat.

Students of PGDM (RM) Batch 42 have received pre-placement offers. The average package received based on PPOs is INR 15.8 lakhs per annum. The details of the PPOs are as follows:

Students take up various roles after their course at IRMA. Some of the profiles that students take up are:

In 2022 too, more than 60% of Indian population lives in rural areas. Even the people in the urban areas are dependent on the activities that happen in the rural areas such as agriculture. Therefore, there will always be scope for rural management. The rural sector in India is still undeveloped and in need of energetic, visionary professionals to uplift it. This is where young professionals of PGDM (RM) can come in to create a defining impact.

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