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Best One year MBA in India for Executives

Though we’ve written extensively about one year MBA programs in India, it’s been more of individual success stories of folks who’ve got into these colleges. We also published one on the best one year MBA in USA.

However, we didn’t have a single motherhood post on the Indian one year MBA programs, collating all the marquee names to consider.

So, if you’ve just joined the party and wondering if a shorter duration MBA will help you, read on.

Also read IIM vs Foreign MBA
 
[Editor’s Note: Article updated in August 2021 to reflect the latest data]
 

Executive Ed | One year MBA in India

Just when you thought that your MBA dreams died long ago along with that decent-but-not-good-enough CAT score, the desi management education Gods decided to open up another avenue – 1 year MBA.

Unlike the 2 year MBA in USA, these Indian MBA courses allow you to complete the degree in half the time. Pretty much like the European MBA courses, minus the Yash Chopra scenery and the exorbitant costs of attending an international MBA.

Read this related post – How much does an MBA Cost in India, USA, Europe.

The 1 year MBA in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad & other cities cater to candidates who are quite different compared to the fresh-faced crowd that makes up the CAT pool.

These 1 year MBA applicants (armed with GMAT scores instead of CAT) are generally 3-10 years older, more experienced, wiser (?)…but as  eager as the freshers for a career change or vertical growth.
 

One year Executive MBA in India – Huh???

Let’s get the terminology straight before moving on. We’ve been saying this for years, but seems like there’s still a lot of work to be done in clarifying this.

A regular full-time one year MBA in India is NOT the same as an Executive MBA in India. It’s not a part-time MBA. And definitely not a distance MBA.

On behalf of the frustrated alumni of such programs, please do not refer to them as one year Executive MBA in India or a 1 year full-time Executive MBA in India or any other creative but completely off-the-mark title.

Read these earlier posts to get the basics right:

Why regular full-time MBA and not Executive MBA

Executive MBA in India vs MBA for Executives – The Big Indian Confusion
 

Executive Level One year MBA in India Rankings

Though many Indian colleges offer shorter 1 year MBA courses, we’ll list out a few that get discussed more than the others. For reference, we will use the list of schools that have consistently featured on the Financial Times’ Global MBA Rankings list.
 

IIMA PGPX – Ahmedabad

Ranked at 62 in the Global FT Ranking (2022), IIM Ahmedabad’s PGPX is a top ranking 1 year MBA in India. Here’s an earlier post on it.

IIM Ahmedabad PGPX | MBA for Executives | Placements in private equity
 

ISB – Hyderabad

Another popular MBA that ranks at 32 in the same FT rankings (2022) is the Indian School of Business (ISB, Hyderabad / Mohali). Here are a few posts that’ll give you an insight of how to crack into ISB.

ISB Admission with scholarship in third attempt
How a poor student with big dreams got into India’s best business school
How the ISB admission process works
 

IIMB EPGP – Bangalore

With a ranking of 53, the 1 year MBA in Bangalore is also one of the top contenders. Jefferey shares more on it.

IM Bangalore IIMB EPGP 1 year MBA – Executive Post Graduate Programme
 

IIMC MBAEx (Formerly PGPex) – Calcutta

Ranked at 68 among the other global MBA greats, IIMC also has a lot to offer, even in the one year MBA category. Here’s more on it.

IIMC PGPex for Executives | IIM Calcutta
 
Apart from these top ranking 1 year Indian MBA courses, there are others you could check out too. These aren’t ranked by any global publication yet.
 

XLRI PGDM – General Management

Technically, this is a 15-month program, but we’ll include it here anyway. It was formerly known as GMP, when we published this earlier post – XLRI GMP 1 year MBA.
 

S. P. Jain (PGP – General Management) – Mumbai

S. P. Jain Mumbai (rebranded as SPJIMR Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan) is probably the only Indian institute to offer two flavours of the 1 year MBA – abroad and in India.

Here’s an article on the Indian course:
One year MBA in Mumbai – Rimjhim’s Executive to Entrepreneur journey

SP Jain School of Global Management is a separate legal entity offering its own set of programs, including the following:
SP Jain Global MBA (GMBA) – Dubai, Singapore, Sydney calling
 

IIML (IPMX) – Lucknow

The amount of experience in the class, just like IIMA PGPX is among the highest compared to other Indian 1 year MBA programs. Here’s a post on it:

IIM Lucknow (IIML) IPMX MBA after 10 years experience
 

Great Lakes (PGPM) – Chennai

Though this course hasn’t been able to match up to ISB’s rise, the students here have been adding some good memories to their bounty. Check out what Amar had to say about his experience there.

Great Lakes Chennai 1 year MBA (PGPM): Amar gets nostalgic
 
We’ll wrap this up with a few more posts related to the 1 year Indian MBA format that you might be interested in.

IIMA PGPX, IIMB EPGP, IIMC PGPEX – Shiv scores a hat-trick

ISB Hyderabad admission with low GMAT score of 610

Also read:
Best One Year MBA Programs in the World
IIM Calcutta MBA for Executives MBAEx
List of Indian Business Schools Accepting GMAT Scores


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Sameer Kamat
About Sameer Kamat
Founder of MBA Crystal Ball. Author of Beyond The MBA Hype & Business Doctors. Here's more about me. Follow me on: Instagram | Linkedin | Youtube

75 thoughts on “Best One year MBA in India for Executives”

  1. Hello Sameer – Thanks for a wonderful post on the one year programs. This clubs everything into one single post which will surely help folks like me. Here’s a brief on my profile and I am targeting IIMA/ISB/IIMB/IIMC basides INSEAD and HEC Paris.

    Total Experience – 8 years and 5 Months

    Work experience ranges from working in a healthcare domain to a Finance domain (current job) 

    – Working with 3th Largest U.S. Telecommunication company (CenturyLink) after Verizon and AT&T 

    – Leading a Team of 5 and working in a project that maintains and processes payments coming from 10-15 different

    interfaces with a customer base in good numbers 

    – 3 Months International Experience on a business trip 

    Awards At Work – 

    – Best Mentor Award in the Mid West Client Delivery Group (it basically had 3 different sub units that in turn had different clients) 

    – Spot Award Winner 

    – AE Award Winner

    – Director’s Recognition Award from the Director of the India Technology Centre 

    – Nominated for Outstanding Service Provider Award – The biggest recognition of the company

    – Various Other appreciation emails from onshore 

    – Have also been involved in catching a high Business Impacting issue where the company might have suffered losses in good amounts had the issue went unnoticed 

    – Nominated for the Bug Star of the Week Event held in the Organization 

    Extra-Curricular Activities 

    – Co – moderate a Study Group on Facebook that have over 4000 members

    – My Blog posts appear on http://www.beatthegmat.com website. An ebook will be published soon where I will be listed as one of the co-authors

    – Have been a part of Organization’s Employee club Team that organizes fests, games events, fund raising, CSRs, etc. 

    – Involved in anchoring of Organization’s event shows (cultural, etc)

    – Sponsoring a Child from the past 2 years

    – Recently teamed up with a NGO to understand their work flow and will be soon involved in drawing a flowchart of

    their business, putting ideas that emphasize more on productivity, more customers, less turn around time, etc. 

    Post MBA Goal – Management Consulting for a few years and then General Management/Sales/Marketing

    Target Schools – looking for one year MBA – ISB, IIMA, IIMB, IIMC, INSEAD, HEC Paris

    GMAT – Date Scheduled for Early Next Year

    Reply
  2. Hey Rahul, after 8 years in the industry, there’s plenty of solid experience in there. A one year MBA in India or abroad is surely the way forward.

    I assume the payment processing system maintenance role you are in is a software management role. Adcoms tend to make many assumptions for professionals with that background.

    But you have plenty of interesting extra-curricular work as well that you can use to break out of the mould. On BTG, what topics do you write on? GMAT prep related or something else?

    By the time you start the program, you’ll probably have 9+ years of experience, right? Makes ISB a little bit of an outlier from a fit-perspectives.

    Make sure you, er, beat the GMAT…more from a hygiene factor, if nothing else.

    Reply
  3. Hi Sameer
    I am a doctor by profession with more than 15 years of clinical and administrative experience.I am looking forward to do a MBA in healthcare from a top university in Indiaor in the US which does not require a Gmat
    Kindly advise
    Dr Amarpreet

    Reply
  4. Amarpreet: It would be impractical for you to get into a good, reputed one year MBA in India or abroad without a competitive GMAT score.

    I realise it’s a painful step, but most bschools worth their salt won’t grant a GMAT waiver.

    The other issue would be to justify the ‘Why MBA’ question. With the amount of experience that you current have, most bschools would try to nudge you towards their Executive MBA programs.

    You could still try out one year MBA programs in India like IIMA PGPX and abroad (IMD) where the average age and experience levels in the class are higher than other 1 year MBA courses.

    Reply
  5. Hi sir,
    I done my bcom(comp) from Osmania university year 2006 52 % n having 7 years of experience in banking domain working in bank of America twist is having gap between 2006 to September 2007. Finally I decided to Mba or ms Mis program with this 15years of education n experience will I get admission preparing for gre n ielts some universities are accepting gre n ielts for Mba programme or shall I take any one year diploma programme which can give weightage to my academic please suggest me.

    Reply
  6. Pawan: You can use the optional essay to explain about the break. And there are programs that accept 15 years of education as well.

    The bigger issue I see here is that you aren’t sure about the degree that you really need. An MBA, MS and Diploma could take your career in different directions (including backwards, if you aren’t careful).

    After 7 years of working, you just can’t afford such a set-back. I’d suggest stepping back a little and not getting lost in the GRE, IELTS, GMAT details. Think more about

    Reply
  7. Hi,
    I am Rahul, a system engineering analyst with 7 years of work experience with 10+2+ 3year Diploma+ Bsc (IT) 2 years Correspondence . I would like to pursue an Executive MBA . I am not sure which MBA program will be good for me. I have got an offer from NIIT imperia to have a Executive MBA from IIM Calcutta. Please suggest if this would be good to go?

    Thanks

    Reply
  8. Hi,

    I am Akhila working as a soft sills trainer for the past 5 years. I come from a non-training background (educational qualification). I want to pursue MBA for the following reasons:

    1. Gain in-depth knowledge of Training and Development and other functions of HRM
    2. Better job prospects in the Learning and Development divisions/HR division of Corporates
    3. Better salary package

    I need your advice in helping me choose the right MBA/eMBA. What is the validity of online eMBA that is available in the market now? Is it valued like an on-campus MBA? Please help.

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply
  9. @Selvaraj: Why not consider GMAT based options? Also, considering the age (30 yrs) and experience (5 yrs) I’m wondering about the missing years.

    @Rahul: What’s your expectation from the course? The answer to that will influence whether it’ll be worthwhile to take up the offer.

    @Akhila: An online MBA (I guess that’s what you mean by eMBA) or an Executive MBA for that matter, won’t have the same market value as a regular MBA.

    Reply
  10. I am an Architect (B.Arch) with 12 years of working experience. I am 2001 batch pass out from Mumbai university.
    I would like to know about the details of PGPMAX (ISB) course. I have seen information on website but I still have few queries.
    – Is there any entrance exam or interview for this. If yes then please let me know the dates for next academic year. And what is the syllabus and format for the same.
    – I saw that total fees is 30L but there any scholarship on the basis of marks etc.
    – what are the tentative dates for next batch. When the whole admission process will start.
    and finally , will it be really useful for me.

    Reply
  11. Dear sameer,
    I have around 8 yrs of exp as a visual merchandiser with retail Industry india and abroad, I have aready done pg in fashion retail management 9 yrs back. now I wanna divert my career by doing mba in HRM pls suggest executive mba or a normal mba what should I go for? ??

    Reply
  12. coming from a B.Sc (Cs) cleared with lot of obstacles in 2007 and working in different various organisations with excellent communication skills in English, Hindi marathi and telugu, rought hand over tally and MS office. bit knowledge of hardware and networking, and finally while working in karvy computer share pvt ltd undergone training under I.C.W.A and trained practically for a span of 3 months.

    Fact : 2 Years experience in Accounts. Presently working as an accounts officer and Purchase officer.

    Age : 33

    Negative Point not having even Diploma in Accounting or finance certificate

    Please suggest me whether i should go for EMBA in Finance or Diploma in Finance or Accounting with distance Mode.

    Eagerly waiting for your response.

    Because i am taking admission in July 2014 i.e., Next Month

    I am unmarried

    Reply
  13. @Hemali: Best to contact the ISB PGPMAX Admissions Team for the answers.

    @Akanksha: An executive MBA won’t help you change careers. A one year Indian MBA (from the list above) or internationally should be a better bet. Read this related post: Business schools accepting second MBA applicants from India

    @Ahmed: Not having a graduation degree will make it difficult to get into a top full time MBA. Institutes offering the distance MBA format may relax their entry barriers, but keep in mind that the value of this certificate will be limited.

    Reply
  14. Dear Sameer,

    I have done my mba in sales and marketing from tier 1 institute in India
    I have got a total of 7 years of work exp (2 1/2 pre-mba & 4 1/2 post mba)
    Currently I am working as a product manager in top banking firm in India
    My current ctc is 14.5 Lakhs inr and I am working as a senior product manager
    My current age is 31 yrs and I am planning to go for mba in 2016 fall

    I want to do an international mba for global exposure, growth in career and shift in industry (FMCG, ecommerce). I want to do the same from top 50 global b-schools

    Also I am my married and my wife has got a business start up. Hence I would be planning to come back to india after working there for a year or so

    Just wanted to know on the following:
    1. My chances of getting in top B schools US, UK, Singapore
    2. Prospects in India, after coming back. After working there for a year or so
    3. Prospects in India, coming back immediately
    Would there be a growth as compared to my current profile, package, designation

    What would you suggest

    Thanks and Regards,
    Andy

    Reply
  15. Andy: As you already have an MBA, spending 2 more years on a second MBA might be overkill. A one year MBA would work better.

    However, if you come back to India too quickly, there are 2 issues that you might face:
    – The financial RoI won’t look as promising. You know why.
    – Most Indian employers aren’t aware of international bschool brands. So you may not get a plum post just on the basis of the new degree.

    Also, read this post on second MBA applicants from India

    Reply
  16. Hi,

    I have 8 years work ex of which 6 years is in internal audit and only 1.5 years in business/ management consulting through internships and independent projects with boutique firms.

    i have done full time double Masters degree in Finance and Marketing (MBA) from a tier 2 B-school affiliated to Mumbai university, my issue is my age and experience is creating a barrier to enter management consulting and i am not getting a break, do you think i will be able to get a job in business consulting.

    please advise

    Reply
  17. HI Mr Sameer,
    I am a mechanical Engineer with a experience of 7 years in JSW Steel ltd. My experience includes 3 years experience in production & 4 years in Product Application Engineering. Just to brief about my Current work profile in Application Engineering of a steel company, let me explain you that i am posted in the branch office close to our customer location so that we can provide them on time Technical support to customer wrt to product approvals, Technical queries, resolution of customer concerns/complaints, Product performance monitoring. i am posted in Bangalore where my company has major chunk of business and taking care of customers in and around karnataka & goa. to name some of the customers i m handling are Toyota, ashok leyland,Honda, & TVS etc. To excel my career i am thinking of doing executive MBA but before i start my workout for the same would request on view about will it be beneficial for doing the MBA, How would ROI, What are the chances of getting the placement & will it be manageable to go for this MBA after cut off from study for almost 8 years. i am confused and scared as well . please give your suggestion.
    one more thing which i would like to understand is since my experience is only in steel industry (as mentioned above) what kind of offers i would be getting if i complete my MBA. as there are very less steel companies are there so obviously lesser companies will come for campus recruitment for my kind of profile.
    Secondly could you suggest me what majors i should select ? General MBA or any specialization?? i should opt the MBA from India or from abroad?
    How is the MBA course difficulty level??

    i am just giving you brief info of my education background as below.
    10th-80 % (in the year 1998)
    12th-76 % (in the year 2000)
    BE-Mechanical-62 %, from MIT Manipal (in the year 2006) – There is gap of 2 years after 12th as i was preparing for engineering admission exams . Got placed in JSW Steel ltd – worked 3.5 years in production of CRM mill & then Application engineering for past 3.5 years.
    positively awaiting your reply.

    Reply
  18. Hello Sameer – Thanks for replying and my apologies for the delay in my response.

    It is like, I co-moderate a study group on Facebook on GMAT preparation where we hold weekly GMAT study sessions for everyone who is interested. All the discussions that tend to happen during the 1 one hour session gets covered into articles which appear on BTG. We discuss strategies, questions and important links to the articles corresponding to the topic we plan to cover.

    Now, talking about my professional, I basically into a QA (Quality Assurance) Lead Role and this would not exactly be a software management role as I understand it. Please let me know in case you need anything else.

    Rahul

    Reply
  19. Hi Sameer ,

    I have a 3.1 year of Experience in IT Industry and have a 10 years of experience in selling thinks in shops .
    I am Abhish Kumar y working for Accenture Pvt Ltd ,Bangalore as Associate Software Engineer through Net Connect Consultancy from December 12-2012 to till date
    Also work for Kascade Information Solution Bangalore as a system Admin come Project Manager .
    It was a institute going to be converting as a network infrasture company and I had a bad experience because of cheated by company owner we also invested some money .
    I worked in HCL Info system ,Bangalore as a Application Support Engineer in clinet location National Informatics Center (Airport Location ) Goa. Jan05 –2011 to ’july 2012
    I also Worked as a Yoga Teacher
    I worked with SSY yoga Institute developing children’s into future Leaders.
    I Completed my B.E in Electronic and Communication in 2010 with 59%, During my Engineering I got a award from IISC &KSESC for final Year Project.
    Also I did more than 5 technical Paper Presentation.
    I Completed Diploma in Electronic and Communication in2007 with 67%
    I completed SSLC in 2004 with 48%
    I supported to my father Business since my 4th standard selling , Buying Cements,Fertilizer,Grain Merchant.
    Also I support to my uncle business in my school holidays selling pesticides.
    My Field of interested to become an Entrepreneur in Retail ,Schools, Colleges and Sports Business.

    Please help to build a profile for applying for best B-school to do MBA program.

    Reply
  20. @FLO: Age does matter for management consulting jobs. However, the transition could be easier if you have an MBA from a good university where your target consulting firms recruit.

    @Abhishek: If you are using the term Executive MBA in the right context (as explained in the post above), then it won’t help you much in making a career transition. A regular one year MBA from India or abroad will be a better bet.

    @Rahul: Thanks for the additional information. Technically, Quality Assurance (QA) falls within the purview of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). So it may be tough to position yourself as someone who has nothing to do with the field. You could highlight your proximity to clients (if there is any) and therefore a better understanding of business process.

    @Abhish: After 10 years of experience, it’s tough to ‘build’ a profile. More about packaging what you already have.

    Reply
  21. Hi,

    I am working in MNC As Senior Manager Marketing . I have 12 years of experience and I have done my MBA from bangalore university 12 years back. I am planing to apply for EPGP 1 yr course from IIM bangalore . Can you please advise me on this

    Regards
    nurul

    Reply
  22. Hi sameer ,
    I have read your posts and after searching for an objective and unbiased career counsellor , your suugestions in your blogs is the reason I want to seek your help .I am a 2014 passout from IIT (BHU) with an IDD in Industrial Chemistry . I am currently working as Product development Executive at Pluss Polymers Pvt. Ltd . Most of my responsiblities include the work of sales and marketing , and to design products based on applications of Phase Change materials .
    Its been 6 months in my vocation, but given my weakness of communication and dealing with people , I am not doing great at the sales part of my responsiblities . I chose this designation because I wanted to have a hands on experience in field of business .However , now I have understood that since I have had a technical background throughout , I am better at the technical part .
    Should I go for an Phd – to which I am not comitted to right now , as I am unsure about the great future prospects ?
    or
    Should I go for an MBA from IIMs – which I feel would again lead me to a job that involves sales
    or
    should I try to get a job in analytics and then think of an MBA?

    Reply
  23. Hi Sir,
    I am Vikram and I presently work with SBI. I am selected for IIMC PGPEX this year and I am planning to join the course. I request you to let me know what profiles students from finance work experience get after their PGPEX.( I completed my B E(Hons.) EEE at BITS-Pilani in 2007 and worked with a software company for 1 year. Later I joined SBI as a Probationary Officer and I have close to 6 years work experience in SBI.). Kindly guide me.

    Regards,
    Vikram
    9666622244

    Reply
  24. Hello Sameer,

    I had done B.E in 2003. After that I have been working in IT. I have a total experience of around 10.5 years. I am planning to do an MBA in 2016 as I will be giving entrance in 2015. Since I dont have much financial support for MBA and other liabilities. How can I go for a scholarship for MBA from top notch BSchools in India and abroad. Also doing an MBA at this stage will be a wrong decision or I can go for it.

    Regards,
    Raj

    Reply
  25. Hi Sameer.

    I hold a Nepalese Passport. I did my mechanical engineering from NIT Allahabad-2012. After college, i worked as a sales engineer in bangalore in HVAC field for 2 years. I recently changed my company and currently working as a Sales-lead for South region. I am planning to join the PGP course in ISB for 2015 batch or subsequently foreign schools for 2016 batch. Since the average experience at ISB is given as 5 years, do i stand a chance for getting selected with only 2.6 yrs experience? And btw, i am also running up a startup co. in the e-commerce field(initial phase) along with my current job.

    Thanks

    Reply
  26. The blog is not only informative, but an interesting read as well. One year MBA courses can be immensely beneficial for those who think of pursuing their MBA degree after several years of service. It is good to know that there are so many B-schools with best ROI. India-based B-schools offering one year MBA course can really take care of those candidates who want to get into the managerial post or are looking for higher ranks in their professional sphere. Thanks for the blog.

    Reply
  27. Hi sameer

    I have 5.25 year experience in a leading PSU …i am looking for one year MBA program just wanted to know how is IIM I executive mba program as nothing much has been written about it anywhere and nor its your pick of best one year mba institutes

    Reply
  28. @Nurul: What advice do you want? You’ll have to be more specific.

    @Paramjot: With an IIT degree already under your belt (the strongest if you are looking at technical jobs), you don’t need another degree. Why not look for another job, and start at a lower designation if needed?

    @Vikram: There is no standard finance profile that you can target. It’ll depend on the skills you already have and how you pitch them to new employers.

    @Raj: This might inspire you. MBA in USA with scholarship after 9 years experience

    @Bijay: Why do you want 2 MBAs? Why not wait for a year or two more and get one that really works?

    @Ajay: We recently published this. See if it helps: IIM Indore EPGP

    Reply
  29. HI Sameer,

    i have a total of 2 yrs and around 3 months of Work Ex in an IT company. I recently switched to another company in Delhi. I did my graduation from Amity University Noida in Electronics field and I am looking forward to do MBA (if from India) then in the next session by 2016 and that too 1 year Exec one. Otherwise i will be giving GMAT in the coming months and look for the options in Germany, SIngapore and US.
    I need to know will 3 yrs (approx) work ex would be considered nascent if i apply for MBA in India as most of the top colleges prefer 5 years and above.
    Also i haven’t started the search for colleges. Just want you to guide me from where to start from keeping in mind my profile.

    TIA

    Reply
  30. Hi Sameer

    I have already been through that post before …just looking at placement report thy published in website its of mixed response neither very good nor poor considering the nature of course ….and further it is not featured even in mbacrystalball list of top one year mba institues in India …. .looking for your frank opinion

    Reply
    • @Ajay: Frank opinion coming right up.

      For some reason (that I have no clue about), their online team didn’t seem enthusiastic on promoting the efforts of their own students. The guest blogger of that post who wrote for us followed-up several times with them to get some traction on their official blog, but got the cold shoulder.

      When the guys responsible for promoting the program don’t show enough enthu, it’s tough for others to do so either.

      With other 1-yr programs going all out to woo applicants, I hope this team also pulls up their socks soon to improve the public perception.

      Reply
      • Hey,

        I have gone thru the Article and its looks very enlightening, however I came across few doubts I hope this is the right platform for asking those question. Like many guys here, Even i am an Engineer Working for past almost 6 Years and woke up few days back about my career prospect after doing an MBA.
        I was going thru the Sites and found Executive MBA from IIM and XLRI thru HUGES EDUCATION as well just wanted to know whether they are really worth it?

        Reply
  31. Hello,
    I am an MBA aspirant with a desire to pursue my MBA degree during 2015-16 and currently prepping for GMAT. I have a B.E (CS) degree with a little over 2years of work experience. Which course would be best for me – 1yr MBA or 2yr MBA?

    Reply
  32. HI Sameer,
    I have 3 yrs of work ex and i wanted to go for One year full time mba. However the options are very few: ISB GLIM and SOIL
    Have missed the deadlines of ISB
    Do u think SOIL gurgaon is worth it?or are there any other institutes in India for 3 yrs work-ex?Plz help!!!!!!

    Reply
  33. Hello Sameer,

    Greetings for the day!

    I have 4 years B.Design ( fashion) from NIFT and MA ( Fashion and textiles) from Nottingham Trent University through Pearl Academy (Indian partner). I am completing the MA (through lateral entry) this May 2015. I have around 10 years experience ( last 6 years in academic institution) and now working as Assistant Professor in a design college. The way up in the academic sector is through managerial work and slowly the teaching hours reduce leading to more and more administrative / management responsibilities.

    Keeping that in mind, will the 1 year full time MBA (general)…..like those offered in IIM, XLRI or ISB…..be good for my aspiration and career progression?

    Do let me know…regards

    Reply
  34. Hi Sameer, I have around 3 and half year experience in IT field. Currently associated with infosys as in senior associate consultant role in integration platform (tibco). I Did my BTech from NITA in ece . I am planning for MBA . Can you show me the right way which will do good to my future. Thanks — Mainak

    Reply
  35. @Sandy: The IIMs would expect more experience, but you’d be a good fit for ISB if you decide to apply in the coming season.

    @Jamie: 2 year MBA would work better.

    @Surabhi: I don’t know about them. So can’t comment.

    @Indrajit: You haven’t mentioned what career goals you have. So, it’s tough to say whether it’ll help or not. Typically, folks with your background would take up a PhD to continue the vertical rise in the academic career.

    @Mainak: No right or wrong way. But you sure need to have some trajectory in mind rather than going into an MBA with no plans and expecting to gain clarity during the course.

    Reply
  36. I’m Btech 10yrs ( salary Rs 12lakhs + ) work exp in manufacturing industry. Converted IIM indore EPGP 2015-16
    How are placements for my background. Fees is very high.. is it advisable to go for it.
    Other option I have is to join IIM Udaipur 2 yr regular MBA…

    IN long term I would like to work in operation consultancy // or in developmental sector ( WHO, UN , ILO etc).

    Should I drop indore EPGP. .

    Reply
  37. Hi Sameer,

    I am Electronic Engineering graduate from Mumbai University.
    Currently i work as a business development manager for an embedded firm for over 1.7 years.
    I wish to pursue 1 year executive mba program. Can you guide me on minimum qualification for the same?
    I do not want to leave my job and I am simultaneously exploring for international opportunities. So I do not want to pursue any full time MBA course.
    Hope you can help me on this.

    Regards,
    Pranav

    Reply
  38. Hi, I have 8 years experience in Telecom & Data Center want to do MBA in Operation Management.
    Please guide which is good for career path ie Full time MBA or Executive MBA?

    Also, from Executive MBA can will be elegible for Doctorate Program??

    Many Thanks!!!

    Reply
  39. Hi Sameer ji
    Iam rakesh sharma presently iam in sales field and i have 5yrs of experience in sales for promotion i need MBA ( MARKETING ) and i cant attend the college bcoz of work and i cant take leave also please suggest me which college is best for me

    Reply
  40. Dear Sameer,

    My Profile as following,

    1> B.E. ( 67%)

    2> HSC (81%)

    3>SSC(89%)

    4>6+ years of experience in sales with current CTC of 9LPA in IT – Networking industry.

    Too confused about doing MBA in india or abroad? Saw this fees for abroad colleges. How can one middle class person afford that? Including all cost going as high as 2 Cr. What ROI in that? What is suggestion? Should try for indian MBA only?

    Planning GMAT in 3 months…

    Reply
  41. @Shanu: IIM Indore EPGP would be a better fit compared to the 2-year IIM option.

    @Pranav: For ISB, you need to have 2+ years of experience. For some IIMs, the experience cutoff is much higher.

    @mitesh: Full-time MBA is better.

    @Rakesh: This might help – Best Online MBA Programs in the World

    @Mayank: 2 Crores would be an overestimation. I assume you’ve included the notional (opportunity) costs. But you are right that it’s a lot of money. Most middle class Indians take up loans to fund their MBA abroad. Those who aren’t comfortable taking the risk prefer Indian MBA colleges.

    Reply
  42. Dear Sameer,

    I am Shantanu from Pune. I was looking for a one year full time MBA programs and bumped into this sight. I appreciate the insight you have provided through this forum as it cleared the air and weird misconceptions i had been getting through different other sites. I have been looking for pursuing full time MBA programs through GMAT. My profile is as below:

    – Mechanical Engineer with Agg 65%
    – Total Experience – 5 years as a software professional
    – I was awarded as best team lead for one my project managed offshore and onshore
    – I was awarded as the top 5 contestant in the contest which was based on optimum and best utilization of software Tool for Social and technical purposes from amongst 800 contestant.
    – Worked as a consultant for a leading aviation major offshore for 1 month.
    -Current salary -8 lacs per annum

    I am planning to make my career as a consultant, or a significant mid-level management role, preferably in IT sector through one of these MBA programs. But from all the posts and forums I have gone through the internet, I could see that people with outstanding professional background can only vouch for tier -1 institutes like IIMS and ISB.is it the case? Could you please let me know what is the ROI on the Tier-2 institutes in terms of Job profile, Salary pakage?
    Could you please give your opinion and suggestions regarding the same?

    Reply
  43. Hi Sameer,

    My profile is
    B.E. Electrical – 65 %
    12th 55%
    10th – 81%

    wasted my 3 years n did nothing after my 12th. cause I went off the track. So at my present age of 33 years I have approx 9 years of industry exp. out of which 7 years in Oil PSU.
    I am targeting for GMAT score of 700 and interested in 1 year full time MBA. Considering my present pay pkg over 13 lac what option do i have and how much my poor acads and missing 3 years will haunt my future MBA aspirations.
    Please help me out.
    Also, please tell me should i prefer MBA in india or abroad.

    Reply
  44. Hello Sir,
    First of all, it was a very nice post which gives good idea on what is one year MBA. I am a mechanical Engineer with a experience of 3 years in Automobile OEM teir 1 company as a CAD engineer in process team. I’ll be providing CAD/CAM solutions to the team. To excel my career i’m planning for an one year MBA in Operations or Marketing. i have already given cat this year, results are not promising at all. so now i’m thinking to give Gmat to do one year mba. but before i start my preparation for Gmat, i have few queries,
    which would be better for me is it one year mba or Two year Regular mba as my experience is low and also i have poor academics
    i am just giving you brief info of my education background as below.
    10th-61% 2005
    12th-71% 2007
    B.tech – 57% 2011
    And i don’t have any Extra-Curricular Activities awards or certificates to show.
    If i give Gmat which is the best college that i can target?
    Sir i don’t want to do mba for name sake, Please suggest me.

    Regards,
    Phani

    Reply
  45. hello,
    I am 26 years old. I have done B tech from a reputed college n am 2011 pass out.
    My academics:
    10th -88%
    12th-75%
    B Tech-87%
    I have worked in IT industry for 3 years and working in a PSU Bank for past 2 year. What is more suitable for me ?? a two years PGDM or 1 year EPGP, Please suggest.

    Reply
  46. Hi,
    I have done B.Tech and working for IT industry for around 5.5 years. I want to get managerial position. Please suggest suitable options of MBA for me.

    Reply
  47. Hi,

    I have done my BE in IT and I am working in a software company for last 5years. I am at present 26. I want to give my carrer a boost. Kindly let me know if I should go for a regular 2year MBA or 1year Executive MBA. If 1year Executive MBA, then which colleges I can try for in India and in which stream.

    Reply
  48. Dear Sammer,

    I am planning to do One Year Regular Executive program in HR from good B-Schools. Reasons are to get better career growth & good compensation. I am having 7 Years of work experience in HR and working in power industry as Asst. manager with 9 L CTC. Now, please suggest how to go ahead for the same.

    Regards,
    DK

    Reply
  49. @Shantanu: The average salary at the top tier bschools you’ve listed would be over double of what your are currently earning.

    However that doesn’t mean all the other options aren’t good. The prestige and average salary packages might be lower, but you could still transition into a promising role.

    @Jimmy: You could consider European 1 year MBA courses. The 3 year gap will come up at some point in the process. So you’d need to justify it.

    @Phani: If you are willing to consider international MBA colleges, then 2 year MBA in USA would be a good fit.

    @Vike & Sweta: Your profile would be closer to the average students in two year MBA courses.

    @Dharmendra: Start with the GMAT and also read up on various bschools, their class profile and post MBA job opportunities. Application deadlines will be in Sept / Oct for many bschools. Plan accordingly.

    Reply
  50. Hi Sameer, I have done by B.tech and working in a Engineering solutions company as Application Specialist for last 5 years. i am at present 26 years. I want to give a Carrier Boost. Please suggest on Two year MBA or One year Executive MBA, which college i have to try and Stream as well.

    Reply
  51. Hii Sameer, I am an armed forces officer, a specialised Air Traffic Controller with 8 years of work experience. I m due for release from service in 2017 after completion of 10 years tenure. My educational qualification is masters in physics. I will b 33yrs by the time I leave. Pls advice me regarding MBA, one yr in India or abroad? What about opportunities in Canada?

    Reply
  52. Hi Sameer,

    I am an engineer by profession. Currently i am working with the Automobile company – Mahindra & Mahindra as a Manager Projects in Research and Development Department. I have total work experience of 7 years with experience in Supplier Quality assurance ( 04 years) , Product Development 2 Years and and as Manager Projects for last one year. I joined M&M as a GET ( Graduate Engineer Trainee ) in 2008 through campus selection and have moved to Manager Level ( 2 Level Up ) in these 7 years. I am consistently awarded as ” Expectations Surpassed ” ratings in my annual appraisals. In addition have a number of Sr. Management Appreciations. I Have numersous trainings under my belt Viz Internal auditor from TUV, Harward Manage Mentor, Quality systems, Seven Habbits Signature Program etc.

    During my college while pursuing Mechanical Engineering, i have worked part time as a freelance event Manager and worked for many reputed events like Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, India Today Conclave, etc. in production and hospitality.

    Kindly suggest what MBA’s would be beneficial in india to move to a different career path – i.e consulting and strategic management.

    Reply
  53. hi Sameer,

    Its been quite some time I have been fretting over this. I Currently have 3.4 years of work ex as of now, and by the time I join an MBA college next year, I think my work ex would be above 4.

    I have been thinking on whether , I should go for CAT this time or straight away think for a 1 year MBA course. I am not sure, since it takes around 13-14 lakhs to do an MBA 2 year from an IIM , while its 25+ lakhs to do a 1 year MBA from IIM’s and its 30+ lakhs to do it from ISB.

    Please Suggest which one would be better for me,

    More over what is the difference in the average packages, if we consider 1 year and a 2 year program.

    Reply
  54. Hi Sameer, These post is really fabulous. It clearly gives a confirmation that 1 year full time MBA is good for experienced persons.

    My query is that I am in field of Pharma sales with 15plus years in MNC’S experience but want to grow in organisation. My current cTC is 15 lack. Will this 1 year MBA from reputed Institute will help me get a better career growth & renumeration. Please suggest.

    Reply
  55. Hi Sameer,

    Greetings! I am working with one of the good BPO company based out in Jaipur Rajasthan from last 8 years. Joined as Associate currently working as Assistant Manager in individual role (no team leading). I have been into many roles with in the same organization, Roles like Cash Application, Reporting, Functional Testing and Reconciliations and Operations, if we summarize it will be Operations Role. Can you please suggest in which stream I should pursue the one year MBA. Due to money constraint and location constraint can you please suggest also which program I should pursue as a Distance MBA Program. Please suggest.

    Regards,
    Jayant Sawlani

    Reply
  56. Hello Sìr,

    Greetings for the day!

    I have completed my B.E (Chemical Engineering) and M. Tech. (Petroleum Engineering) from PDPU Gandhinagar. I have around 3 years of experience as Design Engineer in Fertilizers & Petrochemicals manufacturing company (GSFC Ltd.). I want to give a Carrier Boost. I want to pursue Executive MBA focused to Oil & Gas sector as my Technical Masters is focusing in the same area.The way up in this field is through managerial work and slowly I want to shift from core technical to more towards administrative / management responsibilities.

    Keeping that in mind, will the 2 year Executive-MBA (Petroleum Management)…..like those offered in UPES or PDPU…..be good for my aspiration and career progression?

    Do let me know…regards

    Nidhish Parikh.

    Reply
  57. @Mahesh: If you can afford a 2-year break, American programs would be worth a shot.

    @Sanjeev: This may be useful: MBA for Indian army officers

    @Ankit: For the top-tier strategy consulting firms (McKinsey, Bain, BCG), you’d have a shot if you can target the best consulting feeder programs.

    @Rahul: Skip the CAT and try for GMAT. Salary packages aren’t driven much by the duration of the program, but more by the geography and experience before the MBA.

    @Sandeep: I’m assuming your 15 years have entrenched you too much in the Sales field. Might be tougher for you to get a big career change even after an MBA. Vertical growth might be better to target.

    @Jayant: Drop the Distance MBA plans and focus on a full-time MBA if you want to get some career mileage out of your investment.

    @Nidhish: Sorry, but I’m not aware of those courses.

    @Krithika: You’d have to be clear about what you want to do with the MBA. If you want to continue in the legal side, then an MBA won’t help much. If you are planning to move out of the field, then it will. But beware of the risks, as there are no guarantees.

    Reply
  58. Hi.
    I’m krithika a law graduate from ils law college, pune. I graduated in 2013. For a year after graduation I was with a law firm in their banking and finance department. Presently I work for a leading bank as a legal resource in the recovery department relating to large corporates. I have been contemplating doing an mba in finance. Kindly suggest.

    Reply
  59. Hi Sameer, Thank you for this wonderful website. I have thinking about my post graduation but not able to take a decision.
    I am working since the completion of my graduation (commerce) and so far have over 12 years of experience.
    I have traveled extensively and worked with some high profile clients in the market including some American Giants.
    My core area of work is finance and accounting and Project management.
    I am not able to decide about my MBA or any one year programme which helps in career progression as well as which can be done without leaving the job. I have read about various programmes but leaving the job is not an option for me.

    Pls advise.
    Regards-

    Reply
  60. Hi Sameer,

    Good evening. I have been a reader of this forum for some time now. I wanted your expert advice for a 1 year MBA program. I have 9+ years of experience in IT. It includes almost 6 years in the US working for some major Insurance based clients. I have recently completed a 1 year part time certification course form IIM – Trichy in business management. Now I want to do a full time MBA. I do not want to follow the regular path of project manager, senior project manager, program manager etc.. and want to make a big leap .. Also, I want to get the MBA done in India only.

    I would prefer MBA in IT as it is my area of work. Could you please let me know my options for a 1 year program.. I am planning for a full time program but would also like to know about any other good part time programs so that I do not have to leave my job. Also, what other fields would be better for me ?

    Thanks for your help and time.

    Reply
  61. Hi Sameer,

    My Profile Details are as follows –
    Total Experience – 14 yrs in IT with TCS ( including 6 yrs of overseas experience)
    B.E Mechanical Engineering (Hons.) – 72 %
    12th – 80%
    10th – 72%

    My Work experience has been primarily in Account & Program Management, Sales, Pre-Sales in Analytics domain.I have done quite a few domain certifications like PMP, ITIL,Six Sigma

    I am planning to do 1 yr executive MBA from top most institutes in India so as to eye a lead or executive position in IT Services /Product Companies.

    Please advise

    Reply
  62. Hi Sameer,

    I am a science graduate and have 12 years of industry experience spanning across journalism, public relations, marketing communication (have career gaps for two years due to maternity). Currently I am working for an IT company in a mid level management position. I have been toying with the idea of doing an executive MBA to better my career prospects. But I am not sure if it will add any value or should I go for a diploma/course in sales and marketing management instead of ex MBA program? I can see two options to advance my career – join the pre sales/bid management stream or the marketing team in my company. Would appreciate if you can advise. I would preferably do from any good Indian school within reasonable budget and do not want to take sabbatical. Thanks.

    Reply
  63. HI Sameer,

    I am a mechanical engineer by qualification and have a experience of 6.5 years in operations in an major automobile company in India. Will an one year executive mba help me in changing my profile and industry altogether.
    Can I switch to an IT company and work in marketing if I do my majors in marketing.

    Regards,
    Rohan Telang

    Reply
  64. Hi Sameer,

    I have 7(2 Years International) Years experience(by Jul’15) in Software Industry. OCA, OCP & PMP Certified.CTC ~15 LPA.
    I am considering ISB, IIMA PGPX, IIMB EPGP. Please suggest if I need to include/exclude more colleges.

    Reply
  65. Hi Manish,

    This site is very informative and has lots of info for someone who is looking for MBA after experience.

    I am M.Tech in Transportation Engineering (NITW) and BE (Civil Engineering). I have total 8.5 years of experience in consulting in highway sector. My field of specialization is Traffic Engineering, I have strong experience in Traffic estimation for infra projects. Due to my specialization, I interact with many IIM graduates while working on project financial models with them. I am interested to do some online course in Project Finance from reputed institute which will open additional career options for me. Can you please suggest any course related to Project Finance.

    Thanks….

    Reply
  66. Hi Sameer,

    I have done BE computer
    Exp- 3 years
    age-26
    kindly suggest whether 1 year MBA offered after 3 yrs of exp or one year MBA after 5 yrs of Exp or PGDM from welingker part time would be advisable

    Please waiting eagerly for your reply

    Thanks and Regards
    Shraddha

    Reply
  67. Hi Sameer,

    Finally I have found the right person to speak to. My profile is-

    Post Graduate Management from Pune.
    Graduation in Commerce.

    Total Work Experience – 8 years ( Consist of 7 years in Nestle India & 1 year in Reckitt Benckiser India)
    Designation – Area Sales Executive.
    Exposure – Core FMCG Experience — Rural Development, Traditional Trade, Business Development, Sales Team Handling, Brand Level Sales Planning, Category Wise & Channel Wise Sales Planning, Promotional Activities, Channel Sales Management & New Distributor Appointments,

    I am planning to go for one year MBA.

    Would you please suggest if my experience is good enough to go for IIMs/ISB and is it a correct move for my career?

    Thanks & Regards,
    Nitin

    Reply
  68. @Gaurav: If you can’t leave your job, you can consider an executive MBA from IIM.

    @Jay: If mobility is a constraint, the programs listed in the main article above are what you should be targetting.

    @Amit: Sticking to your current industry (IT) and aiming for senior roles might be the only practical way forward, if you choose to go down the MBA route at this stage.

    @Jyoti: As you’ve already managed multiple career changes without additional degrees why spend so much money now? You could try talking to your IT company HR for a Sales role without an MBA.

    @Rohan: It’ll be a bigger challenge for you to sell complex software technologies vis-a-vis someone who’s already worked in the industry. An easier transition would be to look for new roles withing the automobile industry that you are already familiar with. Gets tougher to change industr and role.

    @Sameer: You’ve skipped some that we listed in the article above. Why not include those too?

    @Dhiraj: Plenty of online MOOC courses in finance that you can check out on Coursera. And they are free.

    @Shraddha: I vote for option 2 i.e. 1 year MBA after 5 years experience. You’ll get more out of the experience.

    @Nitin: A little late for ISB, but spot on for the IIM MBA courses.

    – – – Dear Peepals, please new queries on our forum and not as a comment here – – –

    Reply
  69. Hi Sameer,

    Read your article for 1 year MBA course.

    I stay in Mumbai

    I am sharing my profile below-

    I have completed B.A.M.S in year 2004-2005.
    I have worked in multispecality Hospitals for 3 years 2004-2007.
    since 2007- till date working in clinical research played lead role with countries like APAC, EMEA, Middle east, Russia & UK.
    Since 2013- Became manager which involves resource, finance, project management to meet client requirements.

    As I am working in MNC with different time zones to manage, kindly advise which MBA will suit me. I am planning for operations/ project management. You can advise me other options too.

    Please do advise B- school which will suit my requirement.

    I would like to share detail profile to fix MBA specialization so please share your mail ID.

    Thanks a ton for support.

    Dr Madhav

    Reply
  70. Hi Sameer,
    I am MCA passout with 89%(2013 batch), I am currently working as Senior Software Engineer, holding experience of around 2.5 years (incld 6 months training in same company). My roles were Technical throughout, however, I have handled some Management roles like Training,Event Managment etc and now I want to shift to some Managerial role that could be Human Resource Profile(Where I know I can fit in). I am planing for Executive-MBA through GMAT. Please Advice,
    –should I go for this?
    –what are the future prospects?
    –Since I have Master’s degree already, is it wise to opt for Executive-MBA at this stage?
    Thanks in Advance 🙂

    Reply
  71. Dear Sameer, Greetings. Very useful information for people like me who have been working extensively in IT industry for 18+ years. I am post graduate from IIT M in civil engineering and build my career in IT. Recently I started trying out IT consultancy works independently. I have been techno-functional IT professional with specific focus on Telecom related business with international exposure I have personal interest of taking up good exec-MBA course (if good correspondence course available). Request to advice. thanks & regards, raghav

    Reply
  72. Hi Sameer , I have been working in retail banking since for almost 8 years and before that i have done PGDM of 2 years from 2 tier business school from Pune in 2006-08. Now I want to shift career and I am gonna try to score in GMAT so that I will get admission in premier B schools which offer 1 year full time program. Do you think having 8 years of experience would be little setback for applying at ISB looking at average experience of alumnis there?

    Reply

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