The brainchild of two eminent leaders of the business world, ISB is a one of a kind business school. In that, it is not only one of the few Indian b-schools offering a GMAT based MBA program for non-freshers with 3-5 years of work experience.
It is also, happily, the only Indian b-school to have consistently featured among the top 10-25 Financial Times’ Global MBA rankings for more than ten years consecutively.
ISB lacks an All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) accreditation offered to many traditional format b-schools in India.
Instead it has an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation that allows its curriculum to be independent of bureaucratic intervention and up to date with current business trends. And an AACSB accreditation is a highly prestigious stamp of approval for b-schools enjoyed by the likes of Dartmouth, London Business School, ESADE, ESMT, HEC Paris, and even IIMC.
Perception of ISB MBA
As with any growing brand, ISB has its share of naysayers as well as supporters. Here’s what the two sides have to say on the pros and cons of India’s premier b-school.
Critics of ISB
In the minds of MBA hopefuls in the country, there is often a comparison drawn to the likes of the IIMs with MBA programs for fresh out of school undergrads (mostly engineers) and the traditional internationally reputed MBA programs offered by stalwarts like Wharton and Harvard.
Critics claim the hefty tuition (Over INR 33,00,000), comparable to international MBA programs, may not justify the investment for students who get less competitive salaries in the Indian job market.
So even with the large number of offers, some with fairly impressive compensations (>INR 25 lakhs per annum), there are those that are unable to manage a big career leap with an MBA to make sense of such a significant education debt.
Some also feel that there is not enough room to shift careers. Several graduates head back to the same industry as their pre-MBA employment, with slightly improved designation and responsibility. So there is the perception that the time spent in MBA does little in the way of shifting gears and rather only helps to catapult careers in the same field.
Students and recruiters also feel that there is the possibility of compromising intake student quality due to the ballooning size of MBA class size each year. With a current population of 800 some students, the exclusivity is hampered when compared to the rather smaller sizes of the IIMs and their selection process.
Supporters of ISB
At the same time, ISB’s reputation and success rate, when compared to many top MBA programs, shines well through the critique fog.
Even with the hefty tuition, the fact that ISB garners the top salary packages, with greater than 90% employment in the first three months of graduation, even with the 800 plus students, shows that the quality of the program is quite generously spread across its MBA cohort.
– Why hiring executives from GMAT MBA programs like ISB PGP is a good idea
ISB also provides an essential window into the real business world through active participation from corporations.
It offers the incredible opportunity to network with business leaders from across the globe, successful alumni many of whom are in various CXO roles, and a wholesome diverse group of peers unlike the usual engineer intake that most IIMs are known for.
All this for a relatively cheaper cost than pursuing a GMAT based, well reputed, and highly ranked, MBA anywhere internationally – think in terms of cost saved in living expenses, travel, and post-MBA immigration hassles abroad.
In numbers, here is an objective peek into ISB MBA placement statistics provided by the school (which itself is an audited, verified collection of employment facts that most b-schools in India don’t readily provide).
ISB Placement and Salary Statistics
| Year | Class Size | Total Offers /International Offers |
Number of Companies | 80% Mean Salary (CTC in INR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2017 | 903 | 1113/12 | 411 | 20,90,211 |
| Class of 2018 | 875 | 1136/30 | 375 | 22,13,592 |
| Class of 2019 | 884 | 1309/24 | 373 | 24,35,915 |
| Class of 2020 | 875 | 1504/27 | 433 | 25,06,434 |
| Class of 2021 | 691 | 1195/2 | 308 | 27,13,055 |
Top Industry offers
| Industry | 2021 (%) |
|---|---|
| Consulting | 33 |
| IT/ITES | 16 |
| Banks/Financial Institutions and Services | 10 |
| Technology | 6 |
| FMCG/Retail/Consumer Durables | 5 |
| Pharma/Biotech/Healthcare/Hospitals | 5 |
According Financial Times, the weighted salary of ISB grads, in USD, is over $161,000, which is within the top 25 top salaries, and the salary percentage increase post-MBA is 173% which is among the top 5 MBA salary jumps, on FT’s Global MBA Rankings of 2021.
Here are more details on ISB’s ROI.
– Is ISB worth the time and money? A statistical analysis
– ISB Mohali Campus Placements
In all, with the right motivation, purpose, and MBA goal, the Indian Business School is an excellent choice for those who are looking to make it into a GMAT based reputed MBA program in India. Especially in the field of Consulting that ISB is considered a feeder school for.
How to get your dream job during ISB placements
by Praveen Kumar | Corporate Relations at ISB
Below are 5 top tips we offer ISB students to ensure that they maximise their chances of getting their dream jobs:
1. Research
An important part of getting your dream job is understanding what that job entails and the responsibilities that are expected of the winning candidate. Reaching out to alums/employees currently working in the area would be an ideal way to do this research in addition to utilizing the Knowledge Management Portal (ISB) and the Learning Resource Centre (ISB – Library) as offline resources.
2. Resume Preparation
Post research, a significant amount of time needs to be given to find out the different requirements of the job that are expected of the right candidate, mapping your skills to those requirements, and highlighting the same through past experiences on your resume. Every line on the resume should be adding value to the relevant job application.
3. Gap Analysis
If you are a perfect fit for the role/job then this part can be ignored but since a considerable number of us may not be an exact fit for the role we aspire for, it is a good idea to map out the gaps in your skills/experience and highlighting the transferable skills on your resume which may help you succeed at your dream job.
4. Application preparation
Job applications generally entail a resume shortlist followed by further testing/case submissions and interviews. Ensuring adequate preparation for each stage after the resume shortlist is very important and it helps take support from your peers during this process as it exposes you to different perspectives and methods of problem solving which are as important as knowing all the different frameworks off problem-solving. Casebooks of the relevant professional clubs along with interview experiences on the Knowledge Management Portal are a great resource in addition to your peers, mentors and alums.
5. Staying Calm
Finally, it is very important to maintain your resolve and focus throughout the process. It helps to remember that a career is a marathon and not a sprint and if things are not going your way today, there is always an opportunity to re-evaluate the situation in hindsight and improve yourself for the future.
At MBA Crystal Ball, our best ISB admission consultants have worked with many ISB aspirants who have successfully got through its considerably rigorous selection process. Many among them have shared their own ISB experiences, including their placement successes.
For those who are still on the fence about ISB placements, we have gathered their stories here for insights and inspiration.
ISB Placement Success Stories
Career shift for senior executive in ISB PGP program
This ISB PGP grad talks about her journey in MBA with 7.5 years of prior work experience.
She walks us through her initial hesitation with ISB, how she eventually made it into the program, and finally how the 51 weeks of rigorous education and training transformed her network and helped her successfully shift her career from her pre-MBA manufacturing industry to post-MBA financial services.
International Placement after ISB
How does international placement work at ISB? ISB MBA grad, a former Project Manager and CSR Consultant, with an exchange program experience at Dartmouth’s Tuck Business School shares how he made it into a corporate strategy position in Dubai.
ISB grad shares details on the consulting recruitment cycle
The former Analytics professional with experience in the retail startup scene, who successfully navigated the consulting recruitment, walks us through the highly competitive and selective process in consulting.
ISB grad shares how job hunting works at ISB
This ISB Hyderabad graduate with a coveted role in a leading management consulting firm shares his first-hand knowledge of how the MBA placement process at ISB works.
We have also worked with a number of ISB MBA graduates for their PGP and Executive MBA applications. For a complete list of their shared stories, you can check out our ISB blogs archive, including a quick guide to the deferred MBA option for the early MBA hopefuls – ISB Young Leaders Programme.
For professional help with your ISB applications, drop us an email at info [at] mbacrystalball [dot] com
Image credit: ISB
@Sameer Kamat: Pretty good summary.
One aspect which can spoil the party for students in the campus placement process is that there are a set number of jobs that one student can apply to at any time. Hence those who choose to chase after every passing car chronologically may lose out on ability to apply to a “right, fit” role further down the line.
Next in terms of MBA-ese doing such an investment of time and cost is “signaling intent” to the market. But just expecting that to carry you across the river, upstream or against the tide (depending on career switch or other MBA goal) is plain optimism without due diligence or effort.
And from what I’ve seen, supporting Suhrid Palsule who was our superstar CAC Director in trying to get the largest class placed, these simple things made all the difference in the first job post graduation – in terms of money, job longevity, career uplift and satisfaction.
Gyan samapt!
+1 to what Shyam said.
ISB offers an opportunity unlike any other institution in India and the value-add is largely under-appreciated, if anything. However, the programmes and institute is not a silver bullet for every professional or their career. Certain profiles – f(age, industry, pre-ISB role, pedigree, work experience) – will thrive naturally (interpret this as you will: uplift in career opportunities, increase in salary, industry/function change, success during placements), while others will have to put in more effort to stand out and overcome their perceived shortcomings.
A common red flag is thinking of the PGPM not as a means-to-an-end, but an end in itself. Such folks might end-up mis-managing their applications, as Shyam illustrated in the above example.
Soul-searching before or during the program is crucial in order to be able to successfully navigate the placement process, and subsequently in finding your place in the industry.
Thanks for those insights, Shyam!
For new visitors to the site, here are a few inspiring blogs written by Shyam, which includes his own ISB placement success story:
– How ISB helped me achieve a career change after 40.
– Career options & life after Military retirement for Army, Navy, Air Force veterans