A purview of my IIM Raipur adventure

The course that I am enrolled in Post Graduate Programme in Management being of my Journalism Background and a strong interest in Marketing and communications I opted for this course to achieve holistic development and to make a career in strategy consulting. IIM Raipur has an excellent faculty: student ratio of 1:68 and the faculty are highly qualified and experts in their domain. We also have a lot of guests and faculty visiting the campus from all over the world. Our course curriculum follows a review method which happens after each Trimester and the identity of the students is not disclosed in any case. The exams are conducted twice every trimester and are divided into mid-term and end-term exams. The exams are taken very seriously here and the preparation requires one to attend the classes seriously, make notes and study diligently before the exams. It is not like one has to study every day but discipline is the key to passing efficiently and with flying colors.

There are tremendous internship opportunities available at the college under various domains as per the interests of the students. We enjoyed around 110 companies visiting the campus both online and offline for roles in Finance, Marketing, Supply chain, Operations, Consulting, and IT. Companies like Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Asian Paints, Reliance, Aditya Birla, ONDC, Ecosoul, Accenture Consulting, etc. visited the campus for internships. We are also offered short-term projects by various companies which help us in applying our theoretical knowledge by testing it in the real world. These projects help us to gain insights about various fields which also aids in understanding our true interests while earning some extra bucks on the side. Projects are diverse and usually under startups which is an added advantage to the students.

The placements are doing exceptionally well at IIM Raipur. The placement season begins in August for both summer placements for a period of 2months as well as for final placements. This year more than 100 companies participated in the process ranging from Indian companies like Reliance, Asian Paints, etc. to international companies like Amazon, Morgan Stanley, etc. The highest package stands at 60Lakhs and the average package offered stands at 18Lakhs. The recruitments are made in a variety of domains like Marketing, Finance, IT, Operations, and Consulting. The profiles offered are Finance Analysts, Consultants, Management Trainees, Marketing Specialists, Data Analysts, etc. The college placement season enjoyed 100% placements for both summer and final placements and the credits go to the placement committee of the college and the exceptional students. My summer internship is at Reliance Retail as a Strategy intern and I want to make a career as a strategy consultant.

The fees vary every year but for my batch i.e. 2022-2024, it is 16,00,000Rs. It usually hikes by 5-10% every year. It is up to you if you want to take an education loan whose interest lies between 7.5-10% or fund it on your own. The good thing is a lot of merit and means scholarships are provided every year which waives a certain amount from the fees. The average placement package of my college is 17,00,000Rs which is also a good return on investment and it doesn't take a long time to pay off the loan. In my case, my summer internship at Reliance Retails pays me pretty well to at least cover my expenses for 1 year and if I get a PPO out of it my ROI will be great for the coming years.

The IIM Raipur Campus is a relatively new campus, built in 2018 with infrastructure inspired by European architecture with amenities like Swimming Pool, Gym, and a dedicated sports complex for indoor and outdoor sports. Even the classrooms are smartly built with comfortable seating. The library is humongous with books from a variety of genres. The college is surrounded by lush green forests and beautiful skies exemplified by sunrise and sunset. We have Co-ed hostels which motivate peer-to-peer learning. The college has 17 academic, activity, and cultural clubs in total. The annual management Flagship fest called Karmaanta is organized by the Student Affairs Committee of the college and it happens usually in January when students from a lot of colleges participate in various events the highlight of the fest is killer DJ night and a Bollywood singer's performance. The entire fest and competitions are student-run and planned.

The hostels are well equipped with spacious rooms. Some rooms are single sharing while some are double sharing depending on the lottery system rooms are allotted. Single-sharing rooms are centrally air-conditioned while double have ACs in them. Bed, study table, chair, spacious cupboard, and a personal washroom facility are provided in the hostel rooms. We have a common laundry space in the college and also the facility of getting washed and ironed by paying. The Mess opens at 8 am for breakfast and closes at 10 pm with dinner. 4 meals are provided in a day: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, and Dinner are provided. The food quality is good with good variation in the food items and even dessert is served every day with dinner. The mess fees are very affordable given the sort of food that is provided. Apart from the mess, there is a 24hrs canteen and a small shopping mart and kitchen run by local ladies.

The Admission process is divided into 2 parts: CAT Get the calls from IIMs and clear GDPI Starting with CAT, you can register for the exam in August when the examination forms are released and the application fee varies yearly, during my time it was 1000Rs. This common application test is accepted by all the IIMs, FMS, IMT, and some other B-schools as well. It is conducted by a different IIM college every year. The application window is usually open for two months from August to September. The CAT comprises three sections that test different capabilities: 1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension 2. Data Integration and Logical Reasoning 3. Quantitative Ability Every college has a specific sectional and overall cutoff to be eligible to get a call but the basic eligibility criteria are getting 50% in 10th, 12th, and graduation. The number of seats at various colleges also varies and a certain percentage is kept fixed for SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories.

The GDPI round of my college i.e. IIM Raipur is covered under CAP(common admission process) which comprises 9 new and baby IIMs. Under CAP, shortlisted candidates are shortlisted in January and given an interview date. During my time, I did not have any GD or Written test but just a personal interview where technical questions from my past academic background were asked, and some questions were asked about myself and my general knowledge. Some of the candidates specially Fresher gave a random topic and asked to speak for a minute followed by a Q&A round. To prepare for these rounds, it is best to keep yourself updated with the current news and environment. General knowledge books and Ted talks on topics like economics, sustainability, social issues, etc. also help. It is also very important to study your undergraduate subjects or job-related theories thoroughly.