IIM-Calcutta has introduced a groundbreaking initiative allowing its MBA students to pursue entrepreneurial ventures without permanently foregoing campus placements. According to a statement from the institute, this initiative was announced by IIM-Calcutta Director Alok Kumar Rai at a ceremony on Friday to induct 480 students into its 63rd MBA batch. The new policy enables students who choose to spend a year building start-ups instead of participating in campus placements to be eligible to return to the institute's placement process the following year if they desire so.
The new batch demonstrates a balanced gender and experience mix, with 67% men and 33% female students, as reported by IIM-Calcutta. The composition includes 41% freshers and 59% students with prior work experience. According to the institute's statement, students from engineering backgrounds account for 54.7% of the batch, followed by commerce (11.5%), science (10.27%), and arts (10%), with the remaining students from other disciplines.
The Freshers' Welcome ceremony was attended by Ganesh Mohan, Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv Asset Management Ltd and an alumnus of the institute, serving as chief guest. As reported by IIM-Calcutta, Pranav Adani, Managing Director of Adani Enterprises, announced the continuation of the Adani Accelerated Leadership Programme, under which six meritorious MBA students receive full-fee scholarships annually for the next two years. An MoU was also signed between IIM-Calcutta and the Adani Group to continue their collaboration, while the group announced the donation of 200 bicycles for MBA students to enhance campus mobility.
For MBA admissions at IIM-Calcutta, students must meet the eligibility criteria of a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA, with 45% for SC/ST/PWD categories. The admission process involves CAT examination qualification followed by Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). The selection criteria include 30% weightage for CAT score, 48% for PI, 8% for WAT, 8% for work experience, and the remaining for past academic performance. The institute also offers Executive MBA programmes requiring GMAT qualification and PGPEx programmes with aptitude test and interview requirements.
