IMI Bhubaneswar: A Redefined Niftiness on Industry-Institute Interface Date:   Friday , February 27, 2015 Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development for any country. To achieve targets of economic growth and inclusive development, the industry faces a significant requirement of skilled workforce. The magnitude of the challenge is further evident from the fact that about 12 million persons are expected to join the workforce industry every year. Taking up to the industry’s challenges as its own, International Management Institute (IMI) Delhi as part of its expansion established International Management Institute (IMI) Bhubaneswar that embarks on a forefront to lay an industry emphasized foundation in its students. Started in 2011 as a premier institution driven by the industry, IMI Bhubaneswar is the first institute in India that is corporate sponsored. \"The industry is undergoing a transformation every now and again. Environments change, customers change, so there is a need for reinvention,\" says Prof. Ramesh Behl, Director, IMI Bhubaneswar, who stresses on their reinvented teaching methodologies. The institute functions on four principles: Teaching, training, research and consultancy. Inculcation of these principles have enabled the institute to achieve 100 percent placements with packages as high as ten lakhs. The institution achieves this feat owing to its MOUs and industry-interface programs. \"In a month, around ten experts from the industry visit the campus and give insight into the industry to our students,\" says Prof. Behl. The institute hosts a number of events like generic interactions, special talks, and round table conferences for industry-institute interactions. Having a number of MOUs tied up with names like Orissa Hydro Power Corporation Limited, Indian Oil, Sesa Sterlite, and Mahanadi Coal Limited enables in providing the right exposure to the students. The authorities at IMI organize regular interactions with these companies and carry executive development programs and are also knowledge partners with respect to the management education sector. Within the classroom, 20 percent of the syllabus is delivered by practitioners from the industry. IMI have gone a step further and have established MOUs with some of the leading secondary education schools to provide an initial understanding of life after school. Adding to its list of MOUs are tie-ups with Copenhagen Business School, and American Universities. A relentless approach on quality education at IMI Bhubaneswar is seen through its MBA program. A two year program focuses on industry requirements. The authorities stress on overall development in pursuit of which, the institute is tied up with many certification courses institutes that offer certification courses like Project management, ERP, and Six Sigma along with the MBA. \"These certifications help students to look at the industry with a different perspective,\" adds Prof. Behl. Supporting the MBA program by providing the right guidance is the faculty at IMI Bhubaneswar. A team of 15 permanent faculties is spread across all areas of management studies like finance, HR and organizational behavior, economics, general management, quantitative research and marketing. All the faculty members are graduates of Indian and International universities and hold a PhD degree in their respective fields of research. \"Of the four principles that form the core at IMI, Research is the mostly stressed attribute at our institute,\" says Prof. Behl. On the research frontier IMI Bhubaneswar organized an international conference which saw the participation of more than 50+ presenters and research papers. The faculty of the institute showed equal participation in the conference by presenting their research papers. Last year the faculty had published 15 research papers in international journals. IMI Bhubaneswar, in a residential campus, follows an open door policy that enables input of ideas. Through a world-class infrastructure spread over a fully residential 16-acre campus, there is assurance of right support for all endeavors in research and academia. Interaction between students and faculty is a highly encouraged aspect that happens all year round. The authorities encourage their students to contribute and be involved with the faculty in every sphere. Through these interactions the students at IMI have won a number of accolades from many universities for best case studies in many Business plan competitions, quizzes, and sports alike. Pre-Placement Support \"For a new institute to be visited by companies is a challenge,\" says Prof. Behl. But having shed all norms, IMI Bhubaneswar has companies like IMRB, Kotak Securities, ICICI, Capgemini, First Source Limited, Future Group, and many more visiting its campus round the clock that offer internships. Through these internships, the students gain the right exposure that enable them to grasp the academics through a realistic approach and practicality. The students build rapport with companies through internships and eventually earn themselves placements. A strong road map ahead to be a leading B-School in India in the coming years and to cater to the B-School need in Eastern India is an aspiration of the authorities at IMI Bhubaneswar. Laying down a curriculum foundation to working closely with the industry for the development of India and by joining hands with many companies, IMI Bhubaneswar aspires to give wings to the vision of ascending the graph of India to a developed economy. Prof. Ramesh Behl He is the Director and Professor at International Management Institute (IMI), Bhubaneswar. He began his career as an IT professional in \'The Statesman\' in 1983. He then joined Indian Institute of Foreign Trade as the Associate Professor in IT. He joined IMI Delhi in 1996. He has a number of accolades to his credit on research.