B-School - Finance: IIFP Date:   Thursday , January 22, 2015 More than 50 percent of the people who are primarily from rural villages in India do not possess a bank account where they can save their earnings and use it wisely. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after observing this issue has decided to place more emphasis on the need of expanding banking services to rural areas. With the swift growth expected in the banking sector, the demand for professionals in the fields of Banking and Finance will witness a similar growth. IIFP was established in 2007 to cater to the rapid boom of the financial sector. With expertise in training 3000 students in Financial Planning and Wealth Management, the Indian Institute of Financial Planning (IIFP) would be one of the key players in catering to the growing demand of finance professionals in India. \"IIFP is one of the only B-Schools in the country that provides super specializations in finance,\" says Prof. Niamatullah, Director - Academics, IIFP. Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Financial Planning and Wealth Management (PGD - FPWM) in Delhi and a Post Graduate Certificate in Financial Research and Investment Banking (PGC - FRIB) in Mumbai are the two courses related to the Financial Services Industry that the institute is offering. The one year diploma in Advanced Financial Planning and Wealth Management allows students to gain special skills in Financial Planning, Mutual Funds, Derivatives and other emerging Financial Products and enhance their knowledge. The second course PGC - FRIB incorporates internationally renowned CFA (USA) Certificate Education for Level I, which prepares students for a job in Corporate Finance, Financial Research and Investment Banking. The institute offers a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Plus (PGDM plus), which consists of a PGDM course combined with courses in Financial Planning and Wealth Management. The program empowers students to become experts in the finance and financial services domain. \"Students who pursue the PGDM plus program gain in-depth knowledge and understanding providing them with a huge opportunity to perform better than the rest,\" says Prof. Niamatullah. Constant Upgrade is Necessary IIFP programs provides a range of specialized knowledge in financial planning, commercial and investment banking, hedge funds and range of other options, which allows a student to work on different profiles with multiple career options. Due to the unique teaching pedagogy at IIFP, which constantly changes along with the curriculum, the students are able to adapt faster to the current and future demands of the industry. The Advisory Board at IIFP that consists of experts in Financial Services Industry and Educationists with long experience in Finance Education who understand the changing landscape of financial markets and the evolving nature of financial products. While the institute has introduced new courses over the years due to the rising demand, it has also changed the method of teaching. �We ensure that the course architecture and delivery mechanism are as practical as possible and hence, students are given real problems, which they are likely to face in work environment,� says Prof. Niamatullah. The institute has hired most of its faculty members who have had a minimum of 10 years of experience in the industry and possess an inclination towards the academics. \"The most important thing that the faculty members do when they teach in class is to provide inputs about the industry, which helps students understand the practical application of the concepts that they learn,\" adds Prof. Niamatullah. Some of the faculty members who continue to practice in Financial Planning and Wealth Management or other businesses like Tax Planning are successfully imparting practical knowledge to the students. Boosting Knowledge with Industry Interactions IIFP constantly seeks new ways of keeping its students up to date with the latest trends in the finance industry and therefore regularly invites professionals from across the Financial Services Industry to share their experiences with our students. This is a strong source that gives students a better understanding of the industry and hence enhances their confidence while working with different organizations. Some of the major organizations that take part in these interactions and recruit the students are Yes Bank, HDFC Securities, ICICI Mutual Fund, FinEdge Advisory, Fincard, Mecklai Financial Services, Green Back Forex, Sundaram Mutual Fund, and Axis Bank Mutual Fund. The industry has been impressed with the students it employs as the institute empowers them with a high level of knowledge about the Financial Markets and Products, enhances their confidence, presentation skills and better communication. By providing excellent working professionals to the industry, IIFP has made a mark in the education sector and hopes to continue expanding in doing the same. Prof. Niamatullah He is currently the Director - Academics at the Indian Institute of Financial Planning. He has over 36 years of experience in banking and mutual fund ,at various senior levels , which he has utilized along with the inputs of the advisory board in creating the right kind of programs. He has personally conducted over 100 seminars in the initial years of CFPCM movement in the country and is credited with formally introducing Financial Planning in India as a career option in the year 2002.