Vital Statistics

WHAT IS IT? A school for business studies. WHO’S THE BOSS? Prof. Sudhir G. Angur. HOW CHEAP IS IT? The fee for the MBA programme is Rs 3.5 lakh. WHERE TO STAY? There are separate hostels for boys and girls in the immediate vicinity of the institute. WHAT ABOUT JOBS? The institute has a placement cell that organises campus recruitment. WHERE IS IT? Alliance Business Academy, 19th Cross, 7th Main, BTM IInd Stage, NS Palya, Bangalore -560076. Phone: 080 -2268 1444; Website: www.alliancebschool.org

Bangalore-based Alliance Business Academy?s (ABA) claim to fame is its exponential growth. Founded in 1996, one of the city?s youngest MBA institutes claims a place among the top 10 in a B-school perception survey conducted by Business Today, AC Nielson and ORG Marg this year.

?Alliance is currently ranked as the number 2 destination for management studies in Bangalore, after the Indian Institute of Management (IIM),? claims Prof. Sudhir G. Angur, president, ABA. The institute also claims to have grown from an initial student strength of 100 to more than 1,200 students who enrol annually in its various academic units.

Beyond books

ABA offers courses in management and information technology. The programmes include a postgraduate diploma in management, an MBA, a bachelor of business management (BBM) and a master of computer applications (MCA). Education at ABA comes coupled with social and intellectual growth, says Angur. The institute has a collaboration with the Social Systems Research Institute (SSRI), Michigan, and offers a range of services to various sectors. ?The SSRI uses research capabilities and technologies in ways that help policy-makers solve social problems. ABA strives to do the same in India,? Angur asserts.

On the industrial front, ABA has a corporate training and consultancy wing that offers management development programmes and consultancy services to corporate houses. The institute claims to be strong on the research front as well. ?Our research department brings out reports on the quality of life studies in Bangalore and the Bangalore Stock Index,? says Angur.

Tech talk

Academics remain top priority. Students can make good use of a well-stacked library that is open till late in the night and stocks books, journals and audio-visual material. ?If students feel any course-related book is not available in the library, they just need to inform the help desk. It?s bought immediately,? informs Vinu Paul Manikanthan, a final-year MBA student.

Classrooms are air-conditioned and equipped with LCDS and overhead projectors. ?All computers are installed with industry standard software, along with specialised graphical, statistical, financial and presentation software,? claims Angur. The ABA campus also hosts a healthcare unit where students are required to register for routine check-ups. ?The healthcare unit is equipped to meet health emergencies during college hours,? says Angur.

Play time

Extra-curricular activity is high on the agenda. ?ABA is particular about including non-academic experiences in student life,? says Angur. The institute has an English language and communication skills club, an advertising club, a gaming society and marketing, finance, HR and systems clubs. ?Fun games like arm-wrestling and tug-of-war are a good break,? says Manikathan, a student.

Students are admitted to ABA on the basis of scores in any recognised all-India management aptitude test ? like MAT, CAT, ATMA, XAT ? past academic record and work experience, if any. The institute also conducts its own written test, a three-minute oral presentation and an interview.

The placement cell, headed by a corporate relations manager, advises students on career options, organises seminars and group discussions and helps students hone their interview skills. ?It also liaises with companies and organises placements,? says Angur.

VARUNA VERMA

Old memories

Reshmi Dasgupta, client manager, south India, Watson Wyatt, on her ABA days

THE BEST THING about ABA is its proactive faculty. The institute has a good teacher-student ratio, which means that professors give individual attention to students. When I was in my final year, the faculty actively helped us during campus placements. That was a big confidence booster.

Academics went beyond the course curriculum prescribed by Bangalore University. A lot of guest lectures, industrial visits and extra classes were held to pack the maximum into the two years. The library offered a wide collection of books and journals to supplement our studies.

Class presentations were important. Students were given stimulating situations and asked to react to them. All this prepared us well for professional life.

As told to Varuna Verma