BIT-Sindri, the lone state-run engineering college, will offer MBA courses soon.

The institute is planning to launch full-time and part-time executive MBA programme for working professionals from the 2017-19 session.

A requisition to appoint three faculty members, one each for finance, marketing and personnel management, has been sent by the institute through the state higher and technical education department, last month to Jharkhand Public Service Commission.

The institute will apply to All India Council for Technical Education for mandatory approval before launching the MBA programme.

Confirming the development on Wednesday, newly-appointed director of the institute D.K. Singh, who is credited with preparing the initial plan for MBA programme at BIT-Sindri in 2010, said, "Launching the MBA programme will add a new dimension to the institute as employability of students will increase."

Director Singh added that with the addition of management courses, they might be able to launch the dual degree programme of BTech and MBA in five years to help students save a year.

Currently, getting a separate degree for MBA (two years) after a BTech (four years) degree takes six years.

"We will try our best to launch the full-time MBA programme with 60 seats from the current session (2017-19). If we do not manage it, as the scheduled time to apply for accreditation of the MBA programme has lapsed, then we will launch at least the executive MBA programme from the current session," said Singh.

The director felt that the institute would not face any infrastructure glitch. "Existing classrooms, hostels and library will be sufficient for now. Gradually, with more MBA students, in the future we may have to build separate classrooms, hostels and library," the director said.

Set up in 1951, BIT-Sindri offers undergraduate engineering courses (BTech) in 10 disciplines and MTech in five departments.