Academics

About Program - MBA-FABM

About Programme

IIM-Ahmedabad's commitment to the Agri-Business sector dates back to its inception, when the Institute accepted managerial issues related to agriculture, food, and other socially significant sectors as part of its thrust areas. In pursuit of this goal, a Special Program in Agriculture was started in 1974. Today the SPA has evolved into the two year Post Graduate Program in Food and Agri-business Management (PGP-FABM), established to transform dynamic and determined men and women into tomorrow's leaders and decision makers in the food, rural, developmental, and allied sectors. The PGP-FABM program is a sector-specific program firmly rooted in IIM-A's management culture and philosophy.

The objective of the Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agri-business Management is to transform young men and women into competent professional managers for the agriculture, food, agri-business, rural and allied sectors. The programme caters to the needs of enterprises serving these sectors, both domestic and international. The programme will build sensitivity to domestic and international market needs and span the entire agricultural value chain. The programme specifically attempts to:
i. Equip the participants with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes for managerial decision making and implementation in the unique context of agribusiness
ii. Encourage entrepreneurial capabilities in participants to make them effective change agents in agri-business
iii. Develop participants' capabilities to become leaders and nurture in them a commitment for integrity, ethics and social purpose

Rank details 
PGP-FABM has been consistently ranked Number 1 in the World in Agribusiness and Food Industry Management programs by Eduniversal, Paris, France for the years 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

PGP-FABM is an MBA level, two-year, full time residential programme leading to a degree of 'MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (Food and Agri-business Management)'

Pedagogy

The Case Method
Wisdom can not be taught. The cornerstone of the pedagogy used in the academic programmes is the case method of learning. Case discussions are supplemented with guest lectures, seminars, games, role plays, industrial visits and group exercises. The case method is used to develop problem solving and decision making skills by facilitating the application of theoretical concepts to real-life situations. State-of-the-art computing facilities and access to a plethora of databases support the learning experience. Cases are reviewed every year to reflect current managerial practices and trends.

Group Work
Group work is a major component of most courses. The groups are formed in a manner such that students get to work with people from different educational, professional and cultural backgrounds. Feedback from alumni has confirmed that the greater part of one's learning at the Institute happens in group activities that range from preparing for case presentations to working on live industry projects.

Student Exchange

PGP-FABM Student Exchange Programme is offered in collaboration with ESSEC, Paris, France (International Food Industry Management), University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancavour, Canada (Master of Food & Resource Economics), Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China and NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Norway with a view to enhancing the international exposure for the PGP-FABM Students.  Under this exchange programme (i) second year students of the PGP-FABM programme spend a term in ESSEC, Paris, UBC, Vancouver and SJTU, China (ii) students of the ESSEC , Paris, UBC, Vancouver, SJTU, China and NHH Norway spend a term at IIM, Ahmedabad.

We are also exploring the possibility of exchange with other Management Schools in Europe and other parts of the world.

Rural Immersion Module (RIM)

As part of the PGP-FABM programme, all enrolled students undergo a rural immersion programme in a village allotted by the Institute.  Rural Immersion Module is a mandatory academic requirement for PGP-FABM students and weightage for this module is one unit.  The first phase of RIM is an exploration phase. Duration of the Phase I will be approximately 10 days soon after Term III of first year. The second phase of RIM is an implementation phase during Term IV of the second year.  Main objective of the Rural Immersion Programme is to provide the students an exposure to rural life for a better understanding of the functioning of rural markets and their linkages with socio-economic institutions.  During their stay in the village the students interact with the villagers and become familiar with the village, its life and economy.

Courses Offered

Academic Calendar 1st Year:

The first semeter is devited to core courses devoted to core courses dense with management fundamentals. These courses are common to the standard Post Graduate Programme and the PGP-FABM Programme

Academic Calendar 1st Year:

The first semeter is devited to core courses devoted to core courses dense with management fundamentals. These courses are common to the standard Post Graduate Programme and the PGP-FABM Programme(30 words)

Academic Calendar

Orientation

Mid June to end June

Registration
Inauguration
Orientation

Year 1

Classes:
Mid June-Mid October

Summer Internship Interviews:
Mid October-Mid November

Classes:
Mid November-End March

Summer Internships

April and May

Year 2

Classes:
Mid June-March

Summer Internship Interviews:
End March

Placement process starts in February

Programme Details

The Post Graduate Programme is designed to deliver the fundamentals first and then fine tune the courses to match individual career goals.

Year 1

The core courses are presented in the first year and add up to 24 credits. The classes come to approximately 480 sessions.

Between Year 1 and Year 2

Students undertake summer training with the Institute’s corporate partners for a period of eight to nine weeks for a period of eight to ten weeks in order to get first-hand experience of working in a organisation. The summer internship is a powerful source of practical managerial insights, validation of management concepts, and valuable market knowledge.

Year 2

In their second year, students choose from 173 elective courses. These courses are conducted by the faculty of IIMA’s various Areas. They may be in-class courses (often with project components), courses of independent study, exchange programmes, and intensive field courses.

The second year consists of three terms; the duration of a term ranges between 9 and12 weeks.

The number of sessions may be between 380 and 440, with total credits ranging between 19 and 22 credits. Each credit requires a minimum of eighty hours of work

Faculty & Research Areas

IIMA faculty bring their cutting-edge knowledge to the classroom in ways designed bring the most transformative, enduring value for their students.

Faculty

The faculty is the principal driver of change through its direct involvement in every aspect of the Institute: academics, governance, research, and consultancy. The faculty combines the highest standards of teaching and mentoring with diverse backgrounds as eminent entrepreneurs, policy makers, researchers, theoreticians and consultants. The rich diversity of their backgrounds instills in the students a continuous desire to achieve excellence. 

The PGP-FABM programme receives key support from the Center for Management of Agriculture (CMA) at IIMA, comprised of eminent faculty members having practical expertise from various fields, and also invites a number of visiting professors and eminent individuals from other esteemed colleges and the industry. 

IIMA faculty members are active and regular participants in international conferences and symposia. They contribute to international journals and collaborate with a broad range of agencies to develop and execute consultancy projects.
Faculty members also serve on executive committees and policy formulation boards of a rich variety of organizations in both private and public domains. These include corporations, financial institutions, cooperative societies, NGOs, academic institutions and international agencies such as FAO, World Bank, and WTO. Such active involvement generates precious cross-fertilization and ensures that all academic programmes are kept up to date.

IIMA's two-year, full-time Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agri-business Management (PGP-FABM) is managed under the guidance of the PGP-FABM Executive Committee. This Committee reports to the academic council.

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