The two-year Post-Graduate Programme in Food and Agri-Business Management (PGP-FABM) at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad has been ranked No. 1 in the world for three consecutive years by Eduniversal, Paris, France, including in the year 2017-18. The details of the ranking can be found here.

The programme

IIM-A’s commitment towards a socially important sector such as food and agri-business dates back to its inception when the institute focussed on developing managerial expertise related to agriculture, food, and other developmental sectors as part of its thrust areas. A Post Graduate Programme with a Specialisation Package in Agriculture (PGP-SPA) was started in 1974.

In 2000, IIM-A revamped the programme after a review of its approach to agri-business management education in a changing economic environment and a two-year post-graduate programme in Agri-Business Management (PGP-FABM) was launched that year. More than 1,25,000 candidates apply for this programme every year and only about 46 are selected, through a rigorous selection process.

The PGP-FABM is a two-year full-time residential programme. It has evolved over the years and expanded beyond agriculture to allied areas such as food processing, commodities, rural development, and rural infrastructure. Each batch of 46 students is exposed to concepts of inclusion and industry interaction and rural immersion. Project work is a significant part of the curriculum, the programme attracts many companies across the supply chain, for academic collaboration, internships and recruitment.

Course content

The curriculum has a solid managerial foundation, with a focus on the food and agribusiness marketplace. It includes compulsory management courses in the first year, many of which are common with the Post-Graduate Programme of the Institute. The second year of the programme includes compulsory as well as elective courses designed to offer the specialised, multifunction knowledge and skills required by the food and agribusiness sector.

The Rural Immersion Module (RIM) helps students spend about three weeks in rural areas, where they learn from the rural community, understand their lifestyle and values, and help them carry out projects of a socio-economic nature.

The students exchange programme is also offered in collaboration with four foreign universities, ESSEC B School, France; University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada; Antai College of Economics & Management, China; and NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Norway, with a view to enhancing international exposure for the PGP-FABM students. Students spend about one term (10-12 weeks) at the foreign university. Efforts are always on to expand the pool of universities/institutes that are a part of exchange programmes.

The programme’s objectives

The programme is designed to expand students’ perspective and the skills necessary for management and leadership in the agribusiness and food industry and allied sectors. It nurtures in the participant a commitment to integrity, ethical behavior, and a sense of social purpose.

The objective of the programme is to help young men and women become competent and professional managers for players in the food and agri-business, rural and allied sectors. Increasing environmental concerns and challenges of working in a highly market-oriented environment requires the agri-food industry to be dynamic in terms of responses to changes in policies.

Along with innovative skills, those working in this industry require a range of management skills, familiarity with the policy environment, and a strategic perspective. The programme prepares students for the arduous task of leading change in a dynamic industry and managing the process of that change.

Prof Viswanath Pingali, Chairperson, PGP-FABM, said: “To me, everyone who is a part of he IIM-A Community is privileged. You have to use this opportunity to propel yourselves to greater heights. As the saying goes ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.”