The demise of India’s business schools

65 Indian business schools closed in 2015-16 alone according to a report by the Times of India. A similar devastating year for business school education in the country had been 2012-13 when at least 41 institutes offering post-graduate diploma in management (PGDM) and/or MBA courses closed down.

n the past five years, 260 of these institutions were shut down according to the newspaper report.

The difference between MBA and PGDM is that schools offering MBAs need an affiliation to a university whereas PGDM can be offered by institutes which are recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Ramesh Unnikrishnan, director of AICTE, confirmed that the downward trend started about five years ago. "Parents are very choosy now about the institutions where their ward gets admitted," he told the Times of India. Other reasons for poor attendance at these closed institutions differ from inadequate quality to outdated syllabi which resulted in companies declaring these students unemployable. Many students in India also opt for online courses now making many institutes obsolete.

Whilst many institutions closed their doors, others sprung up again. From 2012-13 to now, 223 new institutes have been established in the country closing the gap. How long they will survive in the highly competitive market remains to be seen.

For full report go to:
The Times of India

Barbara Barkhausen