CEO Insights India

Indian business schools have made significant progress in the last several decades. During the 90s, when the economy was rapidly developing due to deregulation efforts, there was a surge in interest in earning a Master of Business Administration degree. It acted as a catalyst for a plethora of new public and private schools to begin providing MBA programs throughout the nation. PSG College was a pioneer in South India in management education since 1965. The department then evolved into the PSG Institute of Management (PSGIM) in 1994.

PSGIM has grown to become one of the most prestigious private institutions of higher education in the southern part of India. PSG is a proven brand with over 8,000 alumni who have gone on to become successful business owners and corporate executives. PSGIM is currently led by Dr. Srividya, who has done an exceptional job in her role as Director. She has been with PSGIM for over 20 years and has delivered excellence in various crucial administrative tasks, such as overseeing the admissions, administration and growth of foreign programs, in addition to her position as a senior professor of finance.

Below is an excerpt of Dr. Srividya’s exclusive interaction with CEO Insights magazine

How has the journey of PSG Institute of Management been since its inception?
PSGIM is an integral part of the PSG family of institutions. In 1965, PSG launched Tamil Nadu's first management program, which by 1971 had grown into the Department of Management studies at PSG College of Technology, making it the state's first privately-run institution to provide an MBA. Changes in the business climate and the liberalization of the Indian economy led to its rebranding as the "PSG Institute of Management" in 1994 and its relocation to a purpose-built campus. PSGIM's

MBA programs have grown from an initial intake of 30 to a current yearly enrolment of 400+.

We will be commemorating 100 years of the trust PSG & Sons" Charities and the diamond jubilee of PSGIM in 2024. Also, in 2022, our MBA program became the first in India to be reaccredited by ACBSP. PSG has a history of being ahead of the curve when it comes to developments in management training. We introduced a focused Master of Business Administration program in waste management and social enterprise in 2021.Recently, North Kentucky University's MBA program, which emphasizes supply chain and analytics, joined the list of foreign MBA programs offered by our sister institute PSGIAS.

What are the major gaps that are dominating the current management education sector? How is the PSG Institute of Management addressing them?
The India Skills Report for 2022 places Tamil Nadu at #8 for highest employ ability. It also indicates that MBA gradua tes have a 55% national employment rate. The city of Coimbatore ranks eighth best in India in terms of employment opportunities. Seventy five percent or more of HR specialists cited the lack of qualified candidates as a problem. It's clear that a chasm separates academia and industry. There is for instance, a widening difference in people's proficiency with digital technologies. QS Global Employer Survey for Asia found that although employers value data skills and leadership the highest, they are not happy with the quality of candidates that possess these traits.

PSGIM foresaw this conundrum early on, adopting the MBA: Management Beyond Academics concept and, by extension, the right shifting in the Knowledge Skill-Ability matrix. Significant strides have been made in the creation of curricula to support digital abilities, with the introduction of Emotional Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, and Managers in Society as required topics. Given the striking differences between the demands of the outgoing Generation Z students and

those of the arriving Generation Alpha students, we also had to rethink our pedagogical approaches and redesign our curriculum to accommodate them. In addition, efficient program delivery calls for creativity, originality, and ongoing improvement.

Briefly highlight the courses that are currently being offered by PSG Institute of Management
PSG Institute of Management, which is affiliated with Anna University, currently offers two fulltime Master of Business Administration(MBA) programs: the flagship MBA program and the specialized MBA in Waste Management& Social Entrepreneurship. The PSG Institute of Advanced Studies is our sister institution and it offers full time international MBA programs in partnership with universities like the University of Toledo and North Kentucky in the United States and the University of Leeds Beckett in the United Kingdom. Every one of the overseas courses is approved by some authoritative body and widely acknowledged throughout the country.

Why should students choose PSG Institute of Management as their MBA destination?
Our one-of-a-kind courses provide results that are in line with the requirements of our market. To design a value-based MBA that caters to both management and entrepreneurial goals, we rely on the expertise of all of our stake holders, including our professors our industry ties, and our alumni. Our PSGIAS-led MBA foreign programs offer students a unique opportunity to study abroad in Coimbatore or at one of our partner institutions across the world. We use technology to facilitate activity based and experiential learning as well as to enhance our instructional strategies. We know what today's students want and how they learn best, therefore we're constantly coming up with new ways to help our stakeholders succeed.

Dr. V. Srividya, Director, PSG Institute of Management
Dr.V. Srividya is a renowned expert in the field of finance and has served in several leadership capacities within the PSG Institute of Management, including overseeing the creation and operation of foreign initiatives. In 2021, she won the AIMS-ICFAI Best Teacher Award, and in 2005–2006, she was the recipient of the All India Council for Technical Education's (AICTE) Career Award for Young Teachers.