Average salary package is around Rs. 3.50 lakhs at the entry level, as management trainee. The placement office has recorded a highest salary package of Rs. 7.25 lakhs per annum.

Dr V G Dhanakumar

Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore (IIPM), is an autonomous organization promoted by the ministry of commerce & industry, government of India. “Realizing the potentialities and needs of modernization of the plantation sector through management education and training, ministry of commerce & industry set up IIPM in 1993. IIPM is the first of its kind in the country as a sectoral school of management established to act as a think tank and intellectual resource base for plantation and associated agri-business sector. It also envisaged the Institute as an exclusive sectoral school of management based on a new model intensive institute-industry interaction,” avers Dr V G Dhanakumar, Director. IIPM is jointly sponsored by the Commodity Boards of India viz. Coffee Board, Tea Board, Rubber Board, Spices Board and Industry/Plantation Associations, viz. UPASI and Indian Tea Association (ITA).

Milestones
Speaking about some of the defining landmarks in the Institute’s growth,
Dr. Dhanakumar says, “IIPM is advancing institute’s tradition of excellence in plantation and associated agri-business education through high quality programs in teaching, research, on-site industry executive training and service. We continue to rank among the nation’s best intensive industry interactive sector school.”

He adds, “The PGD-ABPM program is unique in nature as compared with regular MBA program, aiming at the educational process from production, process, value addition, distributional network, marketing, finance, HR, general management, production and operations management, commodity futures/derivatives, quantitative techniques, legal aspects, consumer requirements, etc., within the domain of agri-business and plantation sector.”

The following are some of the important milestones in his growth so far:
Ø IIPM is the only of its kind in the country because its focus is on plantation and associated agri-business within the area of education, research, consultancy and training & development.
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Ø IIPM is the sectoral school of management based on a new model of intensive institute-sector industry interaction.

Ø The strategic approach of the Institute integrates the development activities from the grassroots to the corporate management in a holistic perspective.

Ø The Institute has set up its Centre in Jorhat in June 2007 to cater to the requirements of the North East region.

Ø The Institute offers reach-out programs to the North East and remote regions of the country and short term executive programs for small, medium and large entrepreneurs, corporate executives and Commodity Boards officials and program on ‘Governance of Grassroots Workforce”.

Ø A program on ‘distance learning on plantation management’ has been launched through IGNOU for the benefit of managers, supervisors and general public through on-line service. The Institute also proposes to launch short term certificate program on “Product Innovation and Tea Cup Tasting”, in future.

Ø It is also planning to launch Executive Post Graduate Program (EPGP) in International Commodity Business (ICB) and Fellow (Ph.D) Programs during the academic year 2009-2010.

Ø IIPM has been rated among top sectoral management institute by Business India B-School Survey 2005. It is the only sectoral school of excellence in plantation and associate agri-business in Asia.

The facilities available on campus include classrooms and seminar / conference hall with modern audio-visual aids, faculty block, administration, national bank extension counter, library, computer centres, technical lab, meteorological unit, auditorium, indoor games and residential facilities for students.

Placement Cell
The Placement Assistance Cell of the Institute facilitates interaction between prospective employers and the graduating students and creates a forum to help them make mutually beneficial choices. In campus recruitment the companies have the option to hold pre-placement talks (PPT) to directly communicate with the students and provide information that students may want.

“Our students are placed in leading organizations in the field of plantation and associated agri-business companies, NGOs, Marketing, Banking, like Barista Coffee Co. Ltd., Biocon Ltd. , GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation), Godfrey Philips, Harrisons Malayalam Ltd., Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd., Hindustan Lever Ltd., ICICI Bank, Indiabulls Securities Ltd., ING Vysya Bank, International Development Enterprises, Ion Exchange Enviro Farms Ltd., Isagro (Asia) Agrochemicals Ltd., ITC-ILTD, Kotak Commodities Pvt. Ltd., Monsanto, National Bulk Handling Corporation Ltd., Orissa State Agricultural Marketing Board, Parry Agro Industries Ltd., PepsiCo, Rallis India Ltd., Reliance Retailing, Safal Market, Tata Coffee Ltd., Tata Tea Ltd., UB-Group, Williamson Magor Group Enterprise, etc,” maintains Dr. Dhanakumar.
According to Dr. Dhanakumar, the average salary package is around Rs. 3.50 lakhs at the entry level, as management trainee. “The placement office has recorded a highest salary package of Rs. 7.25 lakhs per annum,” he says.

Further giving advice regarding the best ways to find a job in the field, he says, “The organizations/MNCs expectation from the new entrants are on new managerial skills in labour management, effective communication, leadership role, cost management, commodity derivatives, cost control, branding, SCM, new market potential, improvement of quality through ISO 9000, HACCP, EUREPGAP, Lean management, etc. Therefore, the students are expected to learn on world class management tools for the excellence of corporate business.

International Exposure
As part of PGD-ABPM curriculum, students’ of 2007-08 batch were on a ten days visit to Bangkok (Thailand) in January 2008 to explore agri-plantation business opportunities. “The students were keen to enter into techno-managerial academic work and business outsourcing with business schools and firms of Bangkok and other neighboring countries, making it the pioneer providers of study abroad in agri-business in the country,” avers Dr. Dhanakumar.

“The aim of the visit was to give the students both an academic and cultural experience. The success of IIPM endeavour on study abroad had opened the doors for more student exchange programs between PGD-ABPM course and SEA countries in the future,” he adds.

Financial Assistance to Students
The students admitted to the course avail education loan from various Banks. The Institute is also in the process of initiating scholarship/assistanceship to the needy students through sponsorship from the ministry of commerce & industry and/or commodity boards of India.

“As part of the program, the students are allowed to undertake project/field based assignment in the chosen focus area, on a flexible basis with nationally and internationally known faculty/experts from leading institutes/industry within the country and abroad. The SC/ST students are offered scholarship through state and national agencies,” says Dr. Dhanakumar.

Future Requirement
The requirement for ABPM within the country and abroad are expected to grow at the rate of 3.5–4.00 per cent predicts Dr. Dhanakumar. “The industry is expecting from the graduates to acquire knowledge on Commodity Derivatives, SCM, Financial Management and World Class Business Tools for managing day-to-day activities of the sector. The students should acquire a knowledge on labour management, cost minimization (CM) and profit maximization (PM), to meet the requirements of ABPM,” he adds.

He maintains, “The job market for ABPM sector is likely to enhance its requirement in next five years due to requirement of fruits and vegetables, cereals and other valued added commodities. In case of plantation, the job opportunity in cup tasting (sensory test) will be considered as a priority area within employment opportunity.”

Funding
IIPM being an autonomous organization promoted by the government, the funds for construction of basic infrastructural facilities was provided by the government itself. The Commodity Boards of India and plantation industry supports the Institute by sponsoring HR and reach-out programs and consultancy projects. The Institute is also generating a part of its fund by offering 24 months AICTE approved Post Graduate Program (PGP) in Agri-Business and Plantation Management (ABPM). 

Dr V G Dhanakumar, Director,
Indian Institute of Plantation Management
Jnana Bharathi Campus, P.O.Malathalli, Bangalore 560 056
Ph: 91-80-23211716  /23212767/23212770/23212773
Fax: 91-80-23212775
Email : admissions@iipmb.edu.in placement@iipmb.edu.in info@iipmb.edu.in[/hidepost]