Anand Venkatesh is a Professor of the Institute of Rural Management. He has been a faculty member of IRMA since 2006 and in the teaching profession since 1996. He did his PhD in the Economics Department at the University of Mumbai and a postdoctoral program at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He has taught the core courses of Quantitative Analysis for Rural Managers, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. He has also taught modules in courses like Marketing Research and Analytics and has 15 research publications in various national and international journals.

Institute of Rural Management Anand

What are the latest programs that help students to stand out from the crowd?

“Rural Immersion Simulation Workshop involves understanding and playing a Rural Simulation game”

The course I am offering at IRMA is Rural Immersion Simulation Workshop. It involves understanding and playing a Rural Simulation game called Naranpur Express. Playing this game enables the students to appreciate the basic principles of rural management. They are sensitized to rural realities. Their understanding of the rural and agrarian economic dynamics enables them to stand out. It enables them to prioritize decisions based on decision criteria.

What factors make the program best for the students?

“Understand the issues and dilemmas faced by the farming community”

The simulation game facilitates learning of rural management theory and principles. It places them in challenging and decision-making situations. Hence, they understand the issues and dilemmas faced by the farming community. It also serves as a lesson for subjects in their rural management course.

What best practices are offered in the course at IRMA?

“Understanding the basic principle of rural management”

Learning by doing and an environment mimicking rural realities are available in the courses. Understanding the basic principle of rural management is necessary. We make decisions in the backdrop of three interacting rural subsystems. These are physical, biosphere, and economic. They also appreciate the role of the state, markets, and the basic principle of collectivization. They also learn to prioritize decision alternatives systematically.

Check Institute of Rural Management Anand Courses & Fees

Would you like to share any valuable insights into your courses?

“Price Discovery in microeconomics, rural GDP in macroeconomics, and the concept of sustainable rural livelihoods”

The course serves as a pivot for learning various other courses. They understand price discovery in microeconomics, rural GDP in macroeconomics, and the concept of sustainable rural livelihoods. Moreover, the benefits of cooperation and rural development interventions are available in programs. 

How does the program ensure the professional future of the students?

“Students are equipped to do well in cooperatives, and government livelihood programs”

Having obtained a thorough grounding of the rural, students are well equipped to do well in cooperatives, government livelihood programmes, and even sensitize corporates to rural realities. They indeed stand apart from mainstream management and development institutions.

How did you train the faculty to deliver the program to the students?

“Ensure data for several rounds of the game and before launching a course”

The course is run jointly by Prof. Preeti and me. We ensured the game ourselves and analyzed data for several rounds of the game. We came up with our insights before launching the game as a course and we are still learning with every game round being played.

How do you build industry connections with programs on campus?

“Maintain relations with NGOs and plan to launch a rural decision-making lab”

We have offered this game in our MDPs to reputed industry houses. Other organizations and NGOs have also expressed interest in the game. We are also planning to launch a rural decision-making lab with this game as the fulcrum. 

What challenges do you face to inculcate the program in the curriculum?

“Expansion, of course, planning game, briefing and debriefing sessions”

Prior to this course, Naranpur express was a game played for about half a day to a day. Expanding this to a course, planning game sessions, briefing and debriefing sessions, ensuring that the optimal quantum of learning is reached were challenges.

What are the projects that students work on in the programs?

“Plan rural interventions based on the game insights with rural management disciplines”

The projects we have envisaged thus far are planning rural interventions based on the game insights and integration of the game with other rural management disciplines. This is work in progress.

What are the career options after pursuing the course in IRMA?

“Internship opportunities, livelihood programs, and NGOs available for students”

Students can exhibit a holistic understanding of rural management and its nuances. Hence, recruiting organizations get the most from an IRMAn who have had exposure to the game. They make a positive difference, be it in cooperatives, livelihood programs, or at NGOs.