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Is IIFT Delhi equal to FMS?
Not at all. IIFT Delhi is not equal to FMS. Despite sharing a geographical location, both institutes have established very different standards and are leaders in their respective fields.
FMS is known for its ROI because the total course fee is only INR 1.92 lakhs and the average placement is INR 26.20 lakhs per year. You won't have to worry about EMIs and will have more financial freedom after completing your MBA.
On the contrary, if you want to specialize in international business, IIFT is the place to be. FMS will give you a general management degree, and your electives will determine what you specialize in, whereas the entire IIFT program is geared toward International Business. FMS lacks infrastructure, which is shared by all DU colleges. IIFT, on the other hand, has a superior infrastructure.
During the IIFT Delhi MBA IB placements 2022, the average package offered was INR 25.16 LPA. Previously, the average packages offered during the 2020 and 2021 IIFT Delhi MBA IB placements were INR 20.48 LPA and INR 21.08 LPA, respectively. As previously stated, FMS, Delhi has an average package of INR 26.20 LPA.
Finally, it comes down to your personal preferences and the institute(s) to which you were admitted. If given the opportunity, there is no reason not to attend either of these two institutions.
What should I join, IIFT Delhi or IIM Indore?
IIFT is one of the best institutes for foreign trade management and it comes under the top 10 B-school of India. While IIM Indore is a top B school and comes under the old IIMs category.
The table shows a brief overview of the institutions.
|
Particulars |
IIFT Delhi |
IIM Indore |
|
Median Salary |
Rs. 18.20 Lakh |
Rs. 22.92 Lakh |
|
Entrance Criteria |
IIFT |
CAT/GMAT |
|
Fees |
Rs. 7.6 Lakh |
Rs. 7.76 Lakh |
Comparison:
- Both IIFT and IIM Indore offer similar average CTC, i.e. 17-18 LPA.
- IIM Indore has a huge batch size. This results in tough competition both during summer internships and placements.
- The decision also depends on your interest and choice of specializations. IIM will offer you Management studies i.e. Marketing, Finance, HR, etc. Whereas, IIFT is good for fashion design.
These two fields are completely different and equally tough to get into. So, go for the field you are interested in. If you are hardworking and think you can get into IIM, go for it. Both of these institutes are reputed but IIM Indore has a better brand value since it is an old IIM.
Can an average student get into IIFT?
Yes, an average student or even a below-average student can get into IIFT. As the past academic scores are not as important as the entrance marks and the student’s performance in GD/PI at IIFT. If you can secure high marks in the entrance examination conducted by IIFT and create a lasting impression in the GD/PI round, then you can get admitted into IIFT as well as other top-rated B-schools.
Useful Tips:
- The quant section in the entrance examination is not that tough; you can easily clear the cutoff by answering 4/5 questions right.
- To clear the GK cutoff your reading capability should be good. Reading newspapers can be helpful for GK. It will also help you during GD since most of the topics given during GD are from current affairs.
Here is the question pattern of the 2020 IIFT entrance paper:
|
Section |
Total number of questions |
|
General Knowledge and current affairs |
20 |
|
Quantitative ability |
25 |
|
Data interpretation and logical reasoning |
30 |
|
Verbal ability and reading comprehension |
35 |
Thus, keeping this structure in mind, you can prepare your own plan of approach. If you can score high marks in the entrance and nail the GD/PI round, then your previous performance won’t hold much weight. According to the popular norm of average percentage i.e. 75%, the student can still secure a seat for himself/herself per their entrance score.
What is the fee structure of IIFT, New Delhi?
The IIFT, New Delhi, MBA (IB) program has an annual tuition cost of Rs 8,85,000, which can be paid in three installments by candidates. In addition to the tuition fee, candidates will be required to pay additional fees of Rs 54,000 for library, computer, and alumni services during the duration of the program. Candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories are eligible for a 50% tuition fee waiver.
Foreign students and NRI students are required to pay the annual tuition fee and additional fees in full at the time of enrollment in the first year and by the beginning of the second year. Additionally, foreign nationals and NRIs are required to pay an annual charge of US$30,000, which would be approximately 2,19,15,000 (Indian Rupees) at the current exchange rate.
What should one expect in IIFT essay writing, GD-PI?
The IIFT admission process typically consists of three stages:
- The written exam
- The Group Discussion (GD) and Essay Writing
- The Personal Interview (PI)
Here's what you can expect in the Essay Writing and GD-PI stages:
- Essay Writing: The essay writing round typically involves writing an essay on a given topic within a given time frame. The topics may cover a wide range of subjects such as current affairs, social issues, economics, or international trade. The purpose of this round is to assess your ability to articulate your thoughts clearly, coherently, and concisely, as well as your analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Group Discussion (GD): In this round, a group of candidates is given a topic to discuss. The topics may cover a wide range of subjects such as current affairs, social issues, economics, or international trade. The purpose of this round is to assess your ability to communicate effectively, work collaboratively with others, and present your ideas convincingly.
- Personal Interview (PI): The Personal Interview round typically involves a one-on-one conversation with an interviewer. The interview is designed to assess your personality, interests, and motivations, as well as your knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
To prepare for these rounds, it is important to stay updated on current events, develop your communication skills, practice critical thinking and analysis, and have a thorough understanding of international trade and business. Additionally, practicing mock GDs and essays, and seeking feedback from peers and mentors can help you prepare effectively for these rounds.
How was your IIFT GD & interview experience?
At first you have to provide your profile mentioning the date, venue, previous examination scores, following up with the work experience that is required for admission.
The following experience is from the 3rd attempt of the Interview. My IIFT score was 99.90%
WAT (Written Ability Test) Topic: Overexposure to Social Media & Negative tendencies.
- Starting with the concept of social media, the overexposure occurs with the increased internet usage and cheap prices for data.
- I listed some positives prior to delving into the negatives. The negatives include attention-seeking behavior, mental illnesses such as reduced attention spans, online fraud vulnerability, and even honey-traps.
- Before concluding, I added some ways of coping with these challenges by saying the positives far outweigh the negatives.
And as in the past 2 years, WAT answer scripts have been sealed and we have been told that our response scripts will be centrally evaluated at IIFT, New Delhi.
GD Topic: Iran vs US: India’s Economic Dilemma.
- There were about 18 participants of our group.
- Initially, before open house, the standardized GD format of IIFT gives each one, 1 minute.
- The key points of discussion remained: oil imports, electric vehicles and Chabahar Port.
- The conversation remained cordial in spite of the immense group size. Making short entries is not difficult at all.
Interview:
- Three panelists were present - all Males and all IIFT professors. The younger professor went outside when my turn came, and he never came back for the entire length of my interview.
- Most of the questions were about what went wrong last year and how I progressed after that to better myself.
- One of the professors asked me to pick one topic where he could theoretically test me. I chose software testing. The questions were asked: Before you start researching, what are the things to be considered? , “Difference between BPR and ERP?”
This was followed by a few questions about the MBA category and "What specialisation will I choose if I get selected." Then the interview ended. Thus, this was my full exposure to the interview.
How good is IIFT as a college is when compared to IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, and MDI?
IIFT was established in 1963 by the Government of India as an autonomous organization to professionalize the country’s foreign trade management and increase exports by developing human resources, analyzing and disseminating data, and conducting research. Among the top 10 business schools, it is the only B-school in India that offers an International Business program. This institute is also known as the Mecca for trade.
The major pros and cons of the institute have been entailed below
Pros
- It is one of the best B-Schools in the country and one of the finest in Asia if you want to pursue a career in Trade. As per NIRF Ranking 2018, the Institute has been ranked as number 23.
- Highly recognized organizations like WTO, OECD, World Trade Centre & European Union come to India for recruitment and visit only IIFT.
- The batch size is very small thereby rendering unlimited opportunities to its students. It is literally the Mecca for Finance.
- IIFT Delhi has been winning the CFA Equity Research challenge nationally for 2 out of the last 3 years.
Cons
- IIFT Delhi campus is very small, around 6.5 acres. Rooms are triple occupancy in the 1st year and double in the 2nd.
- Big names in consulting like McKinsey, BCG, and AT Kearney, are yet to visit the IIFT Delhi campus.
Can I get into IIMs, XLRI, FMS, SIBM, SPJIMR, IIFT, MDI? I have 70/61/77 in 10th/12th/B.Com. What CAT percentile would be required to get a call and how to improve my profile?
Based on your past academic records, you are likely to get into top IIMs only with a very high CAT score. Honestly, your academic performance is average and IIMs especially give a lot of weightage to past academics. However, you can target IIM Shillong and elite Non-IIM b-schools such as FMS and MDI.
The best part of these Non-IIM B-Schools is their less weightage given to past academics during shortlisting. They focus the most on your CAT score. So anyone with an average profile can dream of getting into these schools by preparing for CAT sincerely and acing the exam.
Institutes like XLRI and IIFT focus a lot more on the entrance exam scores (around 60%) than your past academics. The other major parameters they give relative weightage to are work experience, GD/PI, and WAT performance. So choosing a B School like FMS, MDI, IIFT, XLRI, or JBIMS is a lot better for someone with your profile.
How to improve your profile:
Past Academics are not the only determining factor during admission. In fact, many B Schools give the least weightage to it. So the question is how can someone with an average profile up their scale and improve their profile? The 3 common ways are
- Gain some valid work experience (up to 3 years max)
- Pursue a hobby or passion in your leisure time
- Learn some professional skills
The CAT percentile required for some B schools you mentioned are
|
B School |
Percentile Required |
|
IIM Ahmedabad |
99.97+ |
|
IIM Calcutta |
99.99+ |
|
IIM Bangalore |
99.99+ |
|
IIM Lucknow |
99.8+ |
|
IIM Kozhikode |
99.9+ |
|
IIM Shillong |
96.80+ |
|
New IIMs |
94.00+ |
|
FMS |
99.40+ |
How do I get a package of 30 lakhs in the field of marketing, post MBA from IIMA/B/C, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, and IIFT?
While many may shed their philosophies on how getting a high package should not be your ultimate goal and stuff, I am here with a different opinion. When you are investing a huge amount of money it is only right to expect a greater monetary benefit and a better lifestyle. So I have mentioned some techniques that will help you land a package of 30 LPA specifically in the field of marketing post-MBA from IIM ABC, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, and IIFT.
- The first thing you need to do is lower your expectations as no marketing placements offer a package higher than 25 LPA. These highest offers are made by top firms like Reckitt Benckiser, HUL, P&G, and Asian Paints.
- You need to figure out what you really are after, a good marketing role or a high-paying job. If you are after the latter I suggest you go for big consulting firms like Mc Kinsey, BCG, or investment banks that offer 30+ LPA.
- But if it is the marketing role you are after, then make sure your resume reflects your marketing enthusiasm. This will further increase your chances of selection.
- Performing well in the competitions conducted by your desired company is another way to get a high-paying job.
- If the Final Placements are your last resort then make sure you have a stable and excellent CGPA. Many companies consider this factor while shortlisting.
These points will help you get your dream job but cannot necessarily guarantee it. It all ultimately depends on your efforts and obviously your luck.
How can I arrange the following according to an MBA/PGDM: NMIMS, Mumbai, SBIM, Pune, IIFT, Delhi, Great Lakes, Chennai, SPJIMR, Mumbai and JBIMS, Mumbai?
I have given the preference order of the above-mentioned B Schools. However please remember this is based on my personal opinions and not any official figures
1st: NMIMS is one of the best schools in Mumbai with fewer fees and great specialization in Finance. Its distinguishing feature is its small batch size which is extremely beneficial for excellent placements. The companies that visit offer the best roles to their students mainly because of their credibility and strong alumni network.
2nd: SPJIMR too is located in Mumbai and is the second-best School after JBMINS. Its students intake is very good due to the strict selection process. The placements are at par with JBIMS but the fees are a bit higher. It's ranked in the top 3 in Operation and IT specialization in India.
3rd: One of the oldest institutes for MBA, IIFT is a good choice owing to its strong brand name and small batch size.
4th: SIBM Pune is a blend of everything; a Good campus, good corporate competition, hostel life, good infrastructure, faculty, and placement. It gives you an amazing MBA experience l.
5th: NMIMS Mumbai is great for MBA and is at par with SIBM. But I have ranked it the last owing to its high fees and larger batch size that requires a lot of competition during placements.
So the ranking is
NMIMS>SPJIMR>IIFT>SIBM Pune>NMIMS Mumbai
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