Does SPJIMR have a different course structure and calendar than the IIMs and other top B schools? If so, is it better?

There are a few differences in the course calendar of SPJIMR and the IIMs that you should be aware of. 

The major difference is that SPJIMR's flagship 2-year MBA course has Autumn Internship while IIMs have Summer Internship. In Autumn Internship, you will have completed most of your first-year B-school knowledge, which is a plus point when applying for corporate internships. Additionally, SPJIMR's famous Sem-III, which is a semester for Specialization courses, would have been completed by then. During this semester, you will undergo live projects which is like a near-internship experience and helps you a lot in your actual internship. However, this can keep you away from interacting with students from other B-Schools, unlike in the case of the Summer Internship. During the Autumns Internship selection process, roles are Specialization Specific, and having completed Sem-III restricts the roles you can take outside of your specialization.

With the completion of the Autumn Internship, the final placement season is usually 3/4 months away, giving companies time to roll out PPI/PPO wisely and allowing students to choose prudently between PPI/PPO and the option to be part of Final placements. However, this can leave students with less time for preparation for finals if they don't get PPI/PPO or reject those.

There are also a few minor differences in the course calendar. For example, in the summer, SPJIMR has Social Internship, whereas IIMs have a corporate internship. Additionally, in the mid-second year, SPJIMR students fly to the US for Fast-Track Learning, which is not available in IIMs. The second year for SPJIMR students is mostly busy with Sem-III then GFT then Autumns Internship. Thus SPJIMR students take part in corporate competitions (likes of LIME, Mahindra War Room, TBLA, etc.) during the first year itself, although this is just a norm. SPJIMR also offers numerous Minors (viz. Analytics, Finance, Consulting, Strategy, etc.). But the Analytics semester overlaps with International Exchange Semester. This means students can either do a Minor in SPJIMR OR an International Exchange at Foreign Universities.

Overall, while the timing of the internships is different, SPJIMR's Autumn Internship can be an advantage for you, and the live projects in Sem-III can provide you with valuable experience. However, you should also consider the minor differences and how they may affect your interests and goals.