Methodology

The 2019 edition of the India Today Group’s annual survey of the country’s best business schools was conducted by reputed Delhi-based market research firm Marketing & Development Research Associates (MDRA). A comprehensive list of B-schools offering full-time classroom management programmes (PGDM/ MBA), established at least five years ago and with a minimum of three graduated batches was developed. An objective questionnaire was developed and fine-tuned to obtain the latest and most relevant information from the institutes on each of the parameters and sub-parameters chosen and was published on the MDRA and Business Today websites. More than 2,350 B-schools that fulfilled the criteria for participation were contacted through email, telephonic calls and advertisements in the magazine, and were followed-up with (with the deadline for submission of data clearly mentioned). In all, 285 institutes from across the country submitted their objective data within the timeline and were considered for ranking. One institute not fulfilling the criteria was excluded from the final ranking.

After receiving the objective data, the first step of analysis involved every aspect of the information provided by these schools being examined against information and databases available with MDRA. The second step included physical verification and audits of participating B-schools by MDRA researchers to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the submitted information.

As many as 40 B-schools were visited by research teams to verify the authenticity of the data. (Over the past 5 years, MDRA research teams have visited more than 450 campuses to verify data and information provided by participating institutes.) The MDRA research team cross-checked the data against original documentation/ actual infrastructure. Irregularities identified during the physical audits were corrected in the final objective data. The scores of the five parameters of evaluation (see table below) were then summed up to arrive at the total objective score for each institute.

MDRA has evaluated these B-schools based on current year data to give stakeholders realistic, up-to-date and accurate information. The final ranks assigned to participating B-schools were based only on their objective scores after various levels of cross-validation through multiple sources such as institutes’ past data, college website information and international accreditation bodies. The MDRA core team, led by Abhishek Agrawal (executive director), included Abnish Jha (project director), Rajan Chauhan (senior research executive) and Preeti Kashyap (assistant research executive). ■