AIMA will help Indian management turn disruption into opportunity
T.V. Mohandas Pai is President of the All India Management Association (AIMA) & Chairperson Manipal Global Education Services Pvt Ltd. He spoke about a number of issues including AIMA and private education. Edited excerpts: AIMA has played a central role in developing the country’s management capability since its foundation in 1957. AIMA has provided thought leadership to Indian management and delivered management education, training and testing services to Indian organizations. AIMA’S importance was recognized by the government and AIMA has been a permanent invitee on IIMS’ boards since 1961.
AIMA began by offering an advanced programme in management in partnership with MIT and went on to democratize management education by pioneering post-graduate diploma in management by the distance mode. AIMA made management education more accessible to students beyond the big cities by launching MAT that could be used by all business schools. AIMA trained bureaucrats and army officers in management through customized programmes. Over the years AIMA has produced over 45000 management graduates who are now leading Indian industry.
After building management capability in the coun- try for many decades, AIMA has focused on developing India’s global competitiveness during the new millennium. AIMA has established an Advanced Management Programme in the Silicon Valley in partnership with Haas School of Business and it regularly sends delegation to international leadership conferences organized by Horasis and St Gallen University.
In addition to expanding overseas activities, AIMA has added to its portfolio of domestic flagship events. It has created India’s only peer management awards in the form of the Managing India Awards and it has set up National Leadership Conclave as a platform for dialogue between the government and the industry managing the economy.
Recently, AIMA has expanded its portfolio of services to the industry and the students. Apart from The India Case Research Centre, another major mile stone for AIMA has been setting up the Management, Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Sector Skills Council or MEPSC. Another feather in AIMA’S cap has been its second office in Delhi – inaugurated by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
The future roadmap for AIMA is clear. The organization will continuously develop its capability to help Indian management turn disruption into opportunity. It will focus on management research, technology and globalization and strive to become a leading management think tank in the world. Private colleges have saved India and created the human capital to meet our needs. They turn out over 65% of India’s graduates. Without them we would be lost. Pl remember all government institutions are not IIT’S and IIM’S. The great majority in the States sector are poorly run and managed. As affiliating Universities the private colleges dominate the merit list all over.
They produce employable graduates. All press statements are exaggerated about employable youth. When you have an abundance of riches and huge nos apply to you, you can be choosy but cannot condemn the rest as unemployable. World over training for employment is needed. We need not get carried away by some silly reports and keep on reproducing them ad naseum . We are not seeing any mass layoffs but reduced hiring. In India they still have 12/15% attrition, a sign that plenty of jobs are available. Companies in tech have increased utilisation by over 10% over the last three years. This has slowed down new hiring. Companies need to relook at their portfolio and reorient their sales and delivery. I do not think there is a crisis but the earlier generation of leaders are fading out. We are yet to see the new generation in a dominating position but there are very many great leaders like Anil Rai Gupta of Havells who are making an impact. We are in the transitional phase, the change after the Liberalisation generation of leaders. Learnability and problem solving skills, good people skills and good communication.