MBA for defence personnel: A promising start to second innings

MBA for Defence Personnels is a good opportunity for our revered ex-servicemen to continue a career which utlizes their skills and expertise. Read more abour MBA for Defence Personnels.

MBA for Defence Personnel: After serving the nation, every armed personnel faces the ‘what next?’ situation. While choosing a second career, they find limited options because of their training and experience in a highly specialized field.

Undergoing management training for a lucrative second innings is thus a popular option as it offers plethora of well-paying jobs within the field.

So, why an MBA course than any other training program? Since defence personnel come from a highly specialized and exclusive environment and because they are well trained in leadership and crisis handling situations, an MBA degree can aid them in becoming the ’most sought after’ human resource in no time.

Importance of MBA

Since Armed Forces personnel come from a non-traditional (non-corporate) background it becomes but necessary for them to prepare themselves for a smooth transition from one highly specialized field to the common world.

The rise in MBA courses exclusively for ex-defence personnel has primarily been for the fact that people with defence background tend to be more disciplined, focused, sincere, organized and have leadership qualities, and these are the qualities that every corporate house digs.

Although the trend is gradually changing, but it is still tough to gain an entry into a completely new field. An MBA degree makes it easier to get a head-start as it not only provides relevant training and skill-sets but also opens avenues in the job market.

MBA for Defence Personnel: Career Prospects

As suggested above, an ex-army personnel is better trained in leadership and better equipped with crisis management skills, due to their nature of training and work in defence services. These qualities set them apart from their civilian counter-parts vis-à-vis demands of the corporate world. Such a candidate possesses a better practical understanding of crisis management and strategizing experience as opposed to his counterpart from a non-defence background. Moreover, his non-traditional experience of team management prove to be an asset for the organization for the very reason. 

Preference:

• Ex-servicemen are given preference in operations, HR and other areas requiring leadership skills.
• Ex-servicemen are mostly preferred in areas related to services, security, administration and logistics as they can get the job done systematically and with authority.
• They bring rigour and energy to the organization and inspire co-workers to perform better.
• These days there’s much emphasis on outdoor corporate training programs. Ex-servicemen are much in demand in this area as they have a large exposure of the outdoors.

MBA for Defence Personnel

Some of the prestigious B-Schools in India, provide courses that are designed for ex-army personnel who have retired from the forces after permanent commission or serving under SSC.

The duration of the course is 6 months. However, the structure and design of the program is developed keeping in mind an ex-serviceman’s aptitude and needs. The intake ranges from candidates with 10-13 years of experience in the forces to 13-20 years to 20-plus years.

For those who wish to set up their own business, a management course is the option to learn entrepreneurial skills in less time.

Many prestigious B-schools of India including IIMs offer courses exclusively designed for ex-servicemen.

AFP by IIM Ahmedabad

IIM Ahmedabad is one of the earliest institutes to introduce the program. IIM A’s Armed Forces Program was introduced in collaboration with the Directorate General Resettlement in 1990. The course is a six-month, full time program conducted from October to March every year. The course is specifically designed with an aim to impart the officers of the armed forces with the contemporary global management practices. The topics covered in the course include Corporate Finance, Business Analytics, Economics, Strategy, Operations and Project Management, Marketing, Organisational Behaviour, Human Resources and Communication.

IIM Bangalore: Executive Programme in Business Management (Armed Forces Officers)

IIM Bangalore’s management program for defence personnel is a 6-month full-time course, and designed to prepare them in managerial expertise and business management. The course covers various disciplines including Finance, Human Resource Management, Economics, Communication, Business Statistics, Organisational Behaviour, Operations, Project Management and Marketing.

IIM Lucknow: General Management Programme (GMP) for Defence Personnel

The 6-month full-time course offered by IIM Lucknow, as part of the joint initiative by Director General Resettlement, Minister of Defence and Indian Institute of Management, aims at helping defence personnel emerge on top in the business environment. The program is designed to provide basic disciplines of management like, Finance, Human Resource Management, Economics, Communication, Business Statistics, Organisational Behaviour, Operations, Project Management and Marketing, along with promising head-start through campus placement.

IIM Shillong: Business Management Programme for Defence Officers

The objective of this programme is to introduce Defence officers to business environment and provide training of various functional areas of management, essential for a second career in business and entrepreneurship.

The BMPDO programme is spread over three terms over six months. First two terms include core courses and the third term includes elective course. Participants can choose any four elective courses from a basket of 12 courses (four courses each from the areas of Marketing, HR, and Operations).

The course is imparted through instructional approaches, including case studies, problem-solving exercises, assignments, roleplay, group discussions, and presentations by participants.

IIM Mumbai: General Management Programme (GMP)

IIM Mumbai offer a six-month General Management Programme (GMP) for the Defence Officers. The programme is designed to provide managerial training and skills for a second innings.

The course focuses on the major aspects of management such as, operations, project management, strategic marketing management, human resource management and Information design systems, finance, accounting, economics and sustainability management.

Distributed across 2 semesters, it has core and elective courses. The combination of core and elective subjects provide the participant in developing insights of the interrelationships in business management. Also, develop an understanding of various aspects of corporate world and business domains. The course pedagogy includes case studies along with projects, assignemts, applied learning labs, seminars and industry visits.

IIFT Delhi: Armed Forces Programme: International Business Management

Armed Forces Program is a full time programme of 24 weeks specially designed for officers from the armed forces. It is on pat with IIFT’s flagship execuve MBA program. Divided into two terms, this programme provides with training and skill development for a second innings in the corporate world.

The course is divided into two terms having core subjects and specialisations to ensure the participant learns all aspects of business management and related domains. The Armed Forces Programme is imparted through projects and assignments, port visits and interactions with industry leaders.

MDI, Gurgaon: Armed to Lead

MDI offers a fulltime 24-week program which prepares the individual to work in various management verticals including, Sales & Marketing, Operations, Information Technology, Supply Chain Management, Human Resource, Finance, Retail, Telecom, Media, Aviation & Aerospace, Strategy Management and Education.

Besides these institutes, the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak (IIM Rohtak) is also planning to introduce a six-month certificate programme for retired Army officers. A proposal in this regard has been sent the Directorate General Resettlement, Ministry of Defence and the institute in hoping to launch the course in October this year.

IIM Rohtak is looking for a batch of 50 retired army officers aged between 35-45 years, who would be taught leadership qualities, management skills and business environment. Admission will be granted on the basis of entrance test.

XLRI, ISB, ADCI and IMT also offer management programs for ex-servicemen. For officers retiring from SSC or permanent commission now have another territory waiting to be conquered.