Is PGPX at IIM Udaipur Worth the Investment?

The PGPX at IIM Udaipur is unique among Indian one year MBAs as it is a dual degree program in partnership with Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in the United States, one of the world leaders in the Supply Chain Management domain.

Recently, the question came up in Quora whether this Program (MBA+MS) is worth the investment? In response, Supply Chain professional Akash Khandelwal says “It’s a wonderful course.”

Saying he would not go into calculations on Return of Investment, he goes on to list the 15-months duration of the program as a major advantage. “Time is money, and the less time you spend in getting the degree the less opportunity loss it is,” he points out.

Then there is the dual degree. “You get a full-time MBA & MS degree both from one the top Universities of India and the US. In terms of faculty, both Purdue University and IIM Udaipur will (arguably) have the best of mentors/faculty to offer,” he adds.

In Placements, it may not be the best when compared with programs of NITIE or IIM A, B, C. But, it also depends on the profile of students. “I still consider it decent enough,” he says.

“If you are in a category of a professional who wants to change his/her field, has low earning potential in current job/profile than I highly recommend this course,”

Khandelwal also points out the networking opportunities available to the students. Getting to spend one semester in the US will open up opportunities to network and bag a job overseas. Getting a return on investment from colleges like this, which cost approximately Rs 30 lakh will anyway take time.

“If you are in a category of a professional who wants to change his/her field, has low earning potential in current job/profile than I highly recommend this course,” he adds.

Ishwar Singh, a votary of technology enabled supply chain transformation, is of the opinion that IIM Udaipur is one of the new IIM’s which still needs to prove itself. Purdue, however, is an established institution with a proven track record in supply chain globally.

“The quality and exposure you get in Purdue is exponential as compared to IIM-U. Also, check other factors like program cost, opportunity cost, jobs, where do you want to work after completion of the program and the like,” he adds.

Sukrit Pal, PhD candidate in Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University says there cannot be a comparison between the two programs. “I really can’t compare between the two. Supply chain (specifically Operation Management) at Purdue is among the bests in the world. The industry connections and the exposure would be huge. The only problem is that the MBA is a non-stem course hence the work permit of the Student’s visa is limited to maximum 1 year.

Supply Chain program at IIM Udaipur is still in its infancy. Though it has the IIM brand, to travel longer miles in the SCM world I feel exposure offers you the best value. These two programs can’t be compared – any day Purdue SCM trumps,” he adds.

Abinash Nanda, an SCM professional, says, “I don’t understand the word investment here in this context. See you are not investing in any kind of stock or trading market, so that you can expect a higher return.

“You will pay for what you will learn. So if you expect by paying course fee and completing the education you are automatically entitled to a higher pay job, then it’s a big No,” he adds.

Nanda points out that the PGPX is a course which designed for experienced candidates ( 2.5 years minimum). Companies from Trading industry, E-commerce, & core industry visit for campus recruitment. Students may get a chance of direct placement without having to explore the market.

“If you are having 2.5 Years minimum experience and alongside holding a degree from an IIM will add extra weightage to your resume,” he adds.

The target industries will be Commodity Trading, WMS Consultants, Core Sector etc. The graduates with 3-5 years of work experience could expect a salary of Rs 7-9 lakh. Those with more than 5 years experience could expect to draw a salary in the Rs 10-12 Lakh range.

Pavan Sandeep Adari, a student at IIM Raipur feels that it would be a very good opportunity. “The Purdue brand is known the world over, you can easily rise high in the career ladder as your credentials put more expectations and responsibilities on your shoulder,” he adds.