One of the most preferred B-schools in Mumbai, Durga Devi Saraf Institute of Management Studies (DSIMS) designs and changes its curriculum for full time MMS/PGDM as well as part time management programmes in accordance with industry and market requirement to facilitate high placements and career growth of its students.
DSIMS Mumbai believes that effective governance is the key to providing quality education. In order to meet this aim the staff contributes towards academic and non academic activities of the institute. This empowerment propels the staff to provide every student a high quality learning experience.
DSIMS is one of the very few Business Schools in India that offers a unique two-year program and many innovative management programs with a clear business focus, intellectual discipline and a sense of teamwork approach.
With a focus on imparting professional management education to students & thereby providing highly motivated & skilled management professionals to the industry, Dr. N. M. Kondap, Director General, DSIMS & DGMC sees a great future of management education in India and has a great vision for the institute. Dr Kondap is making consistent efforts to make DSIMS achieve greater heights of excellence in management education.
Dr. N. M. Kondap is working with Rajasthani Sammelans’ Higher Education as Director General. He was associated with CORE International Institute of Higher Education FZE, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE as President & Chief Executive. & as Vice Chancellor and Professor of Marketing at SVKM’s NMIMS (Deemed-to-be-University), Mumbai.
Dr. Kondap is the Chairman, Western Regional Committee, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) – a regulatory body of Government of India and is on the Committee of FICCI Higher Education, New Delhi. He was on the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Power, Government of India. Eminent academician and leader, Dr Kondap has been nominated by UGC on various University committees, forums and has been the recipient of great honours and awards. He was honoured by Higher Education Forum with the prestigious Dr Suresh Ghai Memorial Award towards Outstanding Management Education Leadership on Teacher’s Day and was felicitated by FICCI for Exemplary Leadership and Outstanding Contribution to Higher Education by Hon'ble Minister of State for HRD Dr. Shashi Tharoor in 2013.
MBAUniverse.com spoke to Dr Kondap to learn more about DSIMS, Mumbai and about the programs offered by it. Edited excerpts of the interview follow-
DSIMS has recently been ranked among top 100 B-schools of India by the TIMES B-school survey 2017? Which other ranking and accreditations DSIMS is trying for?
DSIMS is participating in Business School ranking magazines like Business Today, MDRA B-School Ranking 2016, C-Fore Business World B-school Survey 2016. We will be participating in other B School ranking surveys since it also gives us a feel of where we are. We would like to get our program NBA Accredited shortly.
DSIMS offers various management programmes. What are those programmes? How they are distinct from one another?
DSIMS is offering the following Programs:
PGDM: 2 year full time AICTE approved program. The program architecture is different from the conventional programs that are being offered. It is a combination of concept & application keeping in view the demand of the industry & changes in the business scenario.
MMS: 2 year full time program affiliated to University of Mumbai
Part Time Masters Executive programmes affiliated to University of Mumbai
What is the USPs of the flagship 2 year PGDM programme?
Unique Program Design
The program academic committee consisting Director, Dean, chairpersons/HODs discuss, analyse & review the program architecture on a continuous basis. Thereafter the changes in the core as well as elective courses are discussed during the Board of Studies and Academic Council meeting.
Rural Immersion
We believe in sensitising the students towards rural lifestyle, culture, economic & marketing and financial angel of business undertaken in a rural setting.
Students undertake village level survey to understand economic activities and expenditure pattern. Like every year, this year too students visited APMC, Agricultural University, Village Hat, Cooperative Banks,endi village (for rural SHG), Kashti village (for Cooperative society), Shrigonda ( for Sugar factory), Rahuri Agricultural University and Hiwre Bazar ( for Watershed management and concept of ideal village) in Ahmednagar and other places.
International Immersion
International Immersion is designed to expose students to work practices in an environment different from “home culture”. It helps students understand macro economic situation, various economic parameters of the host country from business management perspective. During the immersion, students interact with leading Chamber of Commerce, global companies; attend lectures by eminent professionals and business heads on global economy & business practices. Recently, Students visited Singapore, Thailand Frankfurt, Munich, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Neuschwanstein, Zurich, Engel berg, Luzern & Schaffhausen.
Foreign Collaboration
We have joined hands with University of East London, ESSCA Management School, Northumbria University of New Castle & Oxademy Graduate School, UK, Ottawa University, USA and many more- as a part of our International Collaboration initiative.These collaborations enabled our students and faculty to visit different institutions of international repute
We invite renowned professors in our campus - from Northumbria University, UK, Cornerstone University, USA, Oxademy Graduate School, UK, City University of New York, Baruch, and North Eastern University of Boston
Study Abroad
This year, our students are attending two months Study Abroad Program at Ottawa University, Kansas, USA. Three of the students have also got Summer Internship in Ottawa University Campus.
LIM (Leaders in Making)
LIM (Leaders in Making) is a beyond classroom Initiative. Here, we prepare the students to be job ready and clear the Selection process of the corporates through interventions like Personality Development, Advanced Excel, Soft Skills, Communication skills, Interview skills etc. They undergo aptitude tests, mock interviews so that they are able to crack the selection process at the time of Campus recruitment
In the fast changing pedagogic scenario across the world to impart management education, what are the innovative changes in curriculum and pedagogy adopted by DSIMS?
Curriculum: Add on
Taking into consideration the Industry & market requirements we have recently introduced some of the courses like Six Sigma, Geo Politics, Business Analytics etc.
Pedagogy
We invite eminent industry experts & professionals from industry & academia to share their experiences. It’s for the faculty to decide to select & adopt the pedagogy depending upon the nature of the course, content & learning out comes.
The pedagogy involves Focus on Certifications like Fundamentals of Six Sigma; HBS case studies; Field Visits; Lab based Simulation; Role Play; Film based discussions; Business scenario analysis; Mock Assessments like Mock Assessment Centre and Generation of Equity Report.
Which are the different exam scores accepted by DSIMS to shortlist the candidates for final admission round? What is their weightage in final selection?
DSIMS accepts MHA-CET 2017 conducted by the Director of Technical Education (DTE), Government of Maharashtra; CAT 2016 (Conducted by IIMs); GMAT; CMAT 2017; MAT; XAT and ATMA. These admission tests have 50% weight age in the final selection
How should an admission seeker to PGDM 2017-19 at DSIMS apply? Please share the process
The admission form is available on our website. Fill in application form and submit online. Application fee of Rs. 2000 should be sent by demand draft drawn in favour of “RS-DSIMS “to the Institute Office along with the downloaded application form before the last date for submission of admission form. Forms received without application processing fee will not be considered for admission.
The Candidates can also visit/contact our Institute for clarifications if any. Institutes prepares a merit list based on the percentile of marks at the admission test and short list candidates for next stage of selection process i.e. Group Discussion, Public Speaking and Personal Interview.
Would the short listing criteria for final admission round comprise other factors also apart from acceptable exam scores?
Yes. Selection is based on the following criteria
| Components | Weightage in % |
| Test score | 50 |
| GD (Includes public speaking) | 15 |
| PI | 15 |
| Academics | 15 |
| Work experience | 5 |
How is the final selection round conducted? Please share the key components of PI round
The parameters for selection of the candidates are given above. If some of the candidates are found to be extraordinary, remarks are made in the document. This helps in mentoring the advanced learners.
The components of Personal Interview are
- Achievement Orientation/Academic Record
- Maturity
- Career Goals
- Awareness of Environment
- Communication Skills and Personality
What is the intake in various programmes at DSIMS? Is there any proposed change for the 2017-19 batch?
Presently the intake is - MMS-120 seats and PGDM- 120. There is no proposed change in the intake for the 2017-19 batch.
Does DSIMS award specific weightage to academic diversity, gender diversity in admission process?
There is no specific weightage for any type of diversity. However; it is observed that percentage of female participants is increasing progressively and has gone up from 38% in 2014-15 to 50% in 2016-17.
Students taking admission in DSIMS come from diverse academic background like Commerce, Engineering, Science, IT, Management. We provide State of Art hostel facility for Girls and provide the required support for boys accommodation.
How good have been the placements at DSIMS?
The placements at DSIMS are good with approximately 90% of the students are getting placed. Major organisations which have engaged with DSIMS and recruited our graduating students are : CRISIL; AXIS BANK LIMITED; NESTLE; DEUTSCHE BANK; TECH MAHINDRA; BAJAJ CORPORATION; NATIONAL STOCK EXCHANGE; CITI GROUP; INDUSIND BANK LIMITED; ADITYA BIRLA MONEY; RELIANCE INDUSTRIES; TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES; TATA MOTORS; ERNST & YOUNG; D H CONSULTANTS; SS&C GLOBEOP; MAHINDRA LOGISTICS; DTDC; AMAZON INDIA
A concerted effort is being made to improve the employability quotient of graduating students by providing them exposure to guest sessions with senior industry professionals, visits to leading manufacturing and service organisations, beyond-the-classroom skill-building sessions, etc besides efforts of the institute to improve their abilities to clear the selection process under LIM.
Who is an ideal candidate for admission to DSIMS?
Apart from meeting the selection requirements as mentioned earlier we prefer a candidate who has vibrancy, desire to excel, and committed to perform with social sensitivity.
Please share the key USPs of DSIMS?
DSIMS has a lineage of 68 years of RSET. It has a strategic location in the heart of Suburbs of Mumbai with good Connectivity. 50% of our faculty is with Doctorate degree and we expect this percentage to go up shortly.
DSIMS has Strong Industry Institute Interface and visiting Faculty are with Industry & academia experience. DSIMS has State of Art Infrastructure. It has Knowledge Resource Centre (National & International journals, E-Books, magazines, periodicals and databases. The Computer lab is with 120 systems.
There is Thought Leadership Forum (TLF); Meet the Celebrity which aims at bringing accomplished personalities to the campus. Students get an opportunity to interact with these known faces and learn during this process.
DSIMS has Entrepreneurship Development Cell (SOCH) which was established in the year 2015 and was named as “SOCH”. Students get exposure to various professional courses like Student Entrepreneurship Development programme wherein professional experts help the students to make business plan and carry their ideas forward in the market.
Conclaves at DSIMS aim at bringing eminent personalities from Industry and Academia together for discussion on a topic of current interest. It is held every year in the areas of Operations, Human Resource, Finance and Marketing. We also conduct inter collegiate Pan India competitions on the topics relevant to the themes of the conclaves. Winners are rewarded with attractive cash prizes.
The Remsons Centre of Management Research at DSIMS was established. Under the aegis of the Centre DSIMS conducts Annual International Conference. The Best papers are awarded with cash Prize. It also helps to promote research amongst In house Faculties and students.
What is your message to DSIMS Applicants?
Come, feel, learn & be a part of DSIMS, which has emerged as one of the most preferred business school not only in Maharashtra but PAN India.
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