MBA at Ambedkar University Delhi is a unique cutting-edge program: Interview with Dean Prof. Kartik Dave

Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), established by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, offers a reputed 2-year full-time MBA programme and Ph.D. programme at its School of Business, Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SBPPSE). Last date for application for Admission 2019 is February 15. With a fee of only Rs 2.85 lakhs, and opportunity to earn prestigious MBA degree, many aspirants are keen to know more about this B-school and its MBA program.

At AUD, the MBA programme is led by Dean Prof. Kartik Dave, a Ph.D. in Marketing Management and a well known academic with interest in Marketing Management, Marketing Strategy, Consumer Studies etc. So, how is Ambedkar University Delhi MBA different from a typical B-school MBA? MBAUniverse.com spoke to Prof. Dave to find out more details.

Edited Excerpts from the interview follow: 

How will you compare MBA at AUD it with other top MBA programmes in India?
Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) is a public University, established by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 2008. The university has 13 schools. MBA is hosted at the School of Business, Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SBPPSE), which was launched in 2011 to impart education and promote research in the field of Business, Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship. The school aims to engage with the latest theoretical concepts and their application in the real world.

SBPPSE is committed to its vision to provide quality education through its cutting edge programmes and to develop business professionals who address the concerns of various stakeholders including investors, the economy, ecological environment and the society through their varied roles in the industry.

So, what are the USPs of MBA Programme at AUD?
MBA degree from Ambedkar University Delhi can be considered the best option, at par with IIMs and other top B-schools. AUD MBA fee is just Rs 2.85 lakhs for two years. This makes it one of the most affordable MBA programmes in India. AUD SBPPSE faculty members have been educated at top institutes such as FMS New Delhi and JNU. They have taught at top B-Schools such as FMS Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad and IMI New Delhi.

The University campus is located in heart of Central Delhi, which has high engagement with Corporates in Delhi NCR, leading to good placements. You don’t need CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT scores to apply. You can take AUD MBA Entrance Test for admission. There are only 42 seats at AUD MBA Programme. This makes sure that Faculty engagement is high and Placements are good.

What are the MBA Specializations offered at AUD?
The two-year MBA programme, while imparting the essential concepts and principles of modern management in the functional areas of Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior and Operations Research, also exposes the students to issues of Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship.

What about your Placements? Please share some details about your alumni.
In our university, the placements are completely student-driven. We have a student committee for placement. Throughout the year, they organize various activities with the help of which they ensure industry-academia connect. A number of activities are organised by the committee and our faculty members also help our students by guiding them.

The Alumni of the MBA Programme of Ambedkar University Delhi are working as top executives in some of the top companies. The coveted roles offered include Executive HR, Manager Accounts, Relationship Manager, Associate Analyst, E-Commerce Executive, Financial Planning Analyst among others. Some of the MBA graduates of Ambedkar University Delhi have gone for startups.K.J. Osthathe Junior, an alumnus of Ambedkar University has co-founded ‘Food Mistri’.

Top recruiters at Ambedkar University Delhi include prominent companies like Decathlon, SMC Global, India Infrastructure, Naukri.com, Ameriprise, PTC India limited, DDA, Meltwater, Zomato, Flipkart, Evalueserve, Moody's Analytics Knowledge Services, Makemytrip.com, EY, KPMG, Willis Towers Watson, Adobe etc.

Please share your teaching approach and methodology?
Our pedagogy uses a blended approach to learning which is based on methods such as case study, business simulation, role plays, class room lectures and experiential learning. Field-based learning and experience sharing by practitioners on a regular basis are integral parts of our programme.

Tell us about the qualification and experience of MBA Faculty at Ambedkar University?
Our faculty is drawn from academicians, practitioners, policy makers, visionaries, administrators, domain experts and management leaders, both from within the university and the outside world, and is continuously engaged in teaching, training and mentoring our students with a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning. This is the key differentiator that enables a management graduate passing out from SBPPSE to draw the big picture on real life canvas while being able to comprehend the complex integration of business and society.

While I hold a Ph.D. in Marketing Management and have taught at leading B-schools in India, the brief profiles of some of the faculty members is as below:

• Prof Kuriakose Mamkoottam, Professor Emeritus, a PhD in Sociology, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi.
• Prof Md. Sharique Farooqi, Professor, graduated with specialization in Product Design, from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
• Dr Richa Awasthy, Associate Professor, is a Ph. D in Management with specialization in Organizational Behaviour from Jamia Hamdard University. She has taught at IMI New Delhi and IMT Ghaziabad.
• Dr Kanwal Anil, Associate Professor, has a PhD from the University of Lucknow in the area of Securitization & Structured Finance. She has taught at Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management Delhi and other B-schools. 
• Dr Kancharla Valentina, Assistant Professor is a PhD in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).​
• Dr Anshu Gupta, Assistant Professor, is MPhil and a PhD in Operational Research from Department of Operational Research, University of Delhi.​
• Dr Nidhi Kaicker, Assistant Professor holds a Doctoral and Masters Degree from Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University.
• Dr Kritika Mathur, Assistant Professor, is a PhD from Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi University, a Masters in Economics from Jamia Millia Islamia and Bachelors in Economics from Dayal Singh College, Delhi University.
• Dr Kalindi Maheshwari, Assistant Professor, holds PhD and Masters degrees in International Business from Manchester Business School, and Bachelors in Economics from SRCC, University of Delhi.

Finally, what is your vision for SBPPSE?
In the future, we would like to come up with programmes for small traders, SMEs as they don’t have formal ways of training in management. We would like to devise some short-term programmes and do capacity building for small and medium level entrepreneurs and people who are looking for entrepreneurship opportunities, focussing on social entrepreneurship opportunities. We would like to become a platform for all these players and support them. We will be entering into continuing education and will try to help different stakeholders in the society.   

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on Ambedkar University Delhi