Eduniversal Best Master's Ranking in Agribusiness/Food Industry Management (for PGP-FABM)
		Rank (Year)
		PGP-ABM	PGP-FABM	PGP-FABM	PGP-FABM
Serial Number	Name of the B-School	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2019
1	Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad	1	1	1	1

About the programme
The commitment of the institute towards socially important sector like food and agri-business dates back to its inception, when the institute accepted managerial issues related to agriculture, food, and other developmental sectors as a part of its thrust areas.

In pursuit of this a post-graduate programme with a specialisation package in agriculture (PGP-SPA) was started in 1974. In 2000, IIMA revamped the programme after a review of the institute’s approach to agri-business management education under changing economic environment and a two-year post-graduate programme in agri-business management was launched in 2000.

More than 1,34,000 candidates apply for this programme, and only about 46 candidates are selected with a rigorous selection process administered throughout the country.

The current batch of PGP-FABM (2019-21) includes students with different background in agriculture, food technology, dairy technology, bio-technology and other allied engineering.

Placed below is the snapshot of the last three PGP-FABM batches with the gender ratio, discipline and their background.

	Batch 2019-21	Percentage	Batch 2018-20	Percentage	Batch 2017-19	Percentage
Number of female students	22	48	16	35	23	50
Number of male students	24	52	30	65	23	50
Total students	46	100	46	100	46	100
Discipline
Engineering	30	65	30	65	25	54
Science	16	35	16	35	13	28
Commerce/management	0	0	0	0	6	13
Arts	0	0	0	0	2	4
Pharmacy	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total students	46	100	46	100	46	100
Background
Biotechnology	9	20	9	20	18	39
Agriculture	21	46	16	35	7	15
Food/dairy technology	13	28	18	39	4	9
Others	3	6	3	6	17	37
Total students	46	100	46	100	46	100

PGP-FABM is a two-year full-time residential programme. It has evolved over the years and expanded beyond agriculture to other allied areas such as food processing, commodities and rural development sector, and rural infrastructure.

The institute has an intake of 46 students with inclusion of more industry interaction, rural immersion modules and have made project-work a significant part of the curriculum than ever before. The programme attracts many companies across the supply chain, for academic collaboration, internships and finally for recruitment.

Content of course
The programme curriculum has a solid managerial foundation, focussed on food and agri-business marketplace. It includes compulsory management courses in the first year and is common with the post-graduate programme of the institute.

The second year of the programme includes compulsory as well as elective courses designed to have specialised multifunction knowledge and skill required by food and agri-business sector.

The Rural Immersion Module (RIM) also helps students to spend about two weeks in rural areas. The students have the opportunity to meet the rural community, know their lifestyles and values and help them carry out project on issues of socio economic nature.

The students exchange programme is also offered in collaboration with four foreign universities, ESSEC B School, France, University of British Columbia, Canada, Antai College, China and Norwegian School of Economics, Norway with a view to enhance the international exposure for the PGP-FABM students. Students spend about one term (10-12 weeks) at the foreign university.

Course objectives
The programme is designed to expand students’ perspective knowledge and skill necessary for management and leadership in agribusiness, food industry and allied sectors. It also nurtures in the participant a commitment to integrity, ethical behaviour, and a sense of social purpose.

The objective of the programme is to develop young men and women into competent professional managers for the food and agri-business, rural and allied sectors. Increasing environmental concerns and challenges of working in a highly market oriented environment requires the agri-food industry to be dynamic in terms of responses to changes in policies and managing those changes.

Along with innovative skills, those working in this industry require a range of management skills, familiarity with the policy environment, and a strategic perspective and the programme prepares students for the arduous task of leading change in dynamic industry and managing the process of those changes.

The programme adequately prepares students for the rapidly changing agri-business sector with specific programme objectives.

Placement prospects
The career prospects of professional managers from IIMA’s PGP-FABM Programme are incredibly bright and attractive. The placements reflect the increasing recognition and perceived relevance of the programme by the industry and include newer areas such as commodity trading, farm insurance, agri-business infrastructure and food retailing.

Many alumni head top corporates contribute at key positions in several agri-business conglomerates and developmental organisations in India and overseas.

These include Balram Singh Yadav, chief executive officer and managing director, Godrej Agrovet; Anil Jain,chief marketing officer, Bayer Cropscience; Nishchint Bhatia, senior director, PepsiCo International, and Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, chairman, NABARD, and many more.

PGP-FABM programme attracts recruiters from a broad spectrum of sectors who recruit students for a variety of roles across sectors, including agricultural inputs, banking, consulting, FMCG, food retailers, and financial services.

Functional roles available to students included strategy, international marketing, business development and sales, research and advisory, B2B (business-to-business) marketing, supply chain management, commodity trading, and general management.

Major recruiters visiting campus include P&G, Reckitt Benckiser, General Mills, Cloudtail, Godrej Agrovet, Olam International, PI Industries, Syngenta, DuPont, Kerry Group, Marico, RBL Bank, Rabobank Group, Amul, PwC, ADM, Tata Rallis, etc.

Satish Deodhar, chairperson, PGP-FABM, said, “IIMA has designed a two year post graduate program in food and agri-business management (PGP-FABM) keeping in mind the peculiar challenges faced by this sector.”

“The curriculum creates a perfect blend of general management courses taught in the first year and courses that focus on food and agri-business marketplace in the second year,” he added.

“For decades FABM students have been learning the ropes to become CXOs, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs in the food and agribusiness sector,” Deodhar said.

“This rope-trick has been made possible by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad through its unique programme design and sectoral background of faculty members and students. It should not come as a surprise that FABM has been consistently rated as the best agribusiness programme in the world by EdUniversal, Paris,” he added.