The program is being touted as a “free” program, being almost fully sponsored by HCL (a private company), and as a program offering the prestigious IIM tag and MBA as well as guaranteed placement - with only HCL, of course.

These are strong demerits being disguised as features. The defining aspects of this program in fact run completely contrary to everything that makes an IIM experience great.

Let’s talk about why IIMs are one of the most coveted destinations in India. The key features can be summarised with the following: the best campus experience, a superlative peer group guaranteed to be talented, great faculty with modern and relevant curriculum, and last but certainly not least, unparalleled placements.

Now think about what the HCL sponsored program IIM Nagpur is offering. It’s got none of that.

The program will be mostly online, as students will be working with HCL for a majority duration of the program. IIM campuses are famous for their unique environment. There is always a lot of activity going on, which keeps you on your toes, makes networking possible, and builds your extra-curricular profile. The inter-batch (and inter IPM-MBA) mingling on campus creates a wide range of opportunities for all, not to mention the access that a campus provides to residential professors outside classroom hours.

The campus also exposes you to one of the best sets of peers you can find in the country for both UG and PG programs. IIMs are extremely competitive, which guarantees that everyone who makes it has appreciable talents. This creates a culture of constant learning in the campus which is unmatched elsewhere.

In short, a non-residential IIM degree is little better than a piece of paper.

Further, the curriculum will be heavily compromised in the Nagpur BBA program. Instead of building your foundational skills and preparing you for the elite MBA, this program is going to be heavily tailored to suit the needs of HCL. This is a tremendous compromise of your potential. The program is not at all like the other IPMs - it is a training program for a single private company branded with an IIM tag.

If HCL is your dream company, go for it, but let’s be honest - it’s probably not. So, if you are a serious IPM aspirant, then look elsewhere.

Let’s talk about placements. 100% placements are one of the defining standards most IIMs hold dearest to their hearts. If you gain admission into the IPM (except Nagpur’s IPM) or MBA program of any IIM, after graduation you will count yourself among the most sought-after employees in the country. Compared to this, IIM Nagpur’s offer of a non-negotiable job with a single company is paltry.

In fact, you will be required to join HCL after graduation. This is a stupendous demotion from what is a standard in most IIMs. Imagine - at the point of admission into the program, you are going to be a fresh high school graduate, yet to fully explore your interests and talents, and ignorant about both what the world has to offer to you as well as your own potential. Do you really want to sign a bond at this point to agree to join only HCL, that too under a predetermined salary?

This brings us to the final point - very few people are going to aspire for this program. Those who do want to join it will be the desperate ones who could not have made it into an IIM any other way. What does this mean for you? It means that the entry to the program will not be competitive, which is bad news! Even after your tenure with HCL is over, few companies will want to hire you - sure, you will have the IIM tag, but companies want to hire people they know have been rigorously filtered through exams like IPMAT or CAT. Entrants to this program are going to be far inferior in talent to the standard fare available in most IIMs.

So do not be fooled by the “free” nature of the program, do not be fooled by the IIM tag, and certainly don’t be fooled by the guaranteed job with HCL. If you believe you have the potential to make it to any of the other IPMs, check this one out of your list.