In the quest to facilitate the best management education to the budding minds and transform them into adept professionals, GIMS (GNIOT Institute of Management Studies) makes sure to embark upon the right kind of pedagogy. The Sri ram educational trust is formed and offers a coming of age curriculum in management and business administration education. Offering a wide array of opportunities through its flagship course-PGDM (approved by AICTE). The expert faculty set at GIMS leaves no stone unturned to whet the budding talent into industry leaders.

In a recent interview with the Dean of GIMS, Dr. Ruchi Rayat, we had a candid chat about the learning process at GIMS, collaborations with some of the top experts & business leads, her accomplishments & more; here are excerpts from the same:

1. You’ve been associated with Academics & administration for more than 17 years. What motivated you to begin your journey in the education domain? How has your journey been so far? 

A number of factors influenced my decision to leave the business world and pursue a career in academia. Academic freedom to follow one’s interests is vast for a teacher. Furthermore, you are part of a community of outstanding students and coworkers. In contrast to the corporate sector, where you are more concerned with delivery, you must be a thinker who also works for the community. The fact that colleges are actively recruiting for professors with industrial expertise has also aided the transfer from corporate executives to academic life. Being in academics, you get to interact with like-minded people and constantly touch your subject. The most excellent satisfaction of being in academics is the freedom to choose. We learn new things every day and undergo regular training and certifications to up-skill ourselves. Every day is a new day, and it ends with new learnings. The passion and energy of my students opened my mind to teaching as a profession. To me, working towards being a better academician is not easy. Instead, it’s an intimidating, challenging, life-devoting, and never-ending process.

2. You have been awarded the ‘Best Educator Award’ by the International Association of Educators And Corporate Trainers in IECT and the ‘Quality Contribution Award’ by GNIOT Group of Institutions – could you please tell us about your journey to bagging these prestigious awards? 

I feel happy, privileged, and grateful for winning these awards. I always believe that we must do our duty sincerely. I joined this profession, clearly not for earning money but to discover myself. Over these years, I got the opportunity to meet and learn from diverse people. My utmost priority has always been to upskill myself and be a better educator. I genuinely believe that as an academician, I have three roles to play- teacher, mentor, and assessor to a student. As a teacher, I have ensured to incorporate effective and relational teaching. As a mentor, I have always supported the professional development of my students and guided them through their careers. I have played the assessor’s role by always providing constructive feedback to the students.

3. What according to you, are the USPs of GNIOT, and why should one consider GNIOT MBA/PGDM above its competitors? 

PGDM 4.0 (Idea to Execution) offered at GNIOT Institute of Management (GIMS) is the flagship program of GNIOT Group which provides contextual learning and empowers the students with the knowledge and skills to tackle the grand challenges being created by Industry – 4.0. The curriculum 4.0 includes innovation, experimentation and entrepreneurship.

The program offers dual specialization in Marketing, OB & HRM, Finance, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, IT & Business Analytics and International Business. From this year, GIMS has introduced a specialization on ‘New Age Startups & Entrepreneurship’ which will lead the students through the entire process of creating a start-up from an idea.

At GIMS, 70 and 30 Percent Strategy is the key. It implies 70% emphasis on course curriculum and 30% on Performance Improvement Programmes (PIP), Learning by Sharing (Book Review Session), Personality Enhancement Programs, Corporate Readiness Program, Pre-Placement Modules, etc., to provide long term strategic advantage to the students. Global Immersion Programme (GIP) is also a part of full time course curriculum for students to have an exposure to international business scenarios and global best practices in their respective area of specialization.

The students are certified with Skill Augmented Certifications programs on Advance Excel/ Spreadsheet for Managers, Digital Marketing & Social Media Marketing, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), BlockChain, Marketing Analytics, Business Analytics, HR Analytics, Six Sigma etc. to develop skills and knowledge needed for crafting strategies for organizations to help them achieve pole vaulting growth.

GIMS is the first B-School in India to be internationally accredited by Higher Learning Accreditation Consultant & Training (HLACT). Other accreditations of GIMS include ATAL Incubation Center, Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), Analytics Society of India (ASI), Xavier School of Management (XLRI), Delhi, Trade Promotion Council of Robotics & Automation and India BlockChain Alliance, Global Talent Track (GTT), NHRD, Data Center & Analytics Lab (DCAL), Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), BFSI, besides others. We also have an incubator center of MSME to identify & support potential entrepreneurs with a viable business plan.

GIMS has an academic partnership with IIMBx to offer a certificate programme as part of the “IIMBX School Partnership Programme.” The objective of the partnership is to train students in the areas of management – data and insights, economics, finance, marketing, people management, operations, and strategy. 

Carrying forward a legacy of the GNIOT Group, GIMS is honored to announce the successful completion of the Final Placement Process for the Batch of 2020-22. The students occupied coveted positions in Multinationals, Corporates, PSUs and other organizations with excellent compensation packages. A massive 73 organizations recruited student from GIMS across a multitude of domains and final placement was 100% with each student bagging multiple offers

4. What are the characteristics that you look for in a candidate who applies for the MBA/PGDM Program at GNIOT?

Without an iota of doubt, leadership qualities are one of the most critical personality traits that need to be considered when it comes to joining GIMS. We prepare students to be future leaders in the business, corporate and social world. Leadership skills cannot be learned from a book or taught in a class; they are imbibed and developed by a candidate over several years. Also, future business leaders need to exhibit passion in their character. Passion is a valuable tool for staying motivated and productive. The student must have a passion for excelling and achieving. And of course, while it’s important to prove a candidate can lead a team, it’s equally important to prove that they can be part of a team. The capacity for working in a fluid, dynamic team environment, taking the lead when necessary, capitalizing on the strengths of others, and handing over the reins when the time is right are essential attributes for fitting in GIMS.

5. What are the opportunities for someone who takes up a program at GNIOT, especially post the ongoing pandemic? 

As we enter the COVID-19 recovery phase, GIMS is geared up to transform into a more resilient institution. The current crisis has tested our ability to deal with large-scale disruptions. Our vision is to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to succeed and develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will make them corporate leaders. Looking at the VUCA world of disruption, innovation, and transformation scenario, GIMS has ascertained that organizations are regularly on the lookout for leaders who can be change-makers and drive business facing the challenges thrown by Industry 4.0.

“In today’s post pandemic world corporate organizations are seeking a pipeline of talented managers who can design strategies and manage worldwide teams.”

 So, at GIMS we aim to fill this gap by offering a PGDM 4.0 Program. We are a management institute with entrepreneurial agility. Other than Marketing, OB & HRM, International Business, Logistics & SCM, Finance, IT & Business Analytics, we also specialize in New Age Startups & Entrepreneurship. To top this, GIMS also helps students develop the necessary skills to manage uncertainty through various students’ initiatives and activities that they undergo throughout the year.

6. What would you want this generation to learn from this pandemic?

In my opinion, in today’s situation of uncertainty, fear, and panic, keeping a healthy attitude should be of paramount importance. We should influence others with a calm attitude and positivity. On the professional front, future leaders must develop skills for digital transformation. Only digital competencies and upskilling can help them to mitigate the effects of the crisis of Covid-19. They should learn and read as much as possible. The more they read and interact with different people, the more their minds will open up, and they will be able to combat the challenges of the VUCA world.

In this regard, the level of b-school education offered by GNIOT is definitely class apart. With its accreditations and accolades, GNIOT will surely revolutionize contemporary b-school education.

Ruchi Rayat, PhD – Dean (Outreach & Student Welfare)

GNIOT is now accepting applications from the upcoming batch 2022-24: Apply Now

Get the top & most recent update on GNIOT Admission 2022-24, join: [Official] Post Graduate Diploma in Management (2022-24) at GNIOT Institute Of Management Studies, Greater Noida