The first batch of the programme was started last year and has just
concluded the placement process. The average salary offer was Rs 15
lakhs and the highest offer was Rs 25 lakhs. The companies where the
students have been placed include Procewaterhouse Cooper, Century
Plywood, Cummins, Infosys, Jindal Steel, Reliance ADA, Satyam, Ranbaxy,
Tata Power etc. Interestingly, no foreign placement is allowed.

IIM Calcutta, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras had
launched this Joint IIM-IIT One Year PGPEX-VLM in August 2007 under the
aegis of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council and the
Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The
Programme draws support from the Government of Japan by way of
deputation of Japanese faculty and industry experts and training of
PGPEX-VLM students and faculty in manufacturing centers of excellence
in Japan under a collaboration agreement signed by the Prime Ministers
of India and Japan.

Appreciating the initiative of the programme, chief guest, Fujio
Samukawa, Consul General of Japan says, aSooner or later the world will
acknowledge the Indian made products which will be internationally
competitivea. IIT Kanpur Director Sanjay G Dhande says the idea of the
programme is to prepare these students for innovating new products and
help developing Indian manufacturing sector. IIM Calcutta Director,
points out that the idea behind this programme is to make Indian
manufacturing a customer-oriented manufacturing.