An alumnus of PRM 20, Nitin graduated in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Kurukshetra. He followed it up with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Management from Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) and an Advanced Management Program in Agribusiness from Cornell University. Prior to his laudatory work with YES BANK, he has also worked in senior management positions with organizations like ITC, Aditya Birla Nuvo, MCX & Reliance Retail.
An alumnus of the 12th batch of IRMA's PGDRM, Praveen started his directorial journey with “Barefoot to Goa” that was released to critical acclaim.
His second feature film “Walking with the wind” won three national awards. It has been selected to prestigious film festivals around the world. Apart from this, it was also officially selected for London Indian Film Festival, Colombian International Film Festival for Youth, CMS International Film Festival to name a few.
Group Head of Agri and IT Businesses at ITC Limited
An alumnus of the second batch of IRMA, S Sivakumar oversees Agri and IT businesses of the Company. He was the Divisional Chief Executive of the Agri Business Division till November 2017. He is the Chairman of Technico Agri Sciences Limited, and Vice Chairman of ITC Infotech India Limited and its subsidiaries in the UK and USA.
The e-Choupal Initiative was developed and executed under Sivakumar's leadership. Topper of the Class of 1983 from the Institute of Rural Management Anand, (IRMA), Sivakumar worked with a farmers' cooperative for six years before joining ITC in 1989.
Board Chair, Dvara Group of Companies (formerly known as IFMR Group)
Featured in the Forbes W-Power Trailblazers 2017, Bindu is an IRMA alumna of PRM 20th batch. She is co-founder and Board Chair of the Dvara Group of companies. This includes 1) Dvara KGFS - a retail financial services institution designed for remote rural India 2) Dvara Solutions -- a technology solutions company that has a suite of customer centricity tools for FIs and 3) Dvara Research - a financial sector policy think-tank.
As Board Chair, she is responsible for aligning the business strategy of each company to the mission of Dvara Trust and establishing the highest standards of corporate governance.
Prior to this, she had worked with ICICI Bank for seven years as a founding member of its microfinance practice, leading the design of ICICI Bank’s direct origination programme for micro-finance institutions (MFIs) and India’s first rainfall index insurance product.
Bindu has an under-graduate degree in Economics and two Masters' degrees - from IRMA and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Tinni Sawhney has over 25 years of experience on sustainable livelihood development in rural India and has worked extensively on issues of agriculture and livestock development for smallholder farmers.
An alumna of the 7th PRM batch, she is currently the CEO at the Aga Khan Foundation (India), working to enhance women’s financial security, improve incomes and promote access to sanitation that provides both dignity and safety.
Prior to this, Tinni has worked with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, South Asia Pro Poor Livestock Policy Programme, the Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA) and the WorldWide Fund for Nature.
The words ‘management studies’ conjure up images of a horde of sombre, humourless grownups crunching numbers and discussing complex problems in high-intensity classroom sessions, and studying hard to solve those problems the remainder of the time. While the part about number crunching and complex problem-solving is fairly accurate, life at a B-school isn’t all work and no play.
It is especially true if you choose the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) for your postgraduate studies.
Established in 1979 in the town of Anand, 65 km from the bustling city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, IRMA is a pioneering institution in the domain of rural management education and research. It offers a two-year Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Management (PGDRM) that equips motivated individuals with the professional know-how for contributing to the development of rural India.
While this very fact sets it apart from other B-schools offering conventional management education, life at IRMA is full of pleasant surprises that one isn’t prepared for. Here are some unique things that make the two years at IRMA a truly enjoyable experience.
What good is an education about rural India if the students have never really experienced life in a village? Recognizing this fact, IRMA sends all its freshly-arrived students off to villages in Gujarat for a week-long stay. Students - most of whom hail from urban areas - stay in a rural household, observing their lifestyle and customs. They are also introduced to the socio-cultural dynamics in a typical village and its institutions, and return to IRMA primed to learn more about this sector.
The induction segment extends well beyond this short rural excursion. Once back on campus, students are engaged in ice-breaking sessions, multiple rounds of formal and informal orientation, a visit to the renowned AMUL Dairy, all of which develop a sense of community and camaraderie among the students.
In addition to this, there are welcome celebrations for fresh graduates, both of the formal and informal variety. With the number of formal teas, informal get-togethers, hostel socials and club dinners, it is not surprising that being at IRMA can begin to feel like a party that goes on for two years.
Be Different. Be an IRMAn.
For more information on our flagship PGDRM, please visit:
Like any other B-school, IRMA also has a challenging curriculum and timetable that keeps the students on their toes. Studies at IRMA, however, are never a drag because you would hardly ever encounter a class where the professor is simply going through the motions.
Classroom discussions are always lively and insightful. Discussion is encouraged both during and beyond the lectures, and it is not odd to find students engrossed in debate with faculty members during tea breaks. Neither is teaching limited to plain old lectures. At IRMA, you learn through simulations, games, guest lectures, movie screenings and everything in between.
Participants in the PGDRM programme learn not only from their professors, but also from their peers. Thanks to the diversity of backgrounds – both personal and professional – that IRMA ensures in its selection process, there is never a dearth of perspectives on any issue worth discussing.
If you reward intellectual stimulation over rote internalisation of concepts, IRMA is the place for you.
Be Different. Be an IRMAn.
For more information on our flagship PGDRM, please visit:
The said parties are not the only instruments of never-ending revelry at IRMA. Not only do IRMAns celebrate every major Indian festival, but there are also plenty of student-organized events that punctuate academics. There are sports fests, inter-block competitions and alumni reunions – each of which becomes another excuse for IRMAns to get together and have a ball.
Be Different. Be an IRMAn.
For more information on our flagship PGDRM, please visit:
Do you prefer solitude and quiet over boisterous parties? While the IRMA campus is in itself a verdant haven complete with a tiny farm, serene pond and expansive wooded patches, the PGDRM participants also take off to rural pockets across the country for the stipulated Village Fieldwork Segment (VFS) at the end of the first term. In what is perhaps IRMA’s most unique offering in terms of experiential learning, participants stay with a family in a village for two months, living like they do for the duration. They also observe rural life more keenly; conduct intensive research into thematic issues of their choice and in this process, gain a memorable experience. After all, all the partying in the world cannot beat lying under a starlit sky on a breezy night, away from the din and bustle of a city, after having had your fill of clean, unadulterated local delicacies in a hospitable household. You would be hard-pressed to find an institution that lets you enjoy the best of both worlds, and add tremendously to your learning in the process.
Be Different. Be an IRMAn.
For more information on our flagship PGDRM, please visit:
At IRMA, the emphasis is never on obtaining good grades, but on actually learning and inculcating the insights and values that are on offer. Mere classroom teaching does not turn out well-rounded professionals. IRMA recognizes this fact, and therefore offers its students an unmatched experience that is edifying and enjoyable in equal measure.
Be Different. Be an IRMAn.
For more information on our flagship PGDRM, please visit:
I am interested in doing executive p g diploma in rural management from IRMA .plz provide information regarding this year's GMAT and mini GMAT cut-off for admission to pgdmx .I shall be highly thankful.
The Seventh Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India, on 16th December, 2018, at Tribhuvandas Patel Auditorium, NDDB, Anand.
He will speak on "The Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas for India."
The Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Lecture Series has been instituted in memory of IRMA’s Founder Chairman and the Father of the White Revolution, Dr. Verghese Kurien.
The venue for the lecture is TK Patel Auditorium, NDDB, Anand and the time for the same is 11:00 AM.