MICA Summer Placement 2015: Median stipend up by 25%; more opt for start-ups

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
October 29, 2015
MICA Ahmedabad has announced the completion of its summer placement process for the 2015-17 batch of flagship PGDM-C
students look for exciting opportunities in the sectors like digital, e-commerce and start-up where the rate of growth is high and the future is uncertain, the gap between the placement process and the actual internship will become narrower

MICA Ahmedabad has announced the completion of its summer placement process for the 2015-17 batch of flagship Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Communications (PGDM–C). The entire process was completed within the summer placement week concluded on October 27, 2015.

The indicators are quite encouraging. A total of 55 companies including 20 new companies participated in the summer placements 2015-16. The average and median stipend saw an increase of 20% and 25% respectively, while the highest stipend was Rs. 80, 000 per month. The number of offers per company was 2.91.

Key trends
MICA is the premier B-school renowned for Creating Leadership in Strategic Marketing and Communication. 159 students from a batch of 160 at MICA opted for summer placements while one student chose to work on his own venture.

The major sectors where students were placed include Media, Advertising, E-commerce, Digital, and FMCG. Other industry sectors included IT, Market Research, BFSI, Retail, Travel and Pharmaceuticals. Some of the new companies who recruited during the summer placement week are Google, Disney India, Zydus and Shopclues while the regulars like L’Oreal, Amul, Colgate-Pamolive, Wipro, Leo Burnett, Interbrand and DDB Mudra continued to pose their trust in MICA students.

More opt for start-ups
The highlight of the Summer Placement process was that around 10% of the batch opted for start-ups. Commenting on the summer placement MICA Dean Dr. Atish Chattopadhyay said “This year’s summer placement process is an indicator of the changing preferences of the students who are, today, willing to experiment with start-ups and join emerging sectors like e-commerce and digital media.”

In his view “Today start-ups and new age companies which grow at a phenomenal pace, find it difficult to predict the projects or the number of interns, six months down the line. Questions are being raised on the conventional practice of conducting the summer internship process in October while the actual internships happen in April-May. It is probably time for the institutes to understand these trends and realign the calendar with the changing times.”

MICA is on the path of achieving yet greater success in its placement process and is taking initiatives for preparing its students by getting them engaged in more industry interactions. In view of Prof Atish Chattopadhyay, Dean MICA the majority of the students are absorbed in sectors like media, advertising, digital, e-commerce, FMCG and internet start-ups. MICA's curriculum is unique as it offers courses like Digital Transformation Frameworks, Digital Marketing, Introduction to Media and Media Planning, Urban Retail Studies, Product and Brand Management, Advertising Management and Consumer Behaviour as part of the first year which provide the students the requisite knowledge for better adaptation with the companies they will intern with. Moreover, MICA students take live consulting projects and work on white papers in the sectors where they take up internships.

“This year we have aligned our efforts in terms of student activities in the emerging areas by having industry experts interact with the students by way of workshops and guest lectures."

MICA stands out among top PGDM schools
Having experienced the internship process at one of the top 10 b-schools and then at MICA, the key differentiating factor for MICA are the sectors in which the MICA students prefer to intern. According to Prof Atish Chattopadhyay “Students in the top 10 schools usually tend to follow a herd mentality and succumb to peer pressure seeking internships in traditional sectors like FMCG, BFSI, and Consulting. While MICA students have the option of doing internships in traditional favourites like P&G, Colgate-Pamolive and L'Oreals of the world, they follow their urge for creativity and opt for sectors where they can contribute the most. This explains the choice of sectors like media, advertising and start-ups like TAG Vinnatti, Brands of Desire, Shopclues, Grabhouse and Momoe to name a few.”

Narrowing gap between process and actual internship
The present system of conducting the summer placement process almost six months ahead of the project is in line with the requirements of the traditional companies which usually grow at a stable rate making advance planning feasible.

However sharing with MBAUniverse.com Prof Atish Chattopadhyay says “Going forward, as higher percentage of students look for exciting opportunities in the sectors like digital, e-commerce and start-up where the rate of growth is high and the future is uncertain, the gap between the placement process and the actual internship will become narrower. A shorter gap will allow more new-age companies and start-ups to participate in the process which will open up more options for the students.”

Established in 1991, MICA is the first residential institute in the country and perhaps in the Asia-Pacific region, dedicated to creating Leadership in Strategic Marketing and Communication.

Its spirit lies in its grasping of contemporariness, addressing the needs of an ever-changing environment. The MICA brand assures effective delivery of Strategic Marketing and Communication solutions to the industry, government and community.

MICA alumni are serving in leadership positions in some of the best known companies in India and the world, in marketing, brand management, research & analytics, advertising, media, digital and other strategic marketing and communication-driven businesses.

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