MBA in Rural: Top Colleges, Career, Courses, Fee, Syllabus

MBA Rural Management is a two year full time post graduate program in Management. The programme offers learning and managing the rural markets which are prominently dominated by agriculture and allied products by using locally available raw material. MBA in Rural Management applies the management theories and practice with their modified process meant for rural areas that can be converted into high potential market in future. The planning, organising, making the rural areas develop fruitfully with profit generation for the products, studying with a view to develop the cooperatives, agri-business and allied activities are part of the courses in MBA Rural Management. 

MBA Rural Management course is divided into Six Trimesters ( Four Semesters) spread over two years. The MBA Rural Management course provides in-depth coverage in terms of Theoretical and Experiential Learning along with core management principles in the first year followed by advanced courses and electives in the second year. In addition to academics, the pedagogic approach is devoted to fieldwork in every trimester. 

In the first year MBA in Rural Management syllabus is more or less to develop the foundation of the student with leadership skills. In the second year the specialization areas in MBA in Rural Management syllabus are different. The rural management courses include the application of management principles to the rural sector, defining the requirements like making available the required finance, the public or private sector banking institutions operating, inculcating the interest of corporate sector, the extant rural life style and proposed changes in improving the production and marketing strategy of agriculture produce, rural products, establishing meaningful Self Help Groups (SHGs) to consolidate the rural produce and getting high return on it. Since management experts are required to streamline all these areas in rural management, the Rural Management Colleges adopt a focused pedagogy of studying these challenging aspects of rural management which is more practical, case study based than class room based. Field visits and stay in rural areas, industries manufacturing products procured from rural areas, co-operatives, SHGs are part of focused pedagogy and internships. The key subjects in the MBA in Rural Management course are:

• Microeconomics, Financial Accounting
• Rural Society and Polity
• Managerial Analysis & Communication
• Environmental & Livelihood Systems
• Green Business & Sustainable Development
• Strategic Procurement in Agribusiness
• Rural Development
• Collective Action and Cooperation
• Agriculture Input Marketing
• Dairy Development
• Agribusiness Social Marketing
• Brand Management
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Consumer Behaviour
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• E-Business for Rural Enterprises Development
• Rural Communication Entrepreneurship
• Economic Environment and Policy Investment Analysis
• Portfolio Management
• Geo-Informatics for Rural Management
• Promotional Strategy Governance and Development
• Sales and Distribution Management
• ICT for Development Service
• Operations Management
• International Trade
• Six Sigma Management of Change Strategic Management of Innovation and Technology
• Micro-Finance Strategic Marketing and Planning Public Policy Analysis
• Supply Chain Management Rural Innovations
• Taxation, Public Policy & Marketing
• Total Quality Management
• Management Planning and Control
• Understanding Negotiation Critical Perspective on Organizations Econometric Methods for Impact Evaluation & Development Consulting

The MBA in Rural Management has seen a steady rise in Jobs and Profiles as the need for rural managers is rising year after year. As a result more and more students are taking up MBA rural management courses as preferred career option. National and Multi Nationals are realizing the importance of Rural and Agribusiness market. While AMUL is one of the top examples of cooperative brands offering high placements to graduates in Rural Management and Agribusiness management, number of top recruiters like Adani, Reliance, Tata, Godrej, EY, KPMG, Ninjacart, Cloudtail among others are offering lucrative jobs and profiles to students with MBA in Rural Management.

Career placement opportunities on completion of MBA in Rural Management exist in the Industries like Dairy Processing; Fruit and Vegetable processing; Chicken & Meat Processing; Retail Industry; Financial Services; Private Sector Banks; Public Sector Banks; Small Finance Banks; NBFCs working in Agri and Rural Sector; Micro Finance; Agri Commodity Trading Sector; Agri Warehousing Sector; Development Sector; Cooperatives and FPOs; Agri Export Houses; E Commerce; Teaching & Research; Agri Input Industry; Seeds; Fertiliser; Agrochemicals; Farm Machinery and Equipments; Cattle Feed; Poultry Feed; Aqua Feed; Food Processing Industry. Besides, there are immense opportunities in banks, logistics and consultancy firms for MBAs in Rural management. The food processing sector also requires trained professionals.

IRMA, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow, XIM University have registered 100% placements for their MBA Rural Management programme with an average salary in the range of Rs.10 LPA to 30 LPA. A consistent increase in salaries in Placement offers from reputed recruiters to graduates with MBA in Rural Management adds to the rising popularity of this course.

IRMA Anand, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow, XIM University, Welingkar Mumbai among others offer 2 years full time residential MBA in Rural Management course. MBA Rural Management is a post graduate course. Apart from these B-schools, several other Management Institutes also other MBA Rural Management either as a standalone Management Program or as a key specialization in their General or Agri Business Management program. Check details. 

MBA Rural Management Fees for two years is in the range of Rs.15 lakhs to Rs.25 lakhs depending upon the type of MBA Rural Management college. For example, IRMA MBA Rural Management Fees is Rs.16.75 lakhs + Other deposits and expenses, IIM Ahmedabad fees is Rs.25 lakhs for two years. 

The eligibility criteria for MBA Rural Management Admission are:

• Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized University with minimum 50% marks in the aggregate.
• Candidates in final year of graduation can also apply
• Candidates with work experience can also apply
• All the applicants have to appear in the acceptable MBA entrance test like CAT, XAT, NMAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA among others

• Eligible candidates need to appear in acceptable entrance test like CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP and have to apply separately to the B-school for admission to MBA Rural Management.
• Candidates will be shortlisted based on their entrance exam score, academics and other parameters
• All the shortlisted candidates have to appear in Personal Interview
• Final admission will be made based on performance in PI Round, Entrance test, academics, work experience, and other parameters

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