Why online executive MBA like ePGP from IIM may not be worth it

Below is a comparison table I prepared for various PGP programs of IIM Ahmedabad

	IIM Ahmedabad Courses
Particulars	PGP	PGPx	ePGP
Duration(Mths)	21	9	12
Base Fee(Lakhs)	21	24.5	17.45
Admission:
Min age	NA	27	NA
Min Workexp	0	4 years	3 years
Test Scores	NA	GMAT	NA
Placement	Yes	Yes	No

The recently introduced ePGP is an online MBA program aimed at working professionals. It confers alumni status, but without the placement support. So for those seeking the brand, they can get it if they otherwise qualify for admission and manage to complete the program. As per the training partner Hughes Education https://www.hugheseducation.com/iim-ahmedabad/epgp 

1. pedagogy followed for the program will be on blend of lectures, case studies, online lectures, projects, peer to peer learning, self- learning and simulations. Mentoring by faculty and access to learning resources of IIMA will also be made available. 
2. Campus modules (three or four) of one week or more each conducted at the IIMA Campus.
3. Thursday 06.45 pm - 09.55 pm; Friday 06.45 pm – 09.55 pm; Saturday 06.45 pm - 09.55 pm
   Sunday 12.10 noon – 03.20 pm
4.  two-year post-graduate diploma programme (with added flexibility of completion within maximum 3 years) offered on Interactive Onsite Learning (IOL) platform

While the education quality and peer group interaction will doubtless be good, the question is whether it is worth the investment or not. In my view

1. the admission criteria is nowhere as rigourous as the mainstream MBA. So the signalling effect is lost. 
2. Can a working professional really spare these many days this often? Needs real discipline
3. Lack of placement support will encourage companies to sponsor this(considering even a MDP costs 0.5-1lakh, this is way more value for money), but lower value to the candidate

What else is an option

1. Focussed courses with Certification Track in Udemy/Coursera/HBS/Wharton-Approx Cost between $10-$100 excluding certification cost
2. Networking Groups
3. In person training of hard skills like financial modelling

Do a top MBA abroad for a better chance of marrying an Indian tycoon heir

Firstly, let me clarify that this blog post does not imply that people(either male or female) do MBA for the sole purpose(or even an explicit purpose) of finding their life partner. However, it does happen, be it at Indian campuses or foreign campuses. The reason for this blog post is that I'm yet to read/come across any example of an Indian business scion meeting their life partner at an Indian college. Maybe the tough admission standards(only academic merit not your surname/personal attributes/social savviness) are to blame for this, but whatever the reason, India's heirs tend to pursue their post graduation abroad rather than in India. This is anecdotal and not supported by detailed statistics, but rather the best data I have. That said, the below examples are insightful

1. Nandini Piramal(Stanford Business School 2004-06)-Tim:-Ms Piramal married her Stanford classmate a few years back, and now they are proud parents. He even left Blackstone to join the family firm Piramal Healthcare(this is an example where family managers can be better than even any other 'professional' managers in terms of pedigree.
2. Aditya Mittal-Megha(Wharton)-They met during the MBA program there, and are now proud parents to 2 daughters.
3. Vanisha Mittal-Amit Bhatia(Cornell)-One of the most lavish weddings, held in Paris.
4. Akshata Murthy-Rishi Sunak(Stanford Business School);-Narayan Murthy's daughter met her husband when they were at Stanford.

Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill by connecting non existent dots. But given that many of the Indian families are quite reclusive, the above was the best examples I had. Readers may add examples/counter examples below. 

Why girls have it good in top Bschools

1.     I would have usually posted this in my blog on my IIMA experiences, but considering that this blog is for 'unsanitized' unconventional views, I thought this will be a better fit. As always, I welcome any comments but no personal attacks please! This post covers the little reported topic about how women find it difficult(relative to males) to get admission in IIMABC(and few other top BSchools) but once in, are on top of the world.   as in admission itself-once they clear the CAT hurdle. 

1.     Bias in admission itself-once they clear the CAT hurdle. Directors openly want ‘diversity’ etc tweaking the criteria to accommodate girls. For example, the IIM-K director openly boasted about tweaking the criteria to ensure 40% girls. Even other IIMs do try to help girls indirectly-for example give weight-age to Board Exams/consistent track academic records, where girls statistically outperform males.  IIM-K for instance, boasts of 'giving preference' to girls and has 35% girls in its 2011-2013 batch. But only 84/121 girls have a CAT percentile over 90-which speaks volumes for the relaxed standards they are applying to the fairer sex. And adding insult to agony, they claim that girls get better placements. With a system rigged in your favour, why won't they?

2.     Demand-Supply equations-can balance suitors for a long time. Males(especially those freshers out of engineering hostels starved of female company for years!) gravitate to women, as moths do to a flame. Like the typical moth, they may end getting burned(losing focus etc) if not careful.  

3.     Placements-on an average, girls get better placed than someone with similar CV-solely because companies have this gender diversity mandate. An investment bank even went to the extent of releasing a 100% female shortlist at IIM-A(find out yourself who!)

4.     More PPOs on average due to better networking (whom would YOU want to talk to-a chick eyeing you admiringly or a male?). Wormen just flutter their eyelashes and play the role of a damsel in distress to perfection, men will come rushing to help. This does help during internships. While a male intern may be perceived as dense for asking a question, the same thing when done by a woman may seem gallant to answer/ help out. 

5.     Flip side does exist-they are minority, seen as 'object', slightly harder matrimonial prospects in certain communities(which do not value that education, so these girls end up doing a love marriage. Someone even labelled top Bschools as a matchmaking place for their female students, but maybe society is to blame for this, because highly educated women may need to pay more dowry or find it harder to get same community suitably qualified matches.  Can’t blame them-2yrs is a long time to know somebody well, and probably safer than the conventional arranged marriage.  Also, they are sometimes stereotyped though-like not offering certain finance roles. This does help for sales/marketing roles though.

7.     They play their own role-contact lenses, downplay their off campus bf, dress ‘appropriately’ especially on placements day-a friend of mine even speculated that part of the placement prep in girl’s hostel is on the art of ‘dressing appropriately’ to wow the recruiter. I forbear comment on this one.

Maybe, all the above can the be justified on other grounds such as ; males themselves give attention, need to encourage women in managerial positions, Indian socio economic position etc. And by no means am I implying that they are less 'competent' in any sense of the word. It is only that 'ceteris paribus'(in terms of measurable parameters like skills, qualifications, impact), women do get that extra edge.