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Technology Stocks : Satyam Infoway Ltd-(Nasdaq:SIFY) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mohan Marette who wrote (994)	3/2/2000 9:36:00 PM
From: Mohan Marette	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1471

OT Embarrassment of riches for B-schools P.T.Jyothi Datta CALCUTTA, Mar. 2 IF corporate participation and the much publicised escalating salaries mark campus recruitment at B-schools, it certainly was the day of the millennium batch of 2000 at the recently concluded placement rigours. And going by the experiences at Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC) or Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI)-( IIM-Bangalore and/or IIM-Lucknow etc)-the effect of a booming marketplace has had otherwise 'hot' companies returning empty handed from campuses, even as students juggled with coveted offers. A case in point is IIM-Calcutta. Contrary to popular belief that big payers like consulting companies would be more than lapped up by students, sought after companies such as Mitchell Madison Group (MMG) had only two of its four offers accepted, while McKinsey found five of its eight offers accepted - losing three candidates to the Boston Consulting Group, according to placement representatives. At IIMC, the placement experience has been a stark study in contrast from the previous year. Last year's placement week was choc-a-bloc with student-company interfaces and the process lasted out its scheduled duration. Students were placed, companies got what they wanted and at the end of the day, everyone was happy. This year, students were placed sooner than ever before, the placement process ended earlier than expected and several reputed companies left empty handed. About 100 of the 120 companies invited to IIM-Calcutta were slotted to participate in the seven-day rigmarole, to take their pick from the 201-strong batch. However, the exercise ended in four days, with 63 companies recruiting from campus. There were 70 foreign offers, even as 35 companies had to walk away re-thinking their modus operandi on campus for 2001. According to Mr. Arun Nair, placement representative of IIMC, it was a combination of three factors that went in favour of students _ the smaller batch, compared to last year's 317-strong batch, the market boom and the fact that companies picked up more than they said they would. Similarly, of the 70 companies scheduled to be spread over four days at XLRI, 15 were left with none to recruit and the placement process was wrapped up in two days. Corporate egos are easily bruised when they are not slotted on the first day of the placement schedule. Coupled with having to return without their promised share of the MBA pie, it could well be adding insult to injury. But wouldn't this have repercussions on the 235-strong batch of 2001? Mr. Nair pointed out that since this was the phenomenon across B-schools, there was no cause for undue worry. Just as there were several more companies in the fray this time than last year, next year would see its own fair share of new companies. Mr. Anurag Vohra, IIM-Culcutta's placement representative, said that companies turned away have sought feedback from students on what they should do to circumvent this deadlock next year. "Increased offerings", by way of more informal interactions and building a relationship with the students, were some solutions apparently put forth by the placement cell. According to data provided by IIMC's student spokesperson, Mr. Praveen Choudhary: "Salaries of traditional biggies such as HLL, P&G and Asian Paints had gone up manifold due to competition. The average salary was Rs 12.15 lakhs and significant among the first-timers were Lehman Brothers, iNautix, J.P.Morgan, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Webtek, Planetasia, Mindtree Consulting and Iris." The offer-wise break-up of the companies saw the IT gamut of companies at 39 per cent, finance companies at 29 per cent, consulting at 17 per cent and FMCGs at 14 per cent. -Business Line