TAPMI Review 2021

The list of colleges I applied for includes TAPMI, GIM, IMI, Baby IIMs and VGSOM. My first admission process interview started with TAPMI, which included an initial shortlisting based on 10th, 12th and Graduation marks, the eligibility criteria for each being 60% and the CAT %ile being 85. The shortlisted students were communicated from the admissions office, stating the GDPI process and the dates for the same. The panellists started the process with a brief introduction about the college, followed by a Group Discussion round of 20 mins which was conducted in specified groups consisting of around 9-10 applicants. The next process included the personal interview where I was grilled on my work experience, situational questions and my hobbies. An English Proficiency test was also conducted to get a grip on the candidate's proficiency level. Based on my converts, TAPMI had better opportunities in terms of industry exposure, the holistic curriculum and the rich alumni base.

TAPMI provides specialised courses in Marketing, HR, Banking and Financial Services, and a PGDM(Core) program. Though I had interests in multiple domains, I could not align myself that early for a specialised course. Hence, I opted for the PGDM(Core) program where the course structure would gradually help me align my interests towards a specific domain. Few courses also have primer courses to help students familiarize themselves and get hold of the basics of the subjects. Faculties include professionals with work experience in multiple industries and rich in academics. The faculty student ratio at TAPMI is 1:9. The teaching pedagogy involves thought and process oriented learning to give structure to how to address problems and address possible solutions. With Covid covering a dark cloud over the postgraduate programs, the management of TAPMI came up with groups to connect with the batchmates and work in unison with a FAS mentor assigned, to reach out for in case of any issues.

The internships typically begin in the middle of the end of the 1st trimester. The figures for the previous season are as follows: Highest:1.2LPA. Average: 24,120. Prominent recruiters include Nestle, GEP, Gartner, ITC, CGI, Asian Paints, Tata Capital, JP Morgan & Chase, Deloitte, Brillio, Capgemini and many more. Roles include: Sales & Marketing Intern, Supply Chain intern, Business Analyst, Risk Analyst, etc

The placements typically begin in the 4th/5th trimester of the 2 year's course, where students are asked to submit resumes and choose their preferences of domain role being offered. Placements have been also a good indicator of TAPMI excellence. 100% placement has been achieved even in the covid scenario. Companies from almost all sectors offering different roles come for their recruitment. Deloitte, KPMG, Lenskart, PhonePe, ITC, Cargill are some of the top recruiters who visit the campus. The average stats of the previous season is as stated below: Average:11.2LPA, Highest:25LPA, Top 50:15.5LPA, Top 100: 14.6 LPA, Top 200: 12.7 LPA,

The fees structure for the 21-23 batch is 7.55 lacs per year, the accumulated expenditure for the program being 15.10 for the entire course, which is comparatively lesser in respect to other B-Schools. For students, TAPMI provides scholarships worth 2.26 crores under the Dr Ramdas Pai Merit Scholarship scheme to around 50 students based on their respective %iles. TAPMI also provides scholarships under Dean's Roll of Honour, SHRM and CFA/FRM/CMT as well. The coveted YLP program which provides an immersive industry experience also has up to 6 lacs as a stipend for the students selected.

Multiple events take place all over the year on the campus. Brandscan, a market research fair, is the flagship event of TAPMI. Disha which has currently been ongoing is stimulating interaction between the industry personnel and the students, to learn about the challenges and developments taking place in the industry. Atharva, the annual international fest also has a heady mix of finance, HR, marketing, entrepreneurship and social responsibility. The library has more than 36000 books, 4000 student project reports, faculty/institute publications and company annual reports. TAPMI is also home to the renowned Bloomberg lab, equipped with 16 terminals to provide insights about real market situations. The classrooms are well equipped with modern facilities to create a good learning environment. Clubs and committees at TAPMI are run by the students. TAPMI also has the only registered student-managed investment fund, Samnidhy.

The hostel has 5 blocks with 24*7 hot water supply supported by solar heating and an attached bathroom for each of the rooms Students have options of staying in single or double occupancy rooms. Wi-fi connectivity, lifts and power backup include the other amenities of the residential block. The food quality offered is good with options of choosing from multiple cuisines from different vendors. For the Covid scenario, the colllege has also arranged for the meals for the students at campus to choose from mulitple vendors by booking a monthly subscription from each.

The Group Discussion round has topics revolving around the general issues and happenings of the world. A time limit of 2 mins was given for brainstrorming an accumulating the ideas before the floor opened for discussion. Each student was asked to give introduction on the topic, followed by a open discussion and finally a derived conclusion from each appicant. The shortlisting criteria involved a minimum of 60% marks in 10th,12th and graduation followed by a minimum cutoff of 85%ile in CAT/XAT. My preparation strategy for the GDPI process involved the daily reading of the newspaper, screening answers for the commonly asked interview questions like Why MBA, Tell me about yourself and brushup of my undergraduate subjects.