Monday, March 21, 2016

Why is Ecommerce on the Up in Management Colleges in NCR?

As we approach the end of yet another financial year, we track the developments of industry preference in management colleges in NCR. The last two years have seen a real upsurge in the leaning of the student community towards the ecommerce vertical. The sporadic rise in demand for summer internships and placement drive has also been the story at Ishan Institute of Management & Technology, one of the best PGDM colleges in Delhi NCR. While there are theories that have been doing the rounds trying to explain the rise of ecommerce as an industry vertical with demand side analysis which is essentially the consumer’s perspective, there is a different side that explains the job seekers’ perspective. The placement cell has observed the developments and changes from close quarters. Here are some of the insights that explain the preferences for ecommerce companies among the student community.

A Successful Wedlock of Management & Technology
In India it is common to think of engineering as a career option for the academically meritorious and management as the career option meant for the street smart. Recent technological developments have impacted Indians where it affects the most. There have been long lasting changes in the values and lifestyles of Indians and in general towards technology as an enabler of business not just for academics. While it may be fashionable to suggest that Indian families and peers need to be more democratic in evaluating the merit of students on the basis of the subjects that they choose but there is a growing realization that STEM is the future. STEM refers to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. More over there is this sense prevailing that even if a student does not take interest in STEM, STEM will not stop taking interest in us. There is no way out escaping STEM.

Capitalism without Capital
An overwhelming proportion of the student population still believes in and swears by public sector jobs that are bureaucratic. To be fair enough, it has only been 25 years that we have chosen to tread on the path of economic reforms and free market economics on our free will. The three hundred plus years of brush with capitalism was imposed on us, not an act of free will and hence explains the aversion that many Indian families had or even have with capitalism, i.e. private business enterprise. Ecommerce has shown that it is possible for many of us Indians to become capitalists even without capital. The summer internships projects, guest lectures, assignments, case studies and success stories of alumni at best MBA colleges in NCR only usher in the realization that one need not be born with a silver spoon or be a relation of Baron Rothschild to be a techno-capitalist.

Modernism is Passé. Ebien Venido Post Modernism
When Peter Drucker had written Post Capitalist Society he had asserted that while modernism was based on the free mobilization of capital, post modernism shall be about free mobilization of knowledge. By knowledge in business we refer to a set of information and skills to process information to create a string monetization model. As such ecommerce is more about the knowledge worker who stays behind locked doors and works untiringly on his laptop to develop codes and programs, create and design mobile apps, digital wallets and enablers of transactions on the web. This requires knowledge. An Indian loves and want to live the life of a knowledge worker.

Monkish Work Ethics and Systems Approach to Management
How many Indians love to deal with tough times? How many Indians love to deal with tough people? Unfortunately not too many! Technology has taught us that it is possible to create, administer and maintain a system that works better than people. Being soft hearted and soft tongued Indian students prefer to manage systems rather than manage people.  This allows them to dodge their way out of situations that would require them to deal with tough people and thus tough situations. Ecommerce enterprises work on the systems approach to management. This is a blessing in disguise for Indian students of the current generation.


At Ishan Institute of Management & Technology, the placement season is well on its course and as on today more than 45% of the students have opted for final placements in ecommerce companies. 8% of the students have worked on self financed projects on social media marketing in ecommerce companies, in addition to the mandatory summer internships. More than 50% students have opted for summer internships in ecommerce companies. More than 15% of the alumni are working in managerial positions with market leaders like Flipkart, Snapdeal and Shopclues.  The tide in best management colleges in NCR is no doubt in favour of ecommerce.