The curious case of DMS IIT (ISM) Dhanbad -By Kamal Jassal

Couples are made in heaven. Colleges aren’t. We Indians spend a humongous amount of time and energy picking a career, college, job role usually based on just one factor, CTC. This CTC decides your stature in this materialistic society. It’s a mark of your success. And most likely will be a deciding factor in what spouse you get. But if this much is at stake, why do people still fall for old school ideas like passion for the profession, honesty, and humility?

The unending dilemma of DMS vs DSE

That day, I was at the prestigious Delhi School of Economics and was just about to submit my documents at the window in the admission office for converting both International Business and HR. Luckily, it was lunchtime. It gave me time to rethink. I was very confused between DSE and DMS. The other contenders being IIM Bodhgaya, Sirmaur, and Jammu were eliminated much earlier because of the ROI factor. 

During that lunch break, I had a call with one of the admins of the WhatsApp Admission Team for DMS. He had been a good guide so far, and for one last time, I asked him, “What should I do?” And he said much to my amazement, “Go for DSE.” I asked him, “Why?” He said, “Your heart is into it, that’s why.” It was true. Who doesn’t like the North Campus vibe of DU? But then DMS was an IIT after all. Not something that needs an introduction. If I were to brag about DSE what could I possibly say? Apart from the usual highlights that Dr. Singh used to teach there, that’s exactly how I came to know about this college while reading the Accidental Prime Minister.

This senior at DMS then said, “You can get all these offers in DMS as well. Nothing to be so critical about”. I asked just one last thing, “Since it’s an IIT, will I be able to get opportunities in an auto company there?” He replied with a big Yes. And that’s all it took. His humble honesty won me over. It was an uncanny acquaintance that I built at DMS which now is a cherished friendship. 

In today’s world where hardly, any college speaks the truth about placements and internships in their brochures, such candour handholding went a long way in helping me choose a college. Not to mention, my friends at DSE were shocked. They kept on saying you are making a mistake. But I had made up my mind. It was already 3 pm and luckily, I hadn’t cancelled my 5 pm train from NDLS to Dhanbad yet. Those close to me now say we knew you wouldn’t miss an IIT that easily. After all, I had a drop year after school for the very same reason which sadly didn’t materialize. Yes, four years gap in total before setting foot in MBA. And I still converted IIM’s which bust the myth for quite a lot of people. 

Things aren’t that simple for sure...

I had my reasons for joining DMS. Others had theirs. Some in my batch are very critical of placements and internship opportunities. They had good percentiles for top-notch IIM’s as well. I may never know, why did they choose DMS. But just getting admission into a college isn’t the end of your journey. It’s the beginning. How you spend your two years in building your profile, which matters a lot. I reskilled myself in areas I never thought I would excel. Yet at the same time, I have seen people who rust in these two years of MBA. It’s easy to blame the institution than for all that’s wrong. But we need to be optimistic and realistic as well. Say for instance the CAT scores for DMS. We do have outliers in the batch with 96+ percentiles. But general scores are close to 90. Not officially disclosed but merely an observation. For that figure, DMS offers decent placements. 

People often start comparing such institutes with IIM A, B & C for statistics. What they fail to understand is that the average scores for CAT in those institutes are higher as well. Just as the saying goes there’s no replacement for displacement, similarly, there’s no replacement for hard work. The candidate who scores 90 percentile has half the raw score than the ones who score 99 percentile. Naturally, their average packages are bound to be higher. Although they still don’t justify their premium fees. Some then argue MBA is for the overall development and peer learning, Well yes, I agree. But why don’t those folks apply the same logic to Stanford and Harvard and other international institutes? Take a loan of crore, get a package of crore plus with ROI greater than 1.

The challenging road of an IITian

It’s a new IIT. As brand ISM, it’s quite established. But that is only in its niche area. For comprehensive growth, it shall take time. Say for instance to get to the levels of Bombay and Delhi. Often overlooked is the fact that when one studies at IIT, one competes with the entire student community of IIT for placements and internships. This makes it more challenging than the IIM’s. Imagine the JEE hardened best minds competing for the same roles at a lower salary. There is the innovation here, and people are ready to deliver more for less. Recruiters know that. Students know that. 

For an MBA, life at an IIT is much more challenging. From an IIT’s perspective, we aren’t their bread and butter. B.Tech is. And all the efforts are directly or indirectly governed towards them. Be it the curriculum flexibility, attendance criteria, etc. This is where IIMs have an advantage. Say a company wants to hire before the end of term, arrangements can be made for early joining with riders. But at IIT all departments are treated equally. DMS won’t be given any slack. Hence MBA students end up missing up good opportunities. This approach needs to change. An MBA student and a B.Tech student can’t be treated to the same policies.

The conundrums of ROI

Another aspect is the ROI. With such lower fees, people tend to take things for granted. Students usually don’t have a loan looming over their heads when they pass out. If one has an education loan to pay off, one will naturally be less selective with placement opportunities. But here it is very different. 

Students tend to wait a bit longer for their field of interest to show up and end up empty-handed. The same doesn’t hold for other relatively expensive B-Schools. The added pressure does test one’s grit. But like all arguments, it has a plus side as well. People here are still people. It’s not a shoal of piranhas fighting for the last mouthful. We at DMS pride ourselves on the humane approach to management. Our professors make sure of that.

After all, be a guiding light!

For any institute, its alum is its biggest strength. In times like Covid-19, when several offers were rescinded, all TPO’s of leading IIM’s turned to their alum for help. Here at DMS, this is one aspect that needs to be better organized. For an institute that has been offering Management courses since the 1970s, this shouldn’t have been a problem, to begin with. But things are changing with new batches bringing on that change gradually. 

To build a brand, brand ambassadors are needed. And I always think of myself as one. Just as the senior who guided me for internships and PPO, I see myself passing on the baton to the next in line. We will get there one day. It’s inevitable. As a senior, I can only advise my juniors to believe in themselves. Institutes do give you a platform to propel your career. But they won’t guarantee you a successful life. 

I will forever be indebted to my seniors. DMS has given me so much. An internship in the Auto division at Frost and Sullivan India. A placement at Volvo Eicher during Covid-19. And an upbeat approach towards life in general. I made it from this very institute. Whereas others struggle at times. It’s all about one’s grit and perception. To all my alums out there who are reading this, I thank you for taking your alma matter to such great heights. This bond we shall cherish for years to come!