The Higher Education Review

The context in which higher education was viewed previously has changed over the past few decades. Higher education institutes have transformed from just being a place to get a degree to a gateway that transforms students into inspired and qualified professionals that can impact their respective industries. When compared to the west, India was lagging when it comes to offering cutting edge education to its students for some years but owing to the expansion of both the industrial and social domains of the country have compelled Indian educational institutes to expand their horizons. The demand of businesses looking for capable professionals that are able to work under complex business scenarios paved way for the establishment of business schools. B-Schools as they are commonly referred to have changed the business education landscape of India. One B-School that stands apart from the rest in the Indian business education realm is the Laxmi Institute of Management. Situated in Gujarat, this premier institute is part of the Gajera Charitable Trust and Foundation that educates over 58,000 students from all walks of life with a holistic learning experience at 9 different campuses in Gujarat which includes 18 schools, 3 colleges, and Vatsalya Dham which is a home for orphans.

Leading the Way through Example

Operating with a vision to create visionary professionals and entrepreneurs through quality education, innovation and empowerment of the students, Laxmi Institute of Management has made it their goal to offer top-notch business education for their students. The institute offers two years of full-time MBA

programs approved by AICTE and affiliated to Gujarat Technological University. Laxmi Institute of Management offers MBA with a plethora of specializations including Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Production Management, Entrepreneurship Development, Information System Management and Family Managed Business as per the GTU course curriculum. “Our mission is to achieve academic excellence through dedication to duty, innovation in teaching and faith in human values. We strive to develop the students and the community through innovative and flexible learning opportunities resulting in all-round development. We have always made it our priority to empower all the students to become accountable members of the community by applying their acquired knowledge and skills”, says Chunibhai Gajera, Managing Trustee, Gajera Charitable Trust.

"Operating with a vision to create visionary professionals and entrepreneurs through quality education, innovation and empowerment of the students, Laxmi Institute of Management has made it their goal to offer top-notch business education for their students"

In order to become the flagbearer of Indian business education, Laxmi Institute of Management has transformed itself into a center of excellence that creates holistic citizens inculcated with ethical, moral and social values in a diverse culture. The institute acknowledges the importance of practical training and exposure in this modern business environment and to ensure that its students are industry-ready, Laxmi Institute of Management has made it mandatory that its students complete internships. At the end of the secondsemester examination, every student of MBA will undergo practical training in any manufacturing, service or financial organization. The training will be of 6 to 8 weeks duration. During the training, the student is expected to learn about the organization and analyze and suggest solutions to a real problem. The objective of

the internship is to equip the student with the knowledge of actual functioning of the organization and problems faced by them for exploring feasible solutions.

Creating the Perfect Learning Environment

For passionate learners, Laxmi Institute of Management has developed unique development opportunities for their students to identify their true potential. The institute has also formulated oneoff teaching methodologies such as the Multi-Disciplinary Action Projects (MAP) to push the students’ academic and intellectual limits. The MAP process involves working under the mentorship of an executive of the concerned organization and with a faculty member of the institute where the students are studying. There are also several clubs that offer various platforms for students to develop on multiple levels. “Our Entrepreneurship Development Club, ‘Sarigam’ inspires MBA students to take part in national level Start-up competitions under the mentorship of MBA faculty and industry experts. The student managers also organize a start-up event every year on the campus. Our Finance club also provides hands-on training to our students to develop financial models, online portfolio and risk management, simulation trading, and due diligence process in merger and acquisition. We also have an active HR club, soft skills development club and marketing club operating in the campus”, says, Chunibhai.

All this coupled with the topnotch mentoring services and fully equipped classrooms in the institute has enabled Laxmi Institute of Management to clock in an astounding 100 percent placement year on year and the students of the institute are hired by some of the biggest names across the industry verticals. By being a source of inspiration for their students, the Laxmi Institute of Management has developed into an epitome of first-rate business education that can have a positive impact on their students’ lives.