Battalion to B-school
Defence personnel march into IIM-B for training
Jangveer Singh

Army officers, both young and old, are apparently getting enticed by the corporate world and making a beeline for the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B) to acquire the necessary skills for their preferred second career destinations.

A recent visit toIIM-B showed that senior officers of the rank of Brigadier as well as young Captains serving a short-service stint in the Army were there to attend a six-month certificate course aimed at enhancing their career prospects.

The course has been started in keeping with the thinking of the Ministry of Defence to give a jumpstart to officers who choose to work after retirement as well as those who are meant to leave the Army in their prime. The present course has attracted 79 about-to-retire or short-term service officers from all the three services and includes 14 women officers.

Mizoram Governor Lt-Gen M.M. Lakhera, who had been invited by the institute to speak to the officers, said Army men needed to imbibe skills suited for the corporate world. "Innovating upon given orders is something new for military personnel. They need to understand this and change accordingly." He said the corporate world was also different in the sense that one could not look over one's shoulder for directions. "Here, one has to take decisions in a given time-frame."

The Army officers, while relating their experiences to newsmen, said the course was attracting a lot of defence personnel, many of whom had a science background and felt they were suited to working in the IT sector. The course is definitely not child’s play. 21 Para Commanding Officer Col M.S. Mann said there was a lot of study involved. "We also have to understand the aspirations of industry and work towards equipping ourselves with the necessary managerial skills," he added.

There are some who are acquiring the necessary experience to become successful in the corporate world. Wing Commander Vikas Gupta, who has opted for a pre-release from the IAF, said he had already acquired some experience about the stock market while working in Mumbai. "I have also worked with the Insurance Regulatory Authority and feel the skills acquired at the IIM make me a suitable candidate for a managerial position".

Similarly, Squadron Leader Ithisha Madhav said she had worked as a Human Resource person in Coimbatore after her release from the IAF and had also acquired experience with a multinational in Dubai. "The skills I acquire here may help me in exploring the field of international business marketing," she added.

Officials at IIM-Bsaid the corporate players themselves were excited about hiring military personnel due to their ingrained training and sense of discipline. The institute had already received a number of queries and was even hopeful of getting good placements for the men in uniform, they added.