Executive managment programmes are in high demand in Indian B-schools, reports CNBC-TV18.

BPOs, KPOs and the retail sector are constantly recruiting fresh graduates. But these fresh graduates often feel stagnated at mid-management level. That is where an executive MBA degree comes in.

Top B-schools in India like IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM-Calcutta, Indian School of Business-Hyderabad (ISB), XLRI and SP Jain Institute run one-year executive MBA programmes for working professionals. The number of GMAT takers has increased from 6,000 to 16,000 in the past five years. 60% of them consider an executive management degree.

“We have 60 seats and we want to make that 120. And the next step is to branch out to different fields, like IIM-Calcutta has already done in manufacturing management,” said P B Chakraborty, Professor-PGPX Programme, IIM-Calcutta.

ISB has increased 200 seats in just three years. Five years' work experience is mandatory and salaries are expected to jump by at least 70%. Last year, the cut-off for IIM- Calcutta was a GMAT score of 711 out of 800.

This year, that is likely to rise. The course fee is about Rs14 lakh. An Executive programme also ensures global exposure. International companies flock to campuses with offers of USD 1,35,000. That is as much as a Harvard graduate might get.

Such courses make Indian B-schools more competitive globally. That is because leading schools like Harvard, Wharton and Stanford offer similar programmes.