'Mkt requirement for finance graduates is huge'

BANGALORE, INDIA: The market requirement for finance graduates in India are much higher than what B-Schools in the country produce, according to former Karnataka IT secretary Prof. Vivek Kulkarni, IAS.

He made this observation at a press conference while launching a Post Graduate Program in Finance (PGP) by his own company, Brickwork Finance Academy (BFA).

“The market requirement for finance graduates are huge. Commercial banks and IT firms are in dire need of graduates, who are well-versed in finance. Though our country has many B-schools, the number of finance graduates they produce is very low,” he observed.

Kulkarni added that BFA's PGP is meant for working people, aspiring for a career in finance. The 9-month program, with classes held on Saturdays, comprises four modules — Basics of Financial Analysis, Investment Management, Credit Management and Risk Management. In addition to classroom sessions, participants are expected to undertake a project work in finance to enhance their knowledge.

Kulkarni, who is the president of BFA and an adjunct professor at IISc, said, “BFA’s PGP is meant for working professionals who find their jobs monotonous and are looking for career growth in BFSI sector of IT industry. The program prepares the candidates for jobs in investment banks, commercial banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, private equity, rating agencies, asset reconstruction companies, pension funds - both Indian and international financial markets.”

BFA’s faculty pool comprises industry experts, renowned academicians, faculty of international repute and successful leaders in the field of finance. The course fee is Rs. 1.95 lacs.

Prof. KRS Murthy, mentor and advisor, BFA, said, “Integration of financial markets is giving rise to increasing complex products, which while mitigating a variety of risks, is also subject to various contingencies across the globe. Dealing with them, while a necessity, is both an opportunity and a challenge. This requires specialization in finance that is not possible in a typical MBA/PGDM course.”

“BFA, with its knowledge and network of practice aims at equipping participants to deal effectively with this challenge / opportunity and play a distinctive role in a host of companies in the financial sector.”

The course begins on 21 January 2012. The program accepts only a limited number of graduates, with good academic records. Candidates with work experience will be preferred.

“BFA does not have its own written test but accepts scores of relevant competitive exams like GMAT, CAT, MAT, JMAT, etc. BFA’s PGP emphasizes on finance. The curriculum uses international textbooks and offers hands-on experience in financial markets and applications using practical case studies and various third party databases,” Kulkarni added.