Knowledge Professionals and the Indian KPO Market: Manpower Sources for the KPO Industry

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According to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), India possesses an existing talent pool of around 100 million and has an annual addition of over 3 million graduates and professional degree and diploma holders.

Every year,

• Over 950 business schools produce nearly 90,000 graduates with MBA degrees (compared to 13,500 in the UK).
• Around 4, 00,000 engineering graduates and over 1,500 PhDs join the Indian workforce.
• Approximately 55,000 students graduate with a master’s in computer applications and 25,000 with a master’s degree in pharmacy.

Top Business Schools in India

Around 25,000 management students graduate from the top 10 business schools in India every year. The corporate sector requires approximately four times the number – at least 100,000 new MBAs annually.

Table 1 – Top 10 Business Schools in India (2006)

Source: ‘Best B-Schools Survey 2006’, Business India, 22nd October 2006

The top three business schools are the IIMs at Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata, respectively. They scored the highest in aspects of intellectual capital, brand value, learning ambience and growth. In order to address the issue of shortage of MBAs in the corporate sector, the IIMs and other top colleges are planning to double their intake in the coming three years.

Top Engineering Colleges in India

Currently, there are 1,346 engineering colleges approved by the AICTE, with a seat capacity of 440, 0003. Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of colleges (254), followed by Andhra Pradesh (236), Maharashtra (155) and Karnataka (118). These four states account for 57 percent of all the engineering colleges in India.

Table 2 – Top 10 Engineering Colleges in India

Source: Outlook, 17th July 2006 issue, a nation-wide poll commissioned by Outlook and conducted by research organization Cfore

• Among the top 10 engineering institutes in India, IIT Kanpur scored the highest in areas such as intellectual capital, infrastructure and facilities, and pedagogic systems.
• Intellectual capital is an essential aspect influencing the output of knowledge-oriented and high-quality skilled students. In that respect, IIT Kanpur is rated the highest in providing intellectual capital to broaden the scope of its students, followed by IIT Kharagpur and IIT Bombay.
• Another factor equipping students to become better knowledge-based professionals is industry interaction, which enables the practical applicability of theoretical knowledge. In this area, IIT Bombay scored the highest followed by IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur.
• Apart from the top 2 institutes (IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur)
    ° Other institutes such as IIT Bombay and IIT Roorkee scored high on infrastructure and facilities available
    ° BITS Pilani scored high in terms of developing pedagogic systems that provide a better curriculum and modes of learning
• IIT Bombay scored the highest in the number and quality of placements which provide opportunities for students to build careers.

Top Medical Colleges in India

There are 242 medical colleges approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI), with an annual intake of 25,000 students.

• Among the top 10 medical colleges in India, AIIMS scored the highest in all aspects of intellectual capital, infrastructure and facilities, pedagogic systems and placements.
• Following AIIMS, other colleges such as JIPMER, Pondicherry, and St Johns, Bangalore, scored high in providing intellectual capital.
• In terms of pedagogic systems, apart from the top 3 institutes (AIIMS, CMC and AFMC), Grant Medical College, Mumbai, is also rated high.
• Placements in CMC and AFMC also scored high.

Table 3 – Top 10 Medical Colleges in India

Source: Outlook, 17th July 2006 issue, a nation-wide poll commissioned by Outlook and conducted by research organization Cfore

Top Law Colleges in India

The National Law School at Bangalore ranks first as the best law school in the country.

Table 4 – Top Law Colleges in India

Source: India Today-AC Nielsen-Org-Marg Survey of Colleges

Furthermore, more institutes are offering alternate streams from the traditional options of engineering, management, medical and legal courses. Students are given the opportunity to choose new professions that require specialized training. This will increase the talent pool of India and will help in producing workers who are qualified to meet the demand of diverse knowledge-oriented jobs.

Table 5 – Some of the Other Colleges Offering Alternate Career Options

Source: Article titled ‘Fermentation (Hons)’ published - 17th July 2006 issue of Outlook

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