People ask this question time and again when selected in both IIMs – Calcutta and Bangalore. They are confused on which one to select. Since most of our focus is always on placements, I would suggest Calcutta over Bangalore. There have been years where investment banks like Merrill and RBS have chosen to skip Bangalore and only visit A & C when the number of candidates to hire is lower than usual. The most probable reason being the sheer number of alumni from C & A being much higher given they are much older. (C & A were established in 1950s whereas B was established in 1980s).
In terms of student culture I can only say that it depends on the individual. The nature of the education system (Relative Grading – RG) is such that it makes people competitive and promotes insecurity to drive them to work hard. You can always choose the vigor that you want to work/study with irrespective of the institute. You’ll find both kinds of people in both places – the ‘RGs’ & the ‘Chillers’.
This is a personal opinion of Rohit Chadda. He is an IIM Calcutta alumnus 2009 and famous for his entrepreneurial venture foodpanda. The intention of this post it to help young MBA aspirants make the right career choice and not a judgement on any educational institute.
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