Data analytics has become an important aspect of today’s business world. Companies are using this analytics in their operations to gain insights into how they can work more efficiently, set better prices, and improve customer service. So, several companies are now developing data analytic platforms for their own benefit and as a business, resulting in an immense demand for capable personnel who can contribute effectively to this system. While several institutions today promise quality Data-Analytics teaching and learning, only a few hubs such as the SVKM’s NMIMS Centre of Excellence Analytics and Data Science have been delivering on the promised lines, year after year.
Known for its contemporary industry driven curriculum, research, training, COE-A&DS has been imparting value based education since its inception. The institute currently offers a 2 year MBA program in Business Analytics, right on track of producing data scientists, educationists, techno-functional consultants, catering to the needs of the data science arena. Also, the centre has a mix of full time faculty and visiting faculty coming from diverse backgrounds and varying industry experience, who lay enough emphasis on imparting practical knowledge and inculcating life-long learning skills.
“The onboard state of the art infrastructure, case study pedagogy, hands on approach using real world datasets, modern computing facilities provides experiential learning ecosystem to the students of COE-A&DS” stated Prof. (Dr.) Sridhar Vaithianathan, the Director of the Centre. Elaborating on the various ways of how COE-A&DS excels as the go-to hub for exemplary Data-Science Education, the Director took us on a virtual/verbal tour of the college, answering all the questions posed to him. Furthermore, when we asked him how the whole phase shift of offline to online, and vice-versa was handled, he added – “With proper training to the faculty, along with synchronised student training, not only were theoretical classes handled efficiently, but also, the case discussion and practicals were carried out smoothly, all thanks to the ICT-enabled infrastructure existing on our campus”.
The centre was established with the objective of achieving excellence in the domains of analytics and data science through education, research, training and consultancy. The centre is designed as a cross-functional, shared services structure that fuels innovative development and deployment of a techno-managerial curriculum, projects, teaching, and training across the needs of the schools of SVKM’s NMIMS, as well as the industry in the fields of analytics and data sciences.
Fostering an environment of collaboration and excellence
In its aim to provide holistic education, CoE-A&DS hosts students from diverse backgrounds with impeccable academic credentials. Some of the added advantages of SVKM’s NMIMS COE are the opportunities to work with a diverse group of peers, collaborative learning with highly motivated and experienced students. Also, the Centre provides varied opportunities to network with a vast pool of successful alumni, and chances for students to participate in across 9 student clubs and 3 committees to express their unique skills and talents, and the scope to form various Special Interest Groups (SIG). All these quality endeavours carried out at CoE-A&DS, result in the MBA in Business Analytics Program to be converted into a unique blend of the disciplines of Business Analytics and Management Consulting, where the syllabus covers essentials of art and science applicable to Analytics for Businesses.
Also, ensuring that students are not just provided textbook-based learning, but are motivated to develop managerial skills with analytical thinking, students are given real-world problems which they have to overcome using data-driven insights, tools and technologies. Moreover, the teaching is globally benchmarked, where the students are provided with additional reading materials like HBS cases and uniquely designed assignments to promote practical rigour in every subject. Electives across various domains that are highly industry-relevant are offered, which are intricately linked to job requirements. It is also mandatory at CoE-A&DS for students to participate in industry projects and internships across different domains with a focus on analytics.
4 Key differentiating Factors of the MBA-BA program
- Excellent Industry Connect
- Erudite professors
- Passionate Students
- Perfect Learning Experience that the Centre/University provides.
Taking off to new horizons
COE always takes pleasure in placing its students in a broad spectrum of analytics profiles, for internships and final placements, with reputed companies in the data science domain. The dedicated placement team existing at CoE-A&DS provides pre-placement training, while also encouraging active involvement of the student placement committee in placement processes. The placement team also provides industry inputs that help COE to constantly update the curricula to account for current changes and trends in industry, which enables each of their programs to have an industry-relevant ethos at all times.
In-spite of being the new entrant of the vast family of SVKM’s NMIMS, CoE-A&DS has attained great heights in campus placements. In today’s economic scenario, data is the new oil and CoE-A&DS tries to bridge the gap between technology and management. “Driven by the challenges during the pandemic, we have emerged stronger and been able to achieve a stellar record for both Final Placements and Summer Internship”, shared Prof. (Dr.) Sridhar Vaithianathan, ecstatically. Adding a point on the impressive placement stats the Centre has managed to achieve despite the global pandemic, the director continued – “For the batch of 2020-22 MBA in Business Analytics for Final Placements, we saw an increase in the average package from ₹ 11.15 Lakh to ₹15.64 LPA”.
The batch had a good mix of companies from prominent sectors – IT, Consulting, Analytics, BFSI, E-Commerce, Retail, Telecom, FMCG, Media & Advertising, Manufacturing. Students were offered roles such as Credit Analyst, Product Analyst, Lead Consultant, Data Visualization Specialist, Consumer Insights, Data Science Manager, Business Analytics Associate, Application Engagement and Market Research Analyst. Our prominent recruiters were Microsoft, KPMG, Yes Bank, EXL Global, Tredence, One2Ten, Swiggy, Mondelez, FedEx, Johnson & Johnson, Tata AIA, Tata AIG, RBL Bank, MiQ Digital, Zepto, Tata Capital, Delphi, Vedanta, Fullerton India, Tiger Analytics, and Tata Power. The highest stipend for Business Analytics was ₹1,60,000 and the average was ₹59,982.
For the batch of 2021-23, the highest stipend for the two and half months’ Summer Internships was ₹ 2.25L and average stipend was 1.53L respectively. And for the batch of 2020-22 the centre saw an increase in the average package from ₹11.15 Lakh to ₹15.64 LPA (with YoY growth of 40%) for Final Placements.
Convocation 2022
The convocation event of 2022 took place with several eminent personalities as Chief Guests, both from the SVKM’s NMIMS family and beyond. In the convocation ceremony, the Director welcomed all the guests and in his speech gave a brief report of the past year gone by and how the institute has progressed since the inception of the CoE in 2018. It also became evident through the event that COE-ADS is propelling in the right direction in their journey of excellence to build data scientists of the future.
Prof. (Dr.) Sridhar Vaithianathan – Director
A passionate academician, Prof. (Dr.) Sridhar Vaithianathan has driven knowledge outcomes for over two decades through his teaching, research, training, and consultancy. His main areas of research and teaching interest include Business Analytics, Machine Learning Algorithms, Text Analytics, Technology Adoption, and Data Visualisation. He has a Ph.D. in Management – with his thesis focusing on technology adoption by the Indian financial services sector – from Icfai University, Dehradun, and worked as a visiting scholar at University of Toledo, Ohio, USA. He strongly believes that fostering Industry-Academia collaborations through practitioner sessions, panel discussions, joint research, consultancy, MDPs, invited talks, and knowledge-sharing at various industry forums is the cornerstone for the betterment of management education in India.
