Insights into working of a Rural Management Program

This article is published in collaboration with WeSchool providing b-school aspirants an insight into the intricacies of a Rural Management Program in India and its impacts.

Insights into working of a Rural Management Program

With design thinking at the core of its campus eco-system, WeSchool continues to pioneer programs which answer the rising demands of skills combined with knowledge that is glocal. The B-School seamlessly collaborates with industry leadership to design an industry relevant curriculum.  It studies, interacts and engages with industry stalwarts to understand the hinterlands across India from a management educator perspective. Beginning from designing a holistic approach of learning to grooming rural managers, WeSchool has left no stones unturned.

PGDM in Rural Management program

WeSchool’s Two year full-time PGDM in Rural Management program uses an innovative approach to learning and experiencing the grassroots through rural field study. The rural immersion program grooms future managers and policy makers sensitised towards the rural milieu by understanding the consumer needs and market potential. The transformative pedagogy includes lectures, on-field rural projects, industry visits and research experience through rural internships. It also provides exposure on general management which is delivered by highly acclaimed academicians and renowned industry experts from top listed companies.So how we teach through the rural immersion program has been appreciated by the National HRD Network, an association of HR professionals from the Industry. Recognising these efforts, National HRDN  awarded WeSchool – Mumbai Campus for innovative pedagogy for it’s rural immersion pedagogy. 

Case in Study:

How WeSchool, India’s leading B-School and Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM) joined hands to drive the mission of UMED in the hinterlands of Maharashtra

Context:

Rural India is home to around 81.29% female workforce according to Census 2011 data and the latest round of National Sample Survey (NSS). The statistic includes both marginal and main workers. Most of these women are agricultural labourers who work on someone else’s land in return for wages. Interestingly, close to 56 percent of the employed rural women are illiterate.

These are women who are breadwinners and are taking a step by step approach to become financially independent. Many women are using their culinary skills to make and sell home-made traditional food items ranging from pickles to ladoos. Many also have a flair for embroidery and hand-made jewellery. In Maharashtra, these talented women have formed self-help groups known as SHGs by Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission.

Innovation

WeSchool in collaboration with MSLRM introduced and acquainted women in 100 SHGs to basics in management education.  Through a series of workshops, women are presenting their products with basic branding, hygienic packaging with nutritional information and shelf life dates. For an effective outcome, WeSchool rural management faculty customised the training session by assessing these Self Help Group (SHG) – formation, structure, communication and processes; knowing group products. The training workshop opened their minds to capacity building on packaging, branding by introducing new practices and creating market linkage which would help them sustain and stay connected to more markets.

Impact

The trained women displayed their newly packaged products at ‘Saras’, an annual exhibition of products sourced from 250 SHGs from across India. They assessed market response for new development.

MSLRM and WeSchool further initiated divisional training to 90-100 SHGs at Raigad, Nashik, Pune and Palghar thus creating sustainable livelihoods for rural women through home-grown/homemade products.

Takeaway for b-school Aspirants

On successful completion of the PGDM- Rural Management (Emerging Economies) program, you could be a corporate manager with leadership qualities and innovative mindset, able to find ingenious solutions to the problems faced by the rural sector, based on your insights in the rural emerging markets.