Interviewer: Dr Rav Singh
Interviewee: Director, SCMHRD (referred to as Director in responses)

The GDPI Process: Toughness as a Compliment

Dr Rav Singh: Thank you very much, Ma’am, for taking the time to talk to us. I want to start with a complaint: why is your GDPI process so tough to crack? SCMHRD is often cited as having one of the most difficult selection processes in India.

Director: I would take this not as a complaint, but as a compliment. Every student at SCMHRD is hand-picked by us. We want to spend enough time to understand who the individual is, if they will fit into the culture of SCMHRD, and if they are competent enough to complete the course according to our “assurance of learning.” We are taking care of one life, so the selection is detailed.

Dr Rav Singh: So, it’s not an interview; it’s a Personal Interaction.

Director: Absolutely. You nailed it. Calling this entire process an interaction is a conscious decision. We are not interested in putting any stress on the candidate. It is not to understand how great we are; it is to understand what best we can take out of the candidate—what is their potential to make a mark in the business world.

Dr Rav Singh: So, who finds the process difficult?

Director: If a person feels that SCMHRD interviews are difficult to crack, it will be difficult if you rehearse and come. We don’t want actors who will fake it for five minutes. Our interactions last for 15, 20, or 25 minutes, becoming a candid conversation. Anyone who genuinely has a conversation with the person interacting with them will definitely be able to crack it.

Dr Rav Singh: How much does the first impression matter to the panel?

Director: I definitely feel first impression is very important, but that’s not the only important thing. First impression just helps me build the conversation. If you show a lot of positive interaction in those first few minutes, the conversation is likely to move in a positive direction. But what truly stays in our mind is the interactions we have over those 20-25 minutes.

Dr Rav Singh: Are there a few secrets or checklists you can share so that candidates can improve?

Director: These are not trade secrets, but anyone aspiring to a Business School should have clarity of thought, which leads to clarity of speech. We look for day-to-day acumen, not rocket science. We seek candidates who show:

• Resilience
• Growth mindset
• Willingness to learn (becoming a student once more)
• Willingness to take up challenges and move out of their comfort zone.

We also prioritize students who are open to a new culture, given our diversity of students from more than 24 different states. Above all, being genuine is a very important attribute we look for.

Curriculum and Program Differentiation

Dr Rav Singh: Should a student be prepared to declare a specialization (Marketing, Finance, etc.) during the interview, or is it fine to say they are undecided?

Director: To be very frank, none of our panelists will ever ask you what specialization you intend to get into. We understand life is a journey of growth, and we do not wish to bracket our students. If you look at our degree, it is a Master of Business Administration—it will never say Finance or Marketing. It is absolutely fine to say, “I have still not decided.”

Dr Rav Singh: That is very unique. How is the curriculum structured to support this?

Director: At SCMHRD, we strictly avoid asking students to specialize immediately. The first semester is dedicated to business literacy, giving students exposure to all specializations and leaders in those fields. This ensures an open mindset. Furthermore, the brackets are there for the first three to five years, but after that, nobody even knows the original specialization.

Dr Rav Singh: SCMHRD offers three programs. Can you talk about these and advise students on whether they should apply for all three?

Director: Yes, SCMHRD has three distinct programs:

Program	Eligibility & Focus	Application Advice
MBA (Regular)	Specializations in HR, Marketing, Operations, Finance. Open to freshers and candidates of any discipline/experience.	Recommended for all eligible candidates.
MBA in Infrastructure Development and Management	Originally only for Engineers. Now open to non-engineers with at least one year of work experience in operations, supply chain, or logistics.	Apply if you meet the specific work experience criteria.
MBA in Business Analytics (BA)	Only open to students with two years of work experience. This is a serious program where we want people who have already “seen business.”	Apply only if you meet the 2-year work experience requirement.

Director: If you fit the eligibility criteria for all three, you should definitely apply for all three. Our placement cycle is common for all three programs, and companies are open to hiring from any of them.

Future Vision and Program Rigor

Dr Rav Singh: My last question revolves around the future. MBA is now a stable field. What next for SCMHRD? Are you planning skill-based, online MBA, or custom programs?

Director: Our first priority is to do the best in what we have started, which means sustaining quality. We voluntarily sought AACSB accreditation (which we achieved in 2020) because we talk so much about quality. We must sustain that rigor.

Director: Regarding future initiatives:

• Management Development Programs (MDPs): We are actively involved in designing tailor-made, client-based programs for the corporate world, moving beyond the “one-size-fits-all” approach.
• Online Education: SCMHRD will not get into online education as it is not on our agenda.
• Executive MBA: We do offer an MBA Executive program for working professionals, held only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Dr Rav Singh: You are very strict about academic rigor, which I have heard all morning.

Director: We have always maintained there is no substitute for hard work or rigor. We will increase the support but never reduce the rigor of the program. My final advice is: We don’t believe in preparing a road for our students; we believe in preparing the student for any road he takes. If you have the mettle and the grit, SCMHRD is the best place to be.