The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is an autonomous

organization set up in 1963 by the government of India to help professionalize the country's

foreign trade management and increase exports by developing human resources, generating,

analyzing and disseminating data, and conducting research. The IIFT, registered under the

Societies Registration Act 1860 as Society, is headed by the Director General. The Institute

became functional on 1st April, 1964.Today it is more known as a business school. The

primary provider of training and research-based consultancy in the areas of international

business, both for the corporate sector, government and the student’s community. The IIFT

has been accorded the "Deemed to Be University" status by the Ministry of Human Resource

Development and the University Grants Commission (UGC) with effect from 20th May,

2002.

The Institute visualises its future role as a catalyst for new ideas, concepts and skills for the

internationalisation of the Indian economy. It is soon emerging as a primary provider of

training and research-based consultancy in the areas of international business, both for the

corporate sector, Government and the students’ community. It is now an institution with

proven capability to continuously upgrade its knowledge base with a view to servicing the

requirements of the Government, trade and industry through both sponsored and non-

sponsored research and consultancy assignments. The Institute's portfolio of long-term

programmes is diverse, catering to the requirements of aspiring International Business

executives and mid-career professionals alike.

IIFT has, over the years, undertaken path-breaking research studies with organisations like

WTO, World Bank, UNCTAD and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of

India. The Institute has also trained more than 40,000 business professionals across 30

countries in various facets of international business and trade policy via its Management

Development Programmes.

The institute’s vision is to be an internationally acknowledged and networked institution in

delivering globally competitive business education and research for individuals, corporates,

government and society.

IIFT follows a pedagogy that has a healthy blend of both theoretical aspects as well as

practical nuances. The classroom environment is designed to impart the theoretical

knowledge reinforced through the case study approach. The take home assignments require

the students to work on the concepts taught in the classroom coupled with the research work

carried out by them so as to imbibe the idea into their very ethos. The rigorous and hectic life

in itself gives one an experience that is unmatched. In short, an IIFTian is never behind as far

as the requirements of the industry goes.

The motto in IIFT is, ‘the footprints in the sands of time were not made by those who stood

still’, and the pedagogy aptly reflects this prevalent paradigm.

IIFT has international partnerships with a number of International Organisations &

Universities.

Main functions of IIFT

1. To train personnel at various levels for export trade

2. To collect data and documents an all aspects of export trade

3. To ascertain characteristics of foreign markets and consumer preferences

4. To determine scope and techniques to be adopted for increased export trade

5. To provide consultancy service to companies in matters relating to exports

6. To house library with periodicals from UNO/FATT/UNCTAD etc.

7. To publish trade bulletins, trade reviews, journals etc. and disseminate information

concerning exports and export activities

Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Business - EPGDIB

A specialized Programme that provides a scientific approach to business decision-making in

today’s dynamic and competitive international business environment. It provides an

opportunity fro middle and senior level executives to refresh and upgrade their managerial

skills without interrupting their professional activities. The program is specially designed to

cater to those executives for whom leaving the job and the city is not a feasible option.

Graduation or equivalent degree from any recognized University with minimum 5 years of

managerial work experience, or

Post Graduate degree/engineering degree or equivalent from any recognized or institution

with 3 years of managerial work experience.

Certificate Course on International Trade & Logistics Management

The Programme helps to develop among the participants a closer appreciation of the critical

role which business/trade logistics management has come to play in today’s fiercely

competitive global environment. Logistics Management is being seen by businesses as a

promising area to cut costs for leveraging competitive edge in business. It is being widely

recognized that through efficient logistics management strategies, corporates can create value

for their customers and continue to survive at the market place. The role of logistics

management has obviously gained pre-eminence in today’s global business.

The USP of the Programme is that the participants would be provided a practical orientation

on various aspects of logistics management through a field visit to an international sea port.

Graduation from an Institute recognized by UGC

Certificate Course on Export Import Management

Opening of the World Economy has opened many challenges and opportunities for the

business community worldwide. Though the evolution of technology has made international

trade procedures & operations simpler and easier yet doing business both in the domestic as

well as international markets has become more complex and difficult. The survival of these

firms in the highly competitive business environment solely depends on the understanding

and knowledge of latest developments at national and international fronts.

The Programme helps facilitate the middle and senior level executives from the Corporate

Sector in enhancing the profitability in the highly competitive business environment.

The USP of the Programme is that the Participants will be exposed to practical orientation

through a Field Visit to an International Sea Port.

Graduation from an Institute recognized by UGC

IIFT's portfolio of long-term programmes is as follows:

Two-year residential MBA (International Business) - Kolkata, New Delhi, andDar-es-

Salaam (Tanzania). This is the flagship course, offering specialization in Marketing,

Finance, Systems and Trading.

Three-year MBA (International Business) (Weekends), New Delhi & Kolkata.

Executive Master’s in International Business, New Delhi, Dubai and Dar-es-Salaam

Certificate Course in Export Management, New Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati (Assam)

Post Graduate Certificate Course in International Business through NIIT Imperia

IIFT has, over the years, undertaken research studies with organizations like WTO, World

Bank, UNCTAD and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. IIFT has also trained more than

40,000 business professionals across 30 countries via its management development

programmes.

Centres at IIFT

Centre for International Trade in Technology

With the primary objective of actuality India’s potential in technology trade and addressing

some of the institutional complexities, II FT has set up the Centre for International Trade in

Technology with financial and technical support from the Department of Scientific and

Industrial Research, Government of India.

It is a unique institution of its own type in which roles of active players in international

technology trade especially those of Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of

Science and Technology are proposed to be synthesised. It is well recognised that building up

of technology trade requires sustained efforts over a period of time before any tangible results

could be expected.

Centre for WTO Studies

The Centre for WTO Studies was established at IIFT in November 2002.

The major objective of the Centre has been to provide research and analytical support on a

continuous basis to the Department of Commerce on identified issues pertaining to the World

Trade Organization. In addition, it is also tasked to carry out research activities, bring out

Publications on WTO related subjects, carry out Outreach & Capacity Building programmes

by organizing seminars, workshops, subject specific meetings etc., and to be a repository of

important WTO documents in its Trade Resource Centre.

Centre for SME Studies

The growing importance of Small and Medium Enterprises in the economy as a whole and

External Trade in particular has prompted IIFT to establish a separate Center for SME studies

which can act as a catalyst to the internationalsiation of SME activities. The center has

become operational from May, 2005. The Centre for SME Studies at IIFT provides

continuous support to the SME sector by carrying out activities which can be broadly

classified into conducting Training Programmes, provision of Business Intelligence services

through a Databank and acting as a catalyst for Interfacing with other concerned and

associated institutions.

Campus

IIFT Delhi Centre is located in the Qutab Institutional Area in close vicinity of Jawaharlal

Nehru University and the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, India and is spread

over 6 acres (24,000 m2) of land. The Kolkata Centre is located in Sector V Salt Lake amidst

the IT hub of Kolkata.

The facilities available on campus include centrally air-conditioned lecture halls with audio-

visual aids, conference halls for round-table conferences, an auditorium of 500 seating

capacity, MDP Centre, three Computer Centres, indoor games, and residential facilities for

students.

Facilities

Library

The IIFT library has 84,000 volumes and subscriptions to 800 journals with online

cataloguing. The library has a collection of publications of FAO, IMF, OECD, UNCTAD,

UNCTC, World Bank, and other international agencies.

The students also have access to database such as the NIC, CMIE, India Trades, World Bank

Indicators and other audio-visual aids on management. IIFT has set up the WTO Resource

Centre in the Library to focus exclusively on WTO issues.

The library in Delhi as well in Kolkata campus are highly rich by its on-line resources. The

Institute subscribes EBSCO, Proquest, JSTOR, Emerald, Blackwell Synergy databases which

mainly cover journal articles. For statistical data there are World Trade On-line, IMF

databases, India Stat, ISI Emerging Markets, World bank Online, WITS, CMIE databases,

World Trade Atlas, OECD online and many more to list.

Computer facilities

Local Area Network comprising 8 servers (Sun, IBM, Compaq and HP), 300 Pentium IV

nodes with wired & wireless access to the network available in the campus. The software

applications include Solaris, Novell Netware, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, Lotus

Domino, SPSS, Oracle, Developer 2000, and Java.

Other facilities include 24-hour Internet access via a 2 Mbit/s leased line, access to national

and international databases, in-house publishing facilities, LCD / Plasma Screen Projection

Systems, etc.

General information

IIFT is a deemed university and it conducts an autonomous entrance examination across

various centers in India. In 2009 an estimated 65000 candidates took the entrance exam for

Full Time MBA (IB) course having 180 seats, making it one of the toughest schools to get

into in India.

International Exchange Programs

IIFT has Exchange Programmes with some of the leading institutions across the world. These

collaborations are mainly for student and faculty exchanger programme, joint collaborations

on research and various other capacity building exercise. As an outcome of the student

faculty exchange programme both the partner intuitions gain outcome. Particularly, the

student exchange programme has really picked up in the last five years. This is also because

of the increase in the number of collaborations with premiere business schools like Universitá

Commerciale L. Bocconi, Milano, Italy;International University in Geneva, Geneva,

Switzerland;Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University,

Blacksburg, VA, USA (Virginia Tech) ;Grenoble école de management, Grenoble;Cedex,

France ;EDHEC Business School, Lille Cedex and Nice Cedex, France.

Campus Life

The institute has the following clubs on campus:

Spirit - The Entrepreneurship Cell @ IIFT (Coordinators : Abhishek Shah & Divyank

Gupta)

IMF - Official representative student body at IIFT which acts as a coordinator for, and

provides administrative support to, various student activities and events at IIFT

besides taking policy decisions regarding student affairs in consultation with the

Director/Chairperson/Program Director

Brandwagon – a forum of students that are interested in marketing, either as a subject

or as a preferred career.

Blash - aimed at equipping members with ideas of the mechanisms of trading.

Cash-O-Nova - The club acts as a platform for discussion and activities in the field of

finance.

Systemix - Systems Club at IIFT which aims to provide a platform for information

technology.

Quintessential - quizzing club at IIFT.

Socrates - Consulting club at IIFT.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE – WHERE

EXCELLENCE IS A WAY OF LIFE

There is a global recognition that the creative requirements of global developments in the

21st Century and the competitiveness of nations will be dictated by the quality of the human

capital stock resident in each country and across different regions. It is the human capital that

will create the conditions for technological and economic advancement, and countries with

high investments in the institutions and processes that create human capital development will

forge ahead in their competitiveness whilst those which fail to invest will remain

uncompetitive.

The growth of business education has gone hand-in-hand with numerous innovations in

pedagogical models, course content and curricula, the role of research and the relationship

with government and industry. India now trains largest number of MBAs with about 75,000

degrees annually.

Businesses in India have started spreading in towns, cities and semi urban areas in search of

newer markets. These are seen as future markets for telecommunications, FMCG and retail

sector among others. As companies expand their operations, they are not finding enough

trained people to fit into different positions.

The emergence of globalisation has added a complex dimension to the management and

development of human capital. The global skill sets requires understanding of the global

market. These requirements are also constantly changing in response to global improvements.

According to industry estimates only a quarter of all graduates are employable and about 80%

of job seekers in employment exchange are without any professional skills. India is suffering

from a massive shortage of skilled manpower.

Considering the huge requirement of training in MBA in the area of international business,

Ministry of Commerce established Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in 1963. The mandate of

the Institute was to act as a think tank for the Ministry by providing inputs in the area of

research and training to young graduates in international business.

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is an institute that has carved a niche in teaching

international business to aspiring and experienced managers for the last four decades. Rapid

strides have been made by the Institute in achieving its mission to strengthen, sustain and

professionalise business knowledge through creative research and teaching, and learning by

integrating with organizations, institutions and universities both within and beyond national

boundaries.

IIFT’s core competency in teaching International business finds its relevance in today’s world

owing to the liberalized economic environment and increasingly globalized business

activities. The external trade sector has emerged as a mainstay for all countries contributing

in a major way to its growth and sustainability in a changed global environment. India is

witnessing high growth owing to a vibrant manufacturing and services sectors, and is also

experiencing significant export growth, enhanced global presence and competition. The need

of the hour for the country is to create a pool of human resources capable of making their

mark in the emerging global scenario. It is this capability of developing human resources who

can skillfully handle the nuances of business in a globalized world which is the strength of

IIFT.

In 2002, IIFT has been awarded the status of a ‘Deemed University”. It is also an Accredited

Institution by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous

institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The Graduate Studies Division (GSD) of IIFT is the powerhouse behind the

conceptualization and execution of its various Master of Business Administration (MBA)

programmes. IIFT offers a range of MBA programmes in International Business which have

been structured carefully to reflect the dynamics of this ever changing scenario for aspiring

global managers, working professionals as well as executives of various organizations.

The comprehensive range of subjects like international business strategy, international

marketing research, international trade operations, international finance, currency issues, and

WTO issues not only give an edge, but also hone the skills and faculties of the course

participants to emerge as global managers.

IIFT has expanded its reach beyond national boundaries, and is currently running an MBA

(IB) programme in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, with a vision to help the developing nation

build strength in this area.

Realizing its significance, IIFT has taken initiative to include Social Awareness Programme

(SAP) as a part of the curriculum for the MBA (IB) Programme. The objective is to expose

every student to some of the main issues which society is facing today, so that they develop

emotional connectivity to major social issues to carry it with them once they enter the

corporate world.

The Research Division at IIFT has always been instrumental in providing policy inputs to the

Government on foreign trade, with an emphasis on blending theory with practice, and

keeping itself upgraded with quality research studies on the changing dynamics of national

and international business. Research activities are indicators of attitude and aptitude of the

Institute and the Faculty concerned, leading to knowledge formation for the society and the

Institute has always endeavored to create theoretical as well as empirical analysis.

NOTABLE IIFT ALUMNI

S.K. Roongta , Chairman, Steel Authority of India Limited

Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports

Rashesh Shah, Founder & Chairman, Edelweiss Capital

V. Shashikant, CEO, UB Global

Govind Ambady, CEO, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, India

Sanjeev Asthana, President and CE, Agri Business & Food Supply Chain, Reliance

Retail

Dinesh Jain, CEO, [Zee Turner India]