'Our average student outperforms the brilliant American'

[rajanlove]

Karuna Jain is the first woman to head a B-school in India. Head of the Shailesh J Mehta School of Management at IIT-Bombay, she is excited about the growing number of women at the helm of banks and financial institutions.

"It is so good to see women establish themselves. When I took over, there were many who were sceptical about how I would handle things. But I am glad I proved them wrong," says an optimistic Karuna Jain.

"Women by nature are careful, meticulous and well prepared. This is what helps women to rise high in financial services as due diligence is vital in financial services," says Jain.

India is competitive in terms of imparting quality education, she believes. "Our primary and higher secondary education is far superior, our IQ level is very high too. Our average student outperforms the brilliant American," she claims.

She questions the rationale of creating new IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) when they are already faced with a faculty and fund shortage. The biggest challenge she faces is getting good faculty. She points out that nobody wants to take up the teaching profession.

"Students in the B-school earn three times more than me on the first day. What I earn in a year, they earn in a month," she says.

Karuna Jain shares her views on management education, faculty shortage, the challenges she faces, and the exciting experience of over two decades of teaching and mentoring students.

How does it feel to be head of a management institute?

It feels very good to be in such a position though there are several challenges. It has been an interesting journey and I have been quite successful despite all odds. I don't look at myself as a woman, but women have to work really hard to prove themselves.

There have been times when people have tried to pull me down, but that has not affected me. They have tried to tell me, 'Don't think you can get away because you a lady', and I have told them, 'I am not a lady, I am your boss!' You have to be really strong. I have always been strong.

In terms of the achievements by the institute, the number of job offers, salary scales and research work have improved after I took over so I am quite satisfied.

The faculty strength has doubled in two years. But I have to increase it by 30 per cent in a year's time.