Alessandro Giuliani, MD, MISB Bocconi, tells sangeeta yadav about the institute, the scope of luxury retail management in India and how skilled workforce would bring a transformation in the Indian retail space
Tell us about Mumbai International School of Business (MISB) BocconiIJ
MISB specialises in providing hands-on training and international exposure to the students in luxury retail management. We offer Post-Graduate programme in Business and Executive Education. There are customised executive programmes for professionals like young executives, managers, entrepreneurs, brand promoters etc who would like to learn more about the new-age strategies and the changing global environment.
What is the scope of luxury retail management in IndiaIJ
India as a luxury retail market has not arrived at the global platform and thus there is a lot of scope. Be it in terms of fashion, household goods, interiors, or business enterprise, many people still prefer to buy it from abroad than in India.
We’ve luxury retail stores in India but its brand management is not done well. India should be undergoing the same shift that Italy underwent some 20 years ago. We had to change and introduce the mechanism and market for luxury products. There is going to be a transformation in terms of capital, modern practises, strong competition in the market, proper education and training.
What is the vision of MISBIJ
The aim is to be the numero uno B-school in India. We want people to recognise us for providing international quality standards of training to the students. We are here to stay and make a big setup of luxury retail education system.
Is the curriculum at MISB different from what is offered in ItalyIJ
When they come back, they are sent off to Italy for four months of specialisation training in four to six courses. Then they return to Mumbai during the placement season. Similarly, we have students from Italy, who come to MISB for their exchange programme.
What is the key area of concern in providing training at MISBIJ
There are three aspects which is extremely important to us. First, quality has to be supreme and in order to push and customise it more, we try to give international exposure to the faculty and students through exchange programmes. Second, we lay a lot of emphasis on soft skills which India is lacking. Apart from increasing marketing strategies, we have certified trainers who come from abroad and train for a year in fields like corporate communication, personal communication skills, etc. Third, is to develop and fill the gap in corporate connect and collaborate with them on various corporate projects.
How expensive it is to study at MISBIJ
It is in line with the best courses offered in India. We also provide merit based scholarships and have tie ups with banks that cover the fee and expenses of semester in Milan.
Tell us about the faculty members and alumniIJ
Our faculty is from the Italian campus but they are from eight different countries. Our first batch passed out in July. Some of them have been placed in foreign countries, some are working in big brands.