Columbia University, GMAT coming to India soon

Updated on: Thursday, March 18, 2010

Mumbai: While India opens its doors to foreign education, the world too seems to be taking notice of the opportunity for higher education in the country. The New-York based Columbia University has announced it will set up an international centre for research and regional collaboration in Mumbai later this month focusing on sustainable rural development and architecture.

Moreover, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which conducts the GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test) entrance test, has also announced plans to set up an office in India, its third in the world after the US and UK.

GMAC is waiting for the necessary approvals, its president and CEO David Wilson said adding, "I feel there's great potential for growth in the country."

More than 2.65 lakh management aspirants appeared for GMAT across the world in 2009, over 8% of them from India. There has been a steady rise in the number of Indian MBA aspirants taking the test, tripling in five years from 13,463 in 2005 to 30,633 in 2006. And with GMAC setting up base in India, it will mean GMAT aspirants can expect better facilities.

The demand for GMAT is set to rise even further once foreign universities set shop on Indian soil.

However, Columbia University is currently not looking at a full-fledged campus in Mumbai. In Mumbai, Coulmbia's Earth Institute will share with other scientists, development economists, policy makers, and community development practitioners, best practices and lessons learned from earlier successful project and initiatives.

Columbia University, GMAT coming to India soon

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