The institute, into its third year, has still a long way to go before it emerges as a place to reckon with. But its past performance augurs well for its future. NIA students of previous batches have found placement as management trainees with companies like Siemens Ltd, Triton Communication, HTA, Mudra Communication, Citi Corp, R K Swamy BBDO, Trikaya Grey, Contract Advertising.

The salaries offered to them were in the range of Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. Says Namrata Suri, director, NIA, ``At NIA, we are trying to help students realise their dreams by treating them to delights of reality, thereal world of dream merchants-full of hard work, endless research, constant teamwork and meeting of the deadline pressures.''

That the students are queuing up to study the nuances of the world of dream merchants is apparent from a healthy batch size of 75 students, up from 19 when it started in September 1995. NIA offers a one-and-a-half year post-graduate diploma in advertising and communications management (PGDACM).

The academic session spans two semesters spread over a year and students get industry exposure by way of on-the-job training during the following six months.

About the course content, Suri says, ``The programme offers opportunities to students to prepare for professional careers in communications, media entertainment, brand management and other allied fields.''

NIA conducts an all India written examination (at present held only in Delhi), eligibility being an undergraduate degree in any stream. Last year, 300 students appeared for the entrance examination. At the end of the course,successful students get a diploma. As it is a private institute and not a university as under the UGC Act, it does not award degrees.

The course fee is a whooping Rs 75,000. You have a choice of paying the full amount at the time of admission or Rs 25,000 initially and the balance in five installments of Rs 10,000 each.

Most students might be willing to shell out the course fee with promises of a job later, but a visitor to NIA might have apprehensions about the credibility of the course and the promoters as it operates out of a rented basement (Rs 35,000 a month) in south Delhi with makeshift classrooms (though well done up, complete with a bank of computers), nothing to go by way of campus and village environs completing the facade.

Says a determined Suri, ``We are not fly-by-night operators and are committed to the cause of students and advertising. We put the initial capital, but there were no grants, help or backup from anyone. Despite the hurdles we have grown, as is demonstrated by the industryresponse. We have an excellent faculty and an impressive guest faculty drawn from the best in the ad-world. These include industry stalwarts from Pressman, HTA, Percept, Enterprise Nexus, Lintas, Triton etc. We are here for the long haul and hope that one day NIA will be a full-fledged institute.''

The NIA alumni share Suri's visions of a better future, but do reveal some fundamental flaws. Says Ashwarnika Sarin, who was in the second batch and is at present an account manager with Contract Advertising, ``I had got admission in recognised institutes like IIMC but opted for NIA as I was interested in advertising. NIA is coming up well but there are lot of shortcomings which include infrastructure due to the huge batch size. Most students do not get jobs from the campus and have to do their own networking. NIA should reduce the number of students to 25-30 instead of the present 75, as the demand from the industry is low. Initially, I had apprehensions as NIA is not recognised, but the impressive guest facultyand visiting faculty comprising names like Parveen Ahluwalia of FS Advertising, Dennis Joseph of HTA do lend lot of credibility to the course.''

Adds Niloy Roy, who was in the first batch and is at present executive, corporate communications, Siemens Ltd, ``I had done English (Hons) from Delhi University before joining NIA. I got the job through my own efforts and not from the campus. Initially, lack of infrastructure was a major problem. But it is really commendable the way things have developed. ''

Overall, NIA offers an option worth exploring if you are keen on pursuing a career in advertising. The more ambitious students would do well to do the NIA course and supplement it with an MBA to keep options open beyond the ad-world.