IISWBM was set up in 1953 through the joint efforts of the Calcutta University, the country's business community, the government of West Bengal and the government of India.

The institute was set up under the patronage of the then chief minister, Bidhan Chandra Ray, and founded by D K Sanyal, its founder president.

IISWBM was set up to create a talent pool of efficient managers in the Indian industry. Professionals working at public sector units such as Burn Standard, Braithwaite, Jessop, Martin Burn and Calcutta Port Trust were often sent for training to IISWBM.

At present, the institute conducts seven courses ranging from an MBA to a diploma in travel and tourism industry management. ``The MBA course and the one-yeardiploma in social welfare are affiliated to the Calcutta University,'' informs D K Sanyal, director, IISWBM, and the son of the founder president.

The institute has 150 seats in the MBA course, which includes both day and evening sections. The objective of the programme is to provide management education to middle class and upper-middle class students at a reasonable cost with the best available resources. ``Our MBA course, for which admission is made through a common admission test, is one of the cheapest MBA programmes in the country. The entire two-year programme can be completed for Rs 35,000 compared to Rs 1,40,000 at the IIMs,'' says Sanyal.

``Students of our MBA courses have been offered jobs in MNCs and are rated just after the IIM graduates,'' he claims.

``Students of IISWBM have been placed in companies such as HDFC, ANZ Grindlays, ORG-MARG, TCS, Eveready Industries, Dabur, Coats India, BOC India, Berger Paints, Blue Star, Procter & Gamble, Price Waterhouse, Ernst & Young, Balsara and HaldiaPetrochemicals,'' says A Bhattacharya, the placement officer of the institute.

Other courses conducted by the institute are a one-year diploma in social welfare (DSW), a three-year post-graduate diploma in business management (PGDBM) and a three-year post-graduate diploma in human resource management (PGDHRM).

Some of the other courses on offer are a two-year, post-graduate diploma (day) and a three-year, post-graduate diploma (evening) in public systems management (PSM), covering four areas of specialisation (environment, transport, energy and hospital management). Also, there is a 16-month, part-time diploma in travel & tourism management (PGDTTIM) and a one-year diploma in industrial safety (DIS).

The IISWBM charges Rs 26,000 for the PSM day courses, Rs 30,000 for its evening programme and Rs 4,000 for DIS. Fees for other courses are Rs 11,000 for PGDTTIM and Rs 17,000 for the three-year PGDBM and PGDHRM.

The institute also conducts management development programmes for various institutes andgovernment departments. They also run entrepreneurship development programmes for SSIs.

The institute also organises industry-institute interactions through management games, besides participating in the National Corporate Quiz Cup.

Bhattacharya said the students of environment management are placed in large chemical plants. The students of the transport management course have found places in the Transport Corporation of India, regional transport corporations, shipping companies and airlines. Students of the hospital management course have got plum jobs in Calcutta hospitals, Duncan Gleneagles, Peerless Hospitex, BM Birla Heart Research Center, Woodlands, the Apollo group of hospitals and the Bata Hospital, situated at Batanagar.

The MBA course lasts from July to June.