MBA Agri Business Management

Master of Business Administration in Agriculture Business Management is a two-year postgraduate programme offering a degree in business management of agricultural organisations or ventures. Its acronym, MBA Agri Business Management is more popularised as one of the specialisations of the MBA degree. All those who wish to understand how the unique sector of agriculture is handled in the face of market forces can apply for the course after completing their graduation with a bachelor’s degree. Though before application, they shall have to attempt entrance examination(s), such as CAT, MAT, GMAT, XAT, SNAP, AIMA GAT, etc., according to their chosen institution’s eligibility requirements. Cut-off clearance, group discussions, and personal interviews are used by the colleges to eliminate the students they consider unfit for the MBA specialisation, and the ones who successfully make it to the end can apply for varying programmes offered by the institution, such as full-time, part-time, or online distance learning courses.

Agriculture in India is a dominant sector, even in the market, and contributes to a major part of the GDP. However, the population involved in the sector is such that the relevant market requires special schemes, laws, policies, and rules of market forces application. Candidates who apply for the MBA Agri Business Management shall learn about how to deal with these factors, how to establish an organisation that is more dedicated to agriculture but, manages to make a profit, and how to ensure its smooth operation in the relevant market. The best colleges for applying for the said course study are the Indian Institute of Management, Symbiosis Institute of International Business, National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management, and Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Science.

Students can pursue the MBA Agri Business Management programmes for the following reasons:

• Unique Market Structure: Agricultural market is among the most unique market structures. It is directly connected to basic necessities and income sources of a vast number of dependents of a country, hence, while market forces remain intact their impact is strictly controlled by the government. Students can learn a lot through the course about how is the market maintained.
• Global and Perpetual Relevance: Agriculture produces and fuels one of the basic necessities of human beings, which is food. It can never be irrelevant, irrespective of the country, economy, political alignments, etc. Hence, MBA Agri Business Management can also be understood as a perpetually relevant course study.
• Strong Networking: The higher authorities of a country and learned economists are actively involved with the agriculture market. Wherever the graduate is placed, they have a chance to connect and network with them due to the controlled scope of business. They can strengthen their connections and network through these people.
• Contribution to National Growth: If the agriculture market of the country flourishes, so does the national GDP, overall growth rate, income, and other aspects of living. Hence, students can use the opportunity to contribute specifically to the economic progression of their country.

The Agri Business is one of the major income generators in India. To make MBA Agri Business accessible to students, it is offered in various modes which are known for their flexibility and convenience. Candidates can enrol themselves in courses that satisfy their requirements. Here are the four main types of MBA Agri Business: 

MBA Agri Business: Full-time

The MBA Agri Business is a full-time course of two years that is conducted over regular weekday classes, classroom lectures, projects, seminars and internships. It is convenient for those who can devote their full time to pursuing the course. Emphasis is given to case analysis, rural immersion module and multi-disciplinary presentation to bring out the managerial skills required to manage businesses related to agriculture and allied activities

MBA Agri Business: Part-time

Though part-time MBA Agri Business provides flexibility to candidates to attend classes in the evening or in the weekends, it takes longer to complete than the traditional MBA programme. It may take up to three years to complete. They are prepared to become qualified and competent Agri Business Management professionals.

MBA Agri Business: Distance/Online

Working professionals who cannot devote time to attending classes throughout the week can take up distance MBA Agri Business or online MBA Agri Business. These courses help in academics without needing to take a break from professional commitments. They turn into specialists who understand production technology and business management of the Agricultural sector.

Executive MBA Agri Business

Those job holders who wish to upscale their career with a postgraduate degree in business administration can opt for Executive MBA Agri Business. The main requirement for this specialised MBA course is that aspirants need to hold five to ten years of working experience in relevant fields. 

MBA Agri Business Management programme offering colleges in India require students to submit their entrance test scores, along with their admission application. It is only if their scores satisfy the cut-off criteria of the colleges that the students are invited to the next round of the admissions process. 

The entrance examinations for admission to postgraduate management and MBA programmes are quite many in India. While some are conducted by an accrediting authority, others are conducted on national, state, or institutional levels. Students need to submit the exam scores which are accepted by the college they are applying for, which is commonly the one conducted by the institution itself. Alternatively, institutions might accept exam scores from reputed and highly competitive examinations.

Here are some of the most common entrance exam scores that students might have to submit for admission to MBA Agri Business Management programmes:

• Common Admission Test (CAT)
• Management Aptitude Test (MAT)
• Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT)
• Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)
• Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP)
• NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies) Management Aptitude Test  (NMAT)

MBA Agri Business Management programmes have certain basic eligibility criteria, which students need to satisfy to even apply for them. These eligibility criteria come before the onset of the admissions process, and students need to check them out before even registering for entrance exams. Moreover, every college has different eligibility criteria as well. 

Overall, students can expect the following to be included among the requirements of all colleges’ eligibility criteria for admission to MBA Agri Business Management:

• They need to have a graduate degree, with a bachelor’s degree, from a recognised university or equivalent.
• They need to have an aggregate score of at least 50% in their bachelor’s degree.
• They need to attempt an entrance exam as required for admission to their respective colleges.
• The cut-off score for the entrance examination mentioned by the college needs to be satisfied as well.

The MBA Agri Business admissions depend on academic results or scores of the entrance tests. The scores of any management aptitude test determine the admission of students to renowned business colleges in India. Here are a few steps which students should keep in mind to get an MBA Agri Business admission:

• Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements of the course.
• They must appear for the entrance tests like CAT, MAT, XAT, SNAP, CMAT etc.
• Filling up the application forms is an important step in this regard. Also, submission of previous mark sheets, certificates and work experience certificates is mandatory. 
• After the scores of entrance tests are out, students are shortlisted for a personal interview, group discussions and writing ability tests.
• When the final selection list is out, students can enrol themselves in their preferred colleges for MBA Agri Business. 

Students who wish to participate in the management the agro-businesses can opt for MBA Agri Business from reputed colleges in India. There are several top-ranking institutions that offer this course. Candidates must weigh the benefits and disadvantages of Agri Business specialisation and then opt for it. Here are some of the most popular MBA Agri Business colleges in India: 

The MBA Agri Business programmes abroad exposes the reality of business challenges in the food and agri-business sectors and focus on the management skills required for agri-business and promote practical innovation. The programme overseas improves peer-to-peer learning, and networking opportunities, and bridges the gap between agricultural science, agro-business, agricultural policy and practices. Students can opt for any college from the list of MBA Agri Business colleges abroad: 

One thing that worries students is the tuition fees of MBA courses. Tuition fees vary across specialisations and colleges and are mostly based on the facilities provided by them. For MBA Agri Business, the IIMs are the costliest in India however there are several other institutes that offer competitive and cheaper rates to students. Here is an approximate estimation of the tuition fees at various MBA Agri Business colleges across the Indian subcontinent:

First Year:

Second Year:

The MBA in Agri Business course curriculum aims to deliver a unique business management education with an emphasis on reflective and innovative leadership and business decision-making to combat challenging situations in the agriculture-based industries. The programme modules will encourage students to reflect upon the discipline content of MBA Agri business and apply them to real situations within the agri-business sector. 

• The use of examples and opportunities to discuss and debate theory and current issues with peers provides students with a deeper understanding of the course. 
• The programme structure contains modules to inform students about the application of existing and innovative technologies. It also increases their ability to analyse situations and make decisions.
• Leadership skills are developed by the use of group activities and assessments.
• The use of industry internships to support students and acquaints them with real-life agricultural crises. 
• The inclusion of elective programmes further develops students’ knowledge.

There are a number of options available to candidates with a master’s degree in Agri-Business. Candidates who are interested in further studies can go for research and Ph.D. Some of the top recruiting companies/industries that hire successful agri-business postgraduates are:

• Marketing Industry
• Retail Industry
• Public and Private Enterprises
• Food production companies
• Farming industry
• Import-Export Firms
• Retail Firms
• Government Boards - Fisheries, Diary

Here’s a list of popular job roles with the agri-business management degree:

• Agribusiness Manager
• Trader
• Quality Controller
• Marketing Head
• Farm Appraiser
• Agriculture Policy Analyst
• Marketing Head
• Bio-Compost Sales Head
• Market Analyst

Agribusiness manager handles various roles in the organization and his concerns are related to analyzing the financial situation in the agri-business economic market and ensuring the right flow of management information. The annual entry-level salary of a postgraduate is between Rs. 4 lakh to Rs.8 lakh. 

Agribusiness comprises crop production, food processing and marketing, agrichemicals, farm machinery, distribution, and retail sales. MBA Agri Business graduates assist the farming system to improve the productivity of Indian farmers by innovating products and services that sustainably increase crop and livestock yields. MBAs can find many opportunities to make high-paying, successful careers here. Here is a list of successful MBA Agri Business job roles along with their average salaries:

An MBA in Agribusiness Management programme provides golden opportunities in various areas of agriculture such as agri-finance, production and distribution, and land management. One needs to learn the principles of agricultural sciences, economics and business. They have to learn to manage farms and work with manufacturers to produce more food at lower costs while still being profitable. All these require immense skills. Here are some of the valuable skills that would help MBA Agri Business professionals:

• Product knowledge 
• The ability to identify problems and help customers
• Management and leadership skills
• Ability to solve agri-business problems
• Must be detail oriented
• Must have persuasion capabilities
• Must have decision-making skills
• Must be a good communicator