Scaler School of Business: Bridging the Gap Between Academia & Industry

Scaler, a leading education provider in India, has launched Scaler School of Business (SSB) today with its full-time on-campus Postgraduate Program in Management and Technology in the heart of Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India. This is India's first business school built by industry leaders for future industry leaders, offering a meticulously crafted curriculum that mirrors the realities of modern tech and innovation-driven businesses.

As with engineering education in the country, traditional MBA programs are also typically built and taught by academic scholars renowned for their theoretical expertise in business concepts and principles. According to the India Skill Report 2020, having an MBA degree is no longer the key to landing jobs in India, with only 46.59 per cent of students having enough skills to be hired. Several institutions attempt to teach these practical skills through case studies. Still, more often than not, these are also outdated and are insufficient to prepare graduates to thrive in the fast-paced, dynamic world of business. The postgraduate program curated by Scaler School of Business has been specially designed to bridge this significant gap between traditional business education and the industry's dynamic needs - under the guidance of industry stalwarts who have not only achieved remarkable success but have also navigated the complexities of business at a large scale. These visionaries have shaped iconic brands such as Meta (Facebook), Uber, Myntra, McKinsey and Fab.

Business-Tech Fusion Hub

With a unique blend of theoretical rigour and practical application, SSB's postgraduate program goes beyond the confines of traditional academia. It integrates elements like a three-month internship, case studies, industry-driven evaluations, and immersive projects sourced directly from leading companies. The program will allow students to deep dive into trending technology and innovations, equipping them with new-age skills in AI and allied industries to ensure they are 10x more efficient and tech-enabled than the average MBA graduate.

Learners will have access to a dedicated space—Scaler Innovation Lab—where they will work on ground-breaking ideas and projects that impact society under the guidance of Scaler's leadership team and CXOs of partner organisations. They will be able to collaborate with computer science engineers from Scaler School of Technology to build prototypes or minimal viable products. These ideas and projects will also be presented to the country's top VCs and investment firms. 

Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-Founder of Scaler, said, “While our mission at Scaler initially was to provide Stanford-quality education to millions of aspiring engineers in the country, it has now morphed to include a wider audience. We are dedicated to shaping the future of talent with an industry-focused approach. We want to empower working professionals and students alike to build the right skillsets and knowledge, leading to a wider impact in the real world. We strongly believe that working professionals today and in the future need both business and technology acumen. Scaler School of Business is a vital step in that direction.”

Along with an updated industry-focused curriculum, learners enrolled with Scaler School of Business will also get access to industry leaders from all domains, such as visiting faculty and super mentors, who will curate engaging hands-on exercises, ensuring students gain practical wisdom from the best in the business. There will be 1:1 mentorship from people in the desired area of specialisation and career path, emphasising experiential learning where students are exposed to real-world challenges and opportunities guided by feedback directly from industry leaders. 

“In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the demand for skilled and adaptable leaders has never been greater. With Scaler School of Business, we are embarking on a transformative journey to redefine the standards of excellence in business education to empower the next generation of business leaders with the knowledge, skills, and vision needed to thrive in an increasingly digital and interconnected world and have a tech advantage. The program will emphasise practical learning over traditional lectures by industry leaders with decades of experience building and scaling things from scratch. Through hands-on projects, immersive case studies, and direct engagement with industry leaders, our students are set to gain invaluable experience that transcends the confines of the classroom. In essence, Scaler School of Business is not just an educational institute; it's a crucible where future tech and business leaders are forged, ready to create impact in the digital world.” -  added Bhavik Rathod, Senior Vice President at Scaler.

Delivered in four phases, the 18-month program will be split into 6 trimesters. The first two trimesters will focus on building fundamental knowledge of business administration, where learners will build expertise around topics such as accounting, economics, statistics, communications, sales and marketing strategies, operations management and others. This will be followed by the third and fourth semester, which focuses on functional specialisations, where learners will develop a deeper understanding of their chosen field - marketing, strategy, operations, or finance - with a particular focus on how each of these verticals operates in today's digital and tech age. The fifth semester is an industry immersion experience wherein learners will undertake a 3-month internship as consultants, managing real-life projects in top firms or leading start-ups. The last trimester will focus on building skills essential in the digital age - fundamentals of digital marketing, applications of Generative AI, Data Science and ML, and learning about other in-demand technologies being used in business. Learners will also be allowed to choose electives such as edtech, fintech, Gen AI, SaaS, Web3 and Blockchain, among others, to help them better understand specific industries. 

The Scaler School of Business’s postgraduate program is designed for both technical and non-technical job opportunities suited for working professionals with few years of experience or even freshers straight out of college. It is ideal for those looking to advance in their current roles, such as moving from a marketing executive to a managers leading GTM strategy or a sales executive to an Enterprise Sales Lead. It is also suitable for those looking to switch profiles to marketing, consulting, strategy, or the Founder's office. The program offers tech professionals the opportunity to move into more strategic and managerial roles, such as Engineering Manager, Product Manager or Technical Program Manager in product and tech companies (established MNCs and innovative start-ups). Scaler works with more than 900 employer-partners internationally, including the top names in every tech sector like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Zomato, Airtel, Wells Fargo, PayPal and others, who regularly hire Scaler alums, and these existing relationships will be leveraged to help SSB learners build sustainable careers.

The program's founding cohort will have an intake of handpicked 75 to 100 students and will commence in August 2024. The admission process will comprise a series of written and video essays, followed by two 1:1 interview rounds. Scaler School of Business's campus is located in Electronic City, Bengaluru, surrounded by leading global corporations with access to a state-of-the-art classroom and hostel (optional). The same campus also houses the Scaler School of Technology, allowing varied collaboration opportunities between management and technology professionals, enabling a wholesome learning experience for both groups of learners.