The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, has responded to the demand for managers from Indian companies seeking to set up offices internationally. It has introduced a finance and accounting course for executives to prepare them in international accounting standards.

The institute is also planning to introduce courses that help bridge the gap between Indian and international methodology in operations.

Most executive education programmes at IIM-C, carried out under the consultancy and management development programmes wing, are short-duration programmes (five days to one month) or six-month long-duration programmes that intend to give a larger perspective about certain areas of finance or management.

This year, IIM-C also plans to offer courses like general management programmes for young managers, a rural marketing programme, how to become an effective sales manager, managerial leadership and conflict resolution, etc.

The cost for these programmes, either self-financed or sponsored by organisations, usually vary between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000.

"The courses are handled by IIM-C faculty and executives availing these programmes are usually middle-level managers," said B N Srivastava, acting chairman of CMDP at IIM-C. It also offers distance learning programmes for executives.

"We are exploring the opportunity of setting up a studio at the IIM-C campus itself and holding online classes so that teachers do not have to travel far and wide," added Srivastava.

As of now, the long-duration programme for executives are being carried out with Hughes Communications India, and NIIT [Get Quote], who are the online service providers for certain executive courses. Students are required to attend specified centres to avail the online training classes conducted by IIM-C teachers.

Students are taught online through a satellite link and classes are held usually for three hours twice a week.

Some programmes have a batch size above 230 or so, while the newest programmes have 64 managers as participants. Classes are held in the studios of HCIL or at NIIT studios.

The fee varies for one day a week programme at Rs 90,000 per participant, while the two-day a week programmes cost anything between Rs 1,00,000 to 1,90,000.

These programme are in general management areas as well as in finance, marketing, operations and software management areas.