The Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Chennai, is one of India’s most prestigious business schools and academic institutions. Established in 1970, it is recognized as an Institution of National Importance by the Ministry of Finance. Since its inception, IFMR’s mission has been focused on contributing to growth and development efforts in India with an emphasis on finance and research. IFMR also has several key partnerships with some of the leading academic institutions worldwide and offers a stimulating and world class environment to faculty and students alike.

 

What We Do

IFMR Research

Each of the seven research centers that constitute IFMR Research defines its own mission that contributes to this common vision, including: access to financial services, improving opportunities to mitigate risk, improving public goods provision, and ensuring scientific evaluation of scalable solutions to meet the broad goals of our vision. Together, the centers of IFMR Research design and test appropriate financial products for the poor and for small businesses, evaluate public and private sector anti-poverty strategies, promote government transparency through better measurement of public goods outcomes and public expenditure processes, and partner with a wide array of public, private and non-governmental organizations to produce clear recommendations for policymakers and social entrepreneurs.

Centers set up at IFMR are:

• Centre for Micro Finance (CMF): CMF’s mission is to help improve access to and quality of financial services for the poor in India through rigorous research, knowledge dissemination and evidence-based policy outreach.
• Centre for Development Finance (CDF): CDF is an action research center focused on improving governments’ and markets’ capacity to channel finance into sustainable, holistic development.
• Small Enterprise Finance Centre (SEFC): SEFC seeks to develop a vibrant SME sector through sustained advancement of research and practice of SME financing and growth in India by conducting and facilitating rigorous research programs in cooperation with first class researchers and institutions worldwide.
• Centre for Insurance & Risk Management (CIRM): CIRM aims to develop risk mitigating instruments like insurance, derivatives and investments to reduce the vulnerability of the poor to the many risks they face.
• Center for Advanced Financial Studies (CAFS): CAFS develops tools and concepts appropriate to market conditions in India and other emerging markets, provides research-based unbiased policy advice, and conducts post graduate programs that provide a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of modern finance. CAFS is also involved in executive education programs to bring the best current finance practices to professionals and tailor them to the needs of specific organizations.
• Centre for Innovative Financial Design (CIFD): CIFD works at the intersection of research and action to create and test financial products that bridge the gap between the financial needs and the financial access of the poor. To ensure the success and scalability of ideas, CIFD’s work follows a cycle of design, pilot test and disseminate.
• Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia: J-PAL South Asia seeks to improve the effectiveness of poverty programs in South Asia by providing policy makers with clear scientific results that help shape successful policies to combat poverty.

 

Academic Programs

One of India’s top-rated B-schools, IFMR conducts three types of academic programs:

• Full-time (two years) and part-time (three years) AICTE-approved Post Graduate Diploma in Management courses:
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management –Development and Sustainable Finance (PGDM-D& SF)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management - Financial Engineering (PGDM–FE)
• PhD program (University of Madras)
• Executive Training programs
• PGDM Part Time

 

Executive Training

IFMR offers executive training for a wide spectrum of managerial levels, disciplines and industries.

Two kinds of executive training programs are conducted:

• Management development programs
• Customized training programs

Over 4,000 programs of varying duration and focus have been conducted. Some of the programs have been conducted under the sponsorship of international organizations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), across different countries.