Career Guide for Rural Management Studies

In India the economy is still largely agrarian in nature and the rural sector forms a large part of the population. Developmental process without inclusion of rural India is thus lop-sided and unsustainable.

Therefore, professional rural managers are required to assist the villagers in their process of development so that the whole nation could achieve progress and prosperity coherently. Its not mandatory for a rural management graduate to work in rural locations or at the grassroots. This is because many of the bigger companies including banks and multinational companies have now entered the rural sector in developing nations. Thus, graduates can look forward to high pay-packages and progression in their career path. An aspirant should possess a passion for serving, coupled with an outgoing and friendly personality.

Courses & Eligibility:

Degree and diploma courses in rural management are offered by several management institutes in the country. Admission into these courses is made through entrance tests conducted by the concerned institutes. The minimum qualification to appear in these tests is a graduation or equivalent degree from any recognized institute/university in any subject.

Career Prospects:

Graduates may find employment opportunities in government’s developmental agencies and NGOs. They can be hired on contractual basis to manage developmental schemes and programmes. Highly qualified professionals can find lucrative job opportunities in UN and its specialized agencies or programmes run by them. Rural Managers can also run their own NGO after gaining some experience in this field. Other avenues open for rural management professionals are the research institutes.

Remuneration:

A fresh graduate can expect somewhere around Rs 8,000-15,000 salary per month. Developmental agencies run by big corporate houses offer very high pay packages including other allowances like house rent and medical expenses. Independent rural managers running their own NGOs can draw rich dividends in terms of money, popularity and image.