Monday, December 15, 2008
For those seeking a management career in the plantation sector, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has something unique to offer. Come January and the university will start offering a postgraduate diploma programme in plantation management (PGDPM).

V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, vice-chancellor of IGNOU, elaborates: “Globalisation and the increased competition have further brought in new challenges as well as opportunities to this sector. Plantation companies, both new and old, need to improve their competitive edge by employing managerial skills and applying the latest technological innovations to improve productivity and to become globally competitive. The sector, if managed well, has scope for year-round income generation.” He said that there was a need for capacity building in plantation industry, especially at the supervisory and managerial level, for improving productivity and the overall performance of this sector.


The postgraduate diploma programme in plantation management seeks to develop competent human resource for the plantation sector. It will provide exposure to various management practices that are relevant for the professional management of the sector. The course will offer the technical know-how required for effectively managing major plantations such as tea, coffee, rubber, spices and so on.

K.S. Divakaran Nair, Regional Director of IGNOU, claimed that the programme was the first of its kind to be offered in the country through the open and distance learning mode. It has been developed by IGNOU Regional Centre, Kochi, under the scheme of region-specific, need-based programmes, with the support and guidance of the School of Agriculture, IGNOU.

According to the university officials, the programme would be of great relevance to the supervisors and managers presently employed in various plantations such as tea, coffee, spices, rubber and so on as well as to fresh graduates desirous of pursuing a challenging career in the plantation sector.

The target group for the programme is any graduate desirous of pursuing a career in plantation management. The objectives of this programme are to develop competent professionals in plantation industry; impart knowledge and skills in production; processing; marketing and finance management in plantation sector; and to upgrade the technical proficiency of professional working in the plantation industry.

Eligibility for admission to this programme is graduation in any discipline. The programme is of one-year duration and the fee is Rs. 4,000. Some of the learning modules include introduction to plantation management; crop protection technology; post harvest management and value addition; human resource, marketing and financial management; and project work.