FAQs

PGPM - FBE is India’s first AICTE approved One Year Full Time MBA Program which is customized for future family business successors and aspirational entrepreneurs.

PGPM - FBE is customized for next gen business owners. It is an amalgamation of Great Lakes flagship PGPM course and family business management - covering topics such as family dynamics management, leadership & people management, business expansion, digitisation, cutting edge technology in business, etc. along with key management concepts.

The accelerated PGPM - FBE is specifically designed for family business successors and budding entrepreneurs to learn business management before they enter their ventures. It empowers them with key skills and knowledge to scale their businesses to the next level.

One-year programs are more rigorous than two year programs, enabling future business owners to get into their businesses a year earlier. The one year format is very common in Europe and other parts of the world. In terms of the number of classroom hours, there is no significant difference between a two year course and a one year course. It is only advantageous to finish your course in half the time and be ready to elevate your business.

PGPM - FBE is customized to provide future business owners with fresh perspectives, a global exposure, motivational skills and all round business expertise, empowering them to take their business to the next level. It also enables the students to expand their network among leading VCs, high potential peers and industry experts which can potentially benefit your business.

PGPM - FBE is an AICTE approved program and is built on the Flagship PGPM platform. Post completion of this course, candidates will receive a Post Graduate Certificate in Management, which is the same as provided on completion of Great Lakes flagship PGPM course. PGPM is equivalent to MBA and is widely accepted across the industry.

Tuition fee is inclusive of reading material, including case studies, textbooks and online resources. The other components of the fee cover accommodation, mess charges, alumni fees, caution deposit and international Immersion fees. The cost of airfare, visa, accommodation and food for international immersion is not included in the fees. These expenses are to be borne by the candidate and will be based on actuals. Details of the fee structure for 1 Year PGPM are available here.

The motive of PGPM - FBE is to empower next gen business owners to lead their own businesses. Hence, we do not offer placements through the PGPM - FBE. However, the certificate, awarded upon successful completion of PGPM - FBE is considered equivalent to an MBA degree and can be considered while applying for jobs.

The minimum eligibility criteria is as follows:

• Minimum 50% across academics till UG
• Final year students can also apply (subject to other minimum criteria)
• Need at least one test score of CAT, XAT, NMAT, GMAT or you can also opt for Great Lakes Aptitude Test (GREAT)
• You need to be a successor or a part of a running family business, or an aspiring/full time entrepreneur

For PGPM- Family Business and admission process 2025-26, Great Lakes Institute of Management will accept scores of GMAT taken after 1st January 2022, CAT taken in 2023/2024, or XAT taken in 2024/2025 or or latest 3 attempts of NMAT 2023 onwards. You can enter scores from multiple attempts. Only the best score will be considered for your admissions. In case you have not taken any of these tests, you can also take the Great Lakes Aptitude Test (GREAT) to become eligible for PGPM - FBE.

We encourage reporting all the scores you have. If more than one score is reported, we will automatically consider your best score for the admissions process.

The admission process for PGPM - FBE is completely virtual. All communications will be sent to your mail. The interviews will also be conducted online through a virtual meet.

SoP stands for Statement of Purpose. Through this SoP, you can tell us everything about yourself that makes you an ideal candidate for the program. You can include how you can bring your experience and industry knowledge to the classroom and how you plan to leverage the course. You can also include information that otherwise could not be shared in the application form.

Great Lakes Chennai has a fully residential campus LEED platinum rated green campus near Mahabalipuram, Chennai. It’s a 32-acre campus which is located off the East Coast Road (ECR), close to Manamai Village, and is easily accessible from Chennai city.

Yes, PGPM - FBE is a fully residential program. Given the immersive nature of the program, hostel accommodation is mandatory.

Recommenders should ideally be superiors in your organization(s) or professionals you have worked with or persons of high standing in society who would be able to provide an objective feedback about your professional achievements. We prefer professional recommendations because they are more relevant in terms of judging your professional capabilities. However, we also accept academic recommendations if it is from very senior faculty from your college.