An Interview with Dr. Vandana Sethi, Director at Lloyd Business School

Lloyd Business School, Greater Noida is a private institution established in the year 2008. It has been approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Lloyd School of Business admissions are made based on the scores secured in entrance exams such as CAT/ MAT/ XAT/ ATMA/ GMAT/ Lloyd entrance test conducted by the institution.

In this interview brought to you by Careers360, the Director of Lloyd Business School, Greater Noida, Dr. Vandana Sethi, talks about Lloyd campus, admission process, eligibility and placements. Go through the interview to know more about Lloyd School of Business.

Careers360: Lloyd Business School has been operational since 2008. Please give insights into the school’s journey, focusing on the achievements and challenges.

Dr. Vandana: I have been associated with Lloyd Business School for almost two decades now. Though we began very small in 2004, with the initial Law, Pharma and Management colleges. It was in the year 2008 that we laid the foundation for Lloyd Business School. The vision was very clear at that time, we wanted to build a business school which is deeply connected to the real world. We started small at that time, but today we are proud to say that we’ve built an institution which is not only about academics and studies, but I would say it is more about skills, startups and corporate readiness of the students. No, since you have asked about the journey and how it has been.

Over the years, we have collaborated mainly with a lot of industry leaders and precisely with IBM. We have onboarded top recruiters like Celeble Technologies, who built their Centre of Excellence at Lloyd. We have also set up our own technology incubator, which is called LTBI (Lloyd Technology Business Incubator). You’ll be happy to know that we have received a grant of Rs 2.5 crores from the MSME, which is going to be used for nurturing student-led startups. During the journey, there have been a lot of successes, and there have also been challenges, such as curriculum alignment and faculty upskilling. I really believe that strength does not come from what we can do. It actually comes from overcoming the things that we once thought we could not. Lloyd has been such a living example of all the challenges we have overcome to stand strong today as one of the leading business schools.

Careers360: What makes Lloyd Business School stand out from the rest of the top business schools?

Dr. Vandana: Lloyd Business School stands out from rest of the business schools not only in Delhi NCR, but certain things we have pioneered in Lloyd Business School make us outstanding in the entire India. One is that we don’t really teach the students to learn the facts, but we train their minds to think so that they find the solutions themselves. At Lloyd, we help them think like professionals, right from the classrooms to the boardrooms. We do a lot of activities which help the students align into the thinking process.

First is our industry-integrated models, where we ensure that the students work on real problems and not just in the cases given in the textbooks. We have a simulation lab, which is like a capstone, where students get to simulate various paths of a corporation and play different roles. For example, a new product is being launched, they know where to put money in, like automation or marketing or manufacturing, etc. Second, we follow the IIM style pedagogy, we use Harvard Business Publishing case studies, and we use their simulations and discussions as well.

Third and very important is that we do a corporate mentoring programme, which was pioneered by Lloyd Business School a couple of years ago. We see that every student is guided by an industry professional that makes their job easier as they already have a connection in the industry. Students are taught how to think like a corporate person through frequent interactions with industry experts.

Last and most important is our Lloyd Technology and Business Incubator, which supports student entrepreneurs. Business incubator is something only a few institutes of PGDM have done in India, which offer at a scale we are doing. As I have mentioned earlier, we have also received a grant from the MSME of up to Rs 2.5 crores at this moment. This money is available for the student incubatees. Students bring their ideas to us, we apply some filters, project these ideas in front of the mentors, the funding agencies and the MSME. We give wings to their ideas, and that is how Lloyd Business School is excelling the way it is.

Careers360: With so many PGDM specialisations, such as Business Analytics, Human Resource Management, Entrepreneurship, and others being offered, how can students select their area of specialisation?

Dr. Vandana: At Lloyd, we have various specialisations in PGDM such as HR, Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship and most importantly, Business Analytics. We take up a guided discovery approach. In the first trimester, the students explore all the domains, from Marketing to Business Analytics. Next, our faculty and our mentors support them in making the right decision.

We do not ask them to make a decision now in haste. We help them in making the right decision through aptitude mapping. For example, if a student wants to get into Business Analytics but is just confused whether Business Analytics is the right field for them, we’ll get experts from organisations such as IBM and Celeble, which are our partners in the Centre of Excellence. At the same time, we also invite five to six industry speakers who are working in the area of Business Analytics in various domains like automobiles, health and pharmaceuticals, hospitals and so on. So, the student gets to know what kind of job role they envisage, what kind of salary they would be getting.

After all these people share their domain insights, it helps the students understand what fits them best. I advise all the students not to go just by trend, but go by what your aptitude is and where you can excel in. Our goal behind the specialisation selection process is an aptitude mapping which suits you and your personality best.

Careers360: Please give us a detailed breakdown of the eligibility criteria for the PGDM course.

Dr. Vandana: Lloyd Business School offers PGDM in a very meticulous manner. Eligibility is graduation with 50% marks from a recognised university as per the AICTE norms. But, as we are quality conscious, we prepare a merit list and see that the graduates who apply have a valid score from CAT/ MAT/ XAT/ ATMA/ GMAT. If the student could not score well in these entrance exams can appear for the Lloyd entrance exam. Students who are either graduates or are in the final year at this time can apply through our website by filling out the form, followed by group discussions and a personal interview with the panel.

During the personal interview and group discussions, we mainly assess the communication skills of the student. We see the overall potential, not what the student is today, but what the student can become. We focus more on who the student can become rather than what is there on the paper or the skills they possess. Our panel identifies the ultimate potential of the student. Some of the students come from small towns, who may not have good communication skills or good marks as of now. But we assess that they have the passion or the potential to be where it takes them.

Careers360: Are candidates with prior work experience given preference over freshers during the selection process?

Dr. Vandana: Yes, at all the world’s best schools, work experience is definitely appreciated. Because work experience has already given you an environment where you know what is lacking in you to exist in that kind of corporate setting. As a fresher, you will not have the depth to understand how important a postgraduate management education is, but work experience definitely adds depth.

At the same time, it is not mandatory. In fact, some of our best-performing students are freshers. Because they showed clarity and that they had a drive during the interview. So, work experience is preferred, but not mandatory. I firmly believe in the words of Zig Ziglar, who said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”. So let’s start your postgrad education even without the work experience.

Careers360: How is the curriculum of Lloyd Business School upgraded to meet the cutting-edge demands of the global industry?

Dr. Vandana: Like I said, industry integration is one of our strengths. When we started Lloyd Business School in 2008, our strength was to be what the industry wanted. So we connected with industries in all domains in HR, we connected with Manpower Group, which was amongst the Fortune 500 at that time.

We started Supply Chain Management and tied up with the Safe Express Group. We have moved on to better types from there. Our curriculum is vetted and reviewed not only annually but every semester. We have a powerful board of studies, which consists of industry leaders, senior faculty from top institutions, and senior academicians. We review the curriculum, make additions and deletions. As technology is moving very fast, our students need to be updated on not only what is needed today, but also what will be needed in the future.

As of today, we have added modules, including artificial intelligence for managers, digital business strategy and sustainability. These are the things which will be coming up. For example, sustainability is not really relevant in corporates today, but with the SDG goals, very soon, sustainability will be a requirement in all corporates. What they will need is managers who can use artificial intelligence in achieving sustainable goals. So the curriculum includes AI and sustainability today. Excel and it’s certifications have been prevalent for a very long time, but students still struggle with the advanced use of Excel.

So, the curriculum includes those certifications as well, like Python, Power BI, various HR tech tools and others, which are co-created by our collaborators like IBM and Celeble Technologies. So, the curriculum is not static, and that’s the beauty of the PGDM programmes. The curriculum is vetted every 6 months. New courses and certifications are added so that when the students appear for an interview ahead of the curve. We at Lloyd believe in learning, unlearning and relearning. As the curriculum today might not be relevant after two years, I urge the students to choose PGDM over MBA as well. So that they can be updated with what is the latest in technology, and that’s the spirit behind our continuous curriculum evolution.

Careers360: How does the Industry collaboration with Lloyd Business School help students gain in-depth exposure to the corporate world? Please explain.

Dr. Vandana: Industries, when they come to Lloyd, they are not a visitor. An industry has a constant presence at Lloyd. Students engage in live projects, corporate mentorship, various workshops and conclaves that happen throughout the year. We believe students should be in the company rather than in the classroom. Industry collaborations are happening at every stage.

Even now, admissions are ongoing but our pre-induction has started with the industries which are connecting with students online. So, students who are coming from different graduate backgrounds like B.Com, BA, BSc, B.Tech or various geographical backgrounds, such as the northeast and south of India, are all coming together on a virtual platform. They are talking to a common industry person who is telling them the requirements in the industry. We have collaborations with IBM and Celeble, among 10 others, so that students can work on live projects, business challenges, and various tools. To sum it up, we don’t teach industry practices; we bring industry to the classroom, and that’s how the students gain exposure to the corporate world.

Careers360: What is the duration of the summer internships at Lloyd Business School? What are the key aspects of these summer internship programmes?

Dr Vandana: Summer internships, winter internships and other kinds of on-the-job training in an industry or corporate are very helpful to any student in any domain. Like Benjamin Franklin said, ”Tell me, and I’ll forget, teach me and I shall remember, involve me and I will learn”. This is what we believe when we talk about internships at Lloyd Business School. SIP is where our learning turns into experience. Our SIP runs for 8 to 10 weeks between the first and second year. For most of the students, this internship turns into a pre-placement offer if it is good enough for the student.

During the internship, the student is given a faculty mentor and also a corporate guide. These projects are live, where the students work on actual deliverables. Sometimes these internships are also extended beyond 8 to 10 weeks, and we are fine if the student wants to spend another month in the corporate if they want to learn more. We see to it that it’s not only a certificate-based internship, but a chance for the student to learn rigorously. So, we make sure that 100% of the students undergo the summer internship.

Careers360: What are the different activities undertaken by the Corporate Resource Centre (CRC) in terms of placement support provided to the students?

Dr Vandana: One of the most important places in any college campus is their placement office or the corporate resource centre. Because the main goal of joining a business school is to land in a job or to start their own startup. What they learn in the classroom is tested in the Corporate Resource Centre. Lloyd Business School is fortunate to be led by two female leaders in the CRC, who are very well-connected with the industry and are making sure that the student gets a job which suits their aptitude and attitude.

Personal attention is given to the students who are not doing very well in the classroom to groom these students and find them jobs. Most importantly, CRC performs recruiter onboarding. At the same time, there are a lot of pre-placement activities happening at CRC like resume writing, resume correction, LinkedIn profiles and mock interviews. So I advise the students to take pre-placement activities as seriously as the placement interview. CRC also does career counselling and domain readiness. At Lloyd Business School, we have 2 majors for each PGDM programme. For example, a student will be majoring in Marketing and Business Analytics, because marketing goes hand in hand with analytics.

You need to analyse the market and build proper tools so that you can market your product. For that, you need Business Analytics. Now, the student has to see whether they find the right job in Marketing or in the core Business Analytics or a collaboration. Domain readiness is done by the academic team in collaboration with the CRC. Lastly, the Corporate Resource Centre organises various job fairs and conclaves. Lloyds is one of the few institutes in India which has been organising a job fair called Nupti for the last 9 years.

This job fair not only caters for students from Lloyd, but students across India. Around 50 to 55 companies and more than 2000 students visit the Lloyd campus during the job fair. A mapping has been done already in the last 2 to 3 months, when the students appear for interviews in the domain they have chosen. The mapping is done from the forms they have filled out earlier. Candidate selection, shortlisting and offer letters are also provided hand-to-hand post-interview process.

Careers360: Please provide us with information on the placements at Lloyd Business School, with emphasis on the roles, recruiters, and the different kinds of salary packages.

Dr. Vandana: As I told you, we’ve been organising job fairs. One of the strong places of Lloyd is the Corporate Resource Centre, so there is no fear of placements. What the student needs is for us to bring the company on campus. We prepare you on the soft skills through classroom teaching. Students need to crack the interview rounds set by the company. Celeble, Tech Mahindra, Decathlon, and Asian Paints hiring for Business Analytics roles, participated in the Lloyd School of Business placements.

Many prominent companies in various domains, such as HR and Marketing, have been coming to the campus and hiring. The companies have hired for different roles like Business Analyst, Digital Marketing, Sales Marketing Associates and Financial Analyst. The salary package ranges from Rs 6 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs has also been offered by some companies during the 2025 session.

Careers360: Recruiters hiring for management positions consider communication skills to be one of the primary criteria for evaluating candidates. How does Lloyd Business School address this?

Dr. Vandana: Recruiters consider the communication skills of the students. I, being an ardent follower of Miss Indra Nooyi have often quoted about the five Cs that she has spoken about, which are Communication, Confidence, Courage & Confidence, Compass and Competence. Communication comes first, not only in the way the student speaks the language, but rather, they have to learn the regular business communication. Lloyd conducts sessions on these skills from pre-induction itself.

Students registered and enrolled in Lloyd Business School are made to attend the pre-induction classes, which happen on soft skills. Once there are regular classes on business communication and email writing, other things that enhance communication skills like debates, open mic, stage events and mock GDs are conducted. Over time, these skills build confidence in students. We make sure that students coming from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, who did not have the opportunity of a lot of exposure in presenting themselves to an audience, are groomed. I believe that the way we communicate with each other determines the quality of our lives. Communication is not a desirable skill, it is a skill that is essential. We at Lloyd make sure that our students are ready to stand up, speak up and show up.

Careers360: What are the beliefs of Lloyd Business School?

Dr. Vandana: It’s not many beliefs that the Lloyd Business School has, but one that we stand up to. We follow the words of our Founder, President, Mr. Thairani is skilling. We believe in skilling the student with the right learning, both academic and non-academic. Furthermore, we provide certifications, chances and opportunities for the students who are ready to find employment in the future world.

All the courses at Lloyd Business School are run on the belief of skilling the candidate with the right employability skills and not based on their marks on the graduation paper. When they go to the industry, they are ready to face the industry. Experiential learning is what we believe in following. It is on this belief that we have now launched an executive education programme, as education is not only about skilling but upskilling as well. Anything to skill or upskill is the belief of Lloyd Business School.

Disclaimer: This article has been published as a marketing initiative between Careers360 and Lloyd Business School.