finance MBA gets dollar-paying jobs much easier, so it offers a bigger return on investment, while a marketing MBA gets jobs specific to the Indian market. Do students agree?

"No!" is the resounding answer from B-school campuses.

Shradha Damani, who is pursuing her marketing MBA at Welingkar, Mumbai, thinks success is all about "individual skills, aptitude and initiative" regardless of specialisation. She adds that marketing offers better growth challenges. 

Rupesh Srivastav, who is doing a finance MBA at NMIMS, Mumbai, does not agree either, but his reasons are different. He feels "returns depend on the institute one graduates from." 

Harshal Shah, a marketing batchmate at NMIMS, nods in approval. Earnings depend on "the kind of companies that come to your campus for recruitment," he says.

Miten Jain, who is pursuing a finance MBA at Welingkar, thinks sectoral cycles also play a role. Besides, some companies allow you "to hold twin portfolios of finance and marketing".

To Rahul Sabharwal, who is doing his post-grad programme at IIM-A, the issue is not based on return-on-investment, but on a choice of lifestyle.

---