Hello,
I am a fresh engineering graduate and I was about to switch fields to the luxury sector. I have already been admitted to the MSc program of SKEMA and am waiting for a response from SPJAIN. I am confused among the two when it comes to job projects, both back home and abroad, and the quality of education and exposure that they provide.

Here are the key points:-

1)My main goal is to gain insight and experience in the luxury sector and then come back to India (because India is the fastest growing market for luxury goods, after China, and soon it will overtake it too. Moreover, India lacks managerial professionals who have exclusively been trained for the luxury sector and so the demand is expected to be quite high in the coming years ). If I can get a company to send me back to India to manage its operations here, then that would be ideal,(as many luxury brands are yet to set hold in India)

2)As for the language barrier, I would take a language course depending upon the college I select, so that is not an issue.

3)I know that I'll have to work my way through to the managerial position and I have no problem with it.

4)From what I hear, SKEMA is quite good and is developing at a great rate, but I am unsure about its reputation in India and about job prospects here after I graduate from there. Whereas I am unsure about the quality of education in SPJAIN(well because, India).

5)Initially, I would have to work to gain experience, so placements is a factor I would have to consider.

PS: I have already read all the related articles and threads here in find-mba. All of them were outdated and they did not answer my queries. So what I would like is a fresh insight and opinions to help me choose.

THANKYOU!

[Edited by Sanket Shaw on Jun 25, 2018]

I am not sure they are outdated. There have been no major changes. Which posts seem outdated to you?

If you want placement in India, then study in India somewhere like MIBS where you can also study luxury in Europe.

They are outdated in a sense that they fail to factor in the current reputation of schools like SKEMA and SPJAIN GLOBAL India(threads are from 2003). And also do not take into consideration the future prospects of a growing luxury market like India. And none of them helped me decide between the two schools mentioned above.

It would be greatly helpful to me if a direct comparison could be drawn between the two.

And could you please elaborate on MIBS?

MIBS is the Bocconi campus in Mumbai.

It seems to me that you are saying the posts don't adrress those schools specifically, not that they are outdated. Looking on LinkedIn, for example, it doesn't seem that these programmes are making a big impact. There is a lot more demand for these programmes from students than from employers.

PS great suggestion from Confused below: do an MFin.

[Edited by Duncan on Jun 26, 2018]

Your analysis is faulty as it's based on various assumptions which don't hold true. Further it seems you are a victim of confirmation bias.

1) India is fastest growing market for luxury goods? So? Any one who has a "Luxury" mentioned on their resume with no experience should get $100,000 job?
2) India lacks managerial professionals who are exclusively trained in Luxury. Where did you get this data? Why would any company want to train exclusively in luxury? Do you understand what that even means?
3) What do you think luxury sector means? It's not a function it's an industry. your function will remain the same - Finance, HR, Marketing, Supply Chain. Your industry could be "Luxury" or IT, Telecom, FMCG, Banking Finance etc.
4) Many luxury brands are yet to set hold in India. well , yeah. It's a luxury brand with a very specific target audience. It's not a lux soap to be sold at every store for Rs10. There has to be a business case for such companies to have presence in India. Purchasing power, GDP per capita, annual household income etc.
The Middle class is not the target, the upper elite is. Those who have money fly out to Dubai/London to buy what they want.
5) If any company will want to send your back to India. Why?? Do you have experience leading a national sales force? Do you have experience leading sourcing or managing supply chain for the luxury brand? Does the luxury brand have a manufacturing operation in India??
6) Language courses no problem, working through managerial position no problem. :)
If there are no problems, then there are no problems
7) SKEMA is quite good and developing at quite a great rate. What's your point of reference? developing how? Is their YoY revenue increasing at 20%? Is their annual intake increasing at 10%
8) Unsure about SPJain's quality of education well because India? So Indian B schools don't have quality of education while SKEMA has it since it's in France? Wow.

Good luck!!

I doubt SP Jain or Skema have substantial amount of people working in the luxury sector. If you are interested in luxury then go to either bocconi or HEC. Then again, please keep in mind that most of the firms in Milan or Paris will require you to speak Italian or French and I noticed many of them asking for Mandarin as well. I think you could have a shot at the finance positions in some firms in Italy/ France/ UK or the US but it would still be advisable to do an MSc in finance. No luxury firm will hire a person without prior experience in the industry for managerial positions

I just searched LinkedIn to see which lux firm have the post Skema people: including current interns, there have 133 people at Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, CHANEL, and Hermès. The schools with the most alumni at those firms are:
ESSEC Business School
HEC Paris
ESCP Europe
Université Paris Dauphine
GIA (Gemological Institute of America).

So, Skema certainly is a notable option but it doesn't seem to have a leading position.