THESIS GUIDELINES

What is a Thesis ?
A Thesis is a formal document to prove that an original contribution to Human knowledge has been done . Two important things: Identify a worthwhile problem or question which has not been previously answered Solve the problem or answer the question

Research is simply gathering the information you need to answer a question and thereby help you solve a problem.

Why Thesis ?
Fulfills requirement of getting

Degree /Diploma

Provides

an opportunity to explore a topic in depth

Encourages a rigorous, logical

and systematic approach to problem-solving

Career development

Thesis Procedure
Select a Area /domain and narrow it down to a topic Write a topic proposal and Scope of work Choose an External Guide and discuss with him/her regarding the feasibility of proposed

topic

Discuss with the concerned thesis faculty ( Internal Guide) regarding the feasibility and

availability of proposed topic. Email is the most appropriate mode of communication. guide letter

Submission of Thesis synopsis ( Max 3 pages) to Thesis Dept in hard copy with the External Approval of thesis synopsis by allotment of Registration Number which would be sent

through email

Submission of Response Sheets to the concerned thesis faculty (Internal Guide) Submission of Final Thesis (It should be between 10000 to 30000 words ) Appearing for Oral and Written Viva Voce ( The candidate needs to handwrite at least 1200 to 1500 words on the summary of thesis at the time of viva) Declaration of Thesis Result (The candidate can expect the thesis result within two months from the date of completion of the Viva Voce. But the institute reserves the right to put off the result, if any further clarification is required from the candidate or any re-evaluation is required. Generally, thesis marks would be Emailed)
Note 1 : The candidate has to compulsorily select the research topic on the specialization he/she studied. 4 Note 2 : There would be marks deduction or rejection of thesis for Non compliance of thesis rules

Thesis Synopsis

Details of the student [Name (as per IIPM records), Batch ,Section ,specialization ,Phone No and Email Id ] Desired Area student intends to do Research
(Eg :Advertising ,branding , Performance appraisal ,Industrial relations ,Recruitment , corporate finance , Capital Markets, Personal finance etc.)

Title of the thesis Problem definition /hypothesis /Research objectives Introduction to the Area of research (In brief ) Scope of the thesis work
Synopsis format Continues in next file
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Thesis Synopsis

Research Methodology Justification for choosing a particular research proposal Summer Training Topic ( In Brief ) Details of the External guide (Name of the Guide ,Qualification and Designation ) Approval letter from External guide ( Signatory note from guide stating that he/she would guide you )
Note : The Approval letter should be either in the form of External guides signature in the companys letter head or email print out from his /her official email Id or External guides signature letter with companys attestation or External guides signature letter attached with business card.
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Thesis Guide

Internal Guide/Thesis faculty is the person who is directly associated with Thesis Department ( See contact section) . Student should have at least one External Guide. A student can choose more than one person as his/her External Guide .
External Guide has to be necessarily from the industry or an academician who is not directly or indirectly associated with IIPM. Institute reserves the right to approve or reject the guide as suggested by the student

It is advisable to choose one of his/her Guide who is well versed in the area (technical in nature ) one has chosen. If the student has chosen a company specific research area, then the external guide has to be necessarily from that company who is well versed in the area. A Guide is expected to counsel the students with respect to his thesis work but not to solve the problems.
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Selection of Thesis Topic

Current Commercially viable Challenging Available

Note : The candidate has to compulsorily select the research topic on the specialization he/she studied.

Sources of Research Areas/Topics

Magazines / Journals /Essay Papers :
4 Ps , Human Factor, Business and Economy , Strategic factor , Business world , Outlook Money, ICFAI journals on subjects like applied finance, derivatives, M&A, case study, marketing, branding, advertising etc.

Websites :
www.bnet.com; www.questia.com/search ; www.emarketingpapers.com; www.marketingprofs.com/ ^www.research-finance.com ; www.nera.com; www.planningcommission.gov.in/ ; commerce.nic.in/ www.mca.gov.in ; finmin.nic.in ; www.powermin.nic.in; www.coal.nic.in; mines.nic.in; steel.nic.in; msme.gov.in; dpe.nic.in; dhi.nic.in; civilaviation.nic.in; agricoop.nic.in; tourism.gov.in; texmin.nic.in; www.wrmin.nic.in; envfor.nic.in ; morth.nic.in; www.education.nic.in; www.ohfw.nic.in ; www.mit.gov.in; chemicals.nic.in; www.fcamin.nic.in; www. .nic.in urbanindia.nic.in; www.indianrailways.gov.in; mofpi.nic.in; mhupa.gov.in; mdoner.gov.in; rural.nic.in; petroleum.nic.in/ ; www.mit.gov.in; www.mnre.gov.in; yas.nic.in; www.dst.gov.in; www.indiaculture.nic.in; mod.nic.in; www.mospi.gov.in; www.sebi.gov.in; www.bseindia.com; www.nseindia.com www.rbi.org.in; www.irda .gov.in; pfrda.org.in; www.fmc.gov.in/ www.mcxindia.com; www.ncdex.com; www.un.org.in; www.un.org/en/ (*^Highly recommended for Finance and Economics topics) www.mckinsey.com/mgi/rp/ , www.bcg.com/ , www.booz.com , EY.com ; www.grantthornton.com; PwC.com; Deloitte.com/global; KPMG.com; www.atkearney.com ; Accenture.com ; www.everestgrp.com/ ; www.oliverwyman.com; www.bearingpointconsulting.com; www.sdggroup.com; www.wspgroup.com www.gartner.com ; www.datamonitor.com; en-us.nielsen.com ; www.forrester.com/rb/research ; www.abiresearch.com ; www.infotech.com ; www.yankeegroup.com ; www.informa.com/ ; www.tecnovaglobal.com/ ; www.idc.com/ ; www.synovate.com ; www.imshealth.com ; www.kantar.com ; www.gfk.com; www.arbitron.com; www.ipsos.com ; www.westat.com ; www.symphonyiri.com ; WatsonWyatt.com; 9 www.ami-communities.eu/wiki/List_of_research_topics

Research Related Books

Business Research Methods: by Cooper D Research Methodology : Methods And Techniques by C. R. Kothari Introduction To Biostatistics And Research Methods-- by Rao P. S. S. Sundar Social Research Methods, by Alan Bryman Management Research Methodology: Integration Of Principles, Methods And Techniques by K. N. Krishnaswamy, Appa Iyer Sivakumar, M. Mathirajan Business Research Methods.by . William G. Zikmund-oklahoma State University, William G. Zikmund Basic Econometrics by Damodar N. Gujarati Econometric Analysis by William H. Greene Statistical Methods For Practice And Research: A Guide To Data Analysis Using SPSS by Ajai Singh Gaur, Sanjay Singh Gaur Gaur, Marketing Research: Concepts And Cases, (Special Indian Edition) by Cooper Donald Et. Al Marketing Research : Text And Cases ; Nargundkar, Rajendra Business To Business Market Research (Understanding And Measuring Business Markets) by Ruth Mcneil International Marketing Research by Kumar V. Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations, by Churchill, Lacobucci Equity Research And Valuation by Dun, Bradstreet 10

Thesis Title
It should be precise. It should be argumentative. It should be an indication of the structure of the thesis. It should not be an announcement. It should reflect the key idea (s) of your project. Try and use only single sentence for the Title. It should be specific.

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Sample Approved HR Topics

Performance appraisal system at HQ Ltd Attrition analysis and benchmarking retention strategies at BTele ventures An Empirical Study on T&D Practices at CQ Ltd Motivational Practices at ABC ltd Team Building as an Organization Development Intervention : A Case of

Havells 'Employee Moral and Job Satisfaction : A Case of R LTd Work life Balance Study in IT industry : Case of XYZ Co Behavioral Training Practices for the middle level management : Case of XYZ Co. A study on Succession Planning in XYZ Co.

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Sample Approved HR Topics

Talent Acquisition And Onboarding In IT Industry: A case of XYZ Co Training Need Identification In ABC Ltd. Induction Training Program study At ABC Ltd. Reward & Recognition System At PL Ltd. Leadership Traits study at PQ Ltd. Validating Competency Mapping For Attaining The Best Quality Circle Practices XYZ Co Improving manpower utilization through effective manpower planning: A study of ABC Co Employee Engagement - A Study in Relation to XY Ltd. Recruitment and selection Practices at YK Ltd.

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Sample Approved Finance/Economics Topics

Economic Determinants Of Security Analysis Econometric Valuation Of CAPM Model Working Capital Management At PQR Ltd Private Banking Model - ICICI Bank Study Of Arbitrage Trends In Futures Market Impact Of Intangible Assets On The Market Value Of XYZ Co Significance Of CSR Reporting In Annual Reports Value Creation By Using Acquisition Growth Strategies Operational Activities And Capital Enhancement Of ABC company Warehousing And Logistics Issues In Commodity Market : Case of Z commodity Direct And Indirect Benefits Of Agriculture Futures For Farmers Identification Of Cost Reduction Opportunities In XYZ Co. The relationship of money supply in M-2 and trading volume by index (any index such as Nifty etc.) The impact of government policies on freight forwarding industry (country name) Problems faced by small medium enterprise to be internationalize The impact of macro-economic factors on stock market index of (country name) Impact of interest rate, inflation rate and exchange on index performance (any index such as Nifty index etc.) Micro finance in Islamic economy Capital mobility in Islamic economic system International trade under Islamic economic model

Sample Approved Finance/Economics Topics

Human Asset Valuation In The XYZ Sector Fundamental Study Of Zinc In The Global Scenario Credit Risk Analysis In SME Banking (XYZ BANK) To study the relationship between price earnings ratio and return on investment ( Industry

specific study or any other methodology find suitable ) A test of price earnings ratio to predict future growths ( Industry specific study or any other methodology ) Factors affect on the dividend payout ratio ( Industry specific study) To study relationship between price earnings ratio and growth ( Industry specific study or any other methodology find suitable ) Relationship between market factors and stock returns of ( Industry specific study or any other methodology find suitable ) To investigate the association between dividend change and companys earnings ( Industry specific study or any other methodology find suitable ) Determinants of capital structure ( Industry specific study or any other methodology find suitable ) Fund size and indicator of performance measurement for fixed income mutual fund (or any other kind of mutual fund for the study) Factors that lead to investment in mutual funds ( specific type of MF) Factors affecting trade volume the study of Asian development economics Structure and performance of economy in (country name); comparative study between current 15 government and former government.

Sample Approved Finance/Economics Topics

Weekend effect on stock relation: evidence from index (any index such as Nifty etc.) Effects of holidays on stock return: evidence index (any index such as Nifty etc.) Performance study of Islamic bank and conventional bank in a selected country Cross boarder mergers and acquisition of Islamic banks Comparison between sales price, debt-equity and book market value of equity in analyzing stock returns Relationship between cash flow and investment spending in XYZ industry Development or establishment of issues of Islamic banking in particular country or region Islamic finance system and economical growth Impact of dividend on investment decision Relationship between Assets and Liabilities in balance sheet Impact of fiscal policy on economy of (country name) Determinants of bond market capitalization in (country name) Relationship between CPI and bond price Islamic Banks performance in industrial lending Development of SME in Islamic based economies The relationship between corporate strategy and capital structure Assessing the profitability determinants of Islamic banking in (country name)
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Sample Approved Marketing Topics

An empirical study to enhance the market share of Airtel in Delhi & NCR An empirical study of consumer behavior in the Hair color industry An Empirical Study of Marketing Strategies of Vodafone A Study on the Sales and Distribution Strategies of AVIVA Life Insurance A Study on Market Perception of ICICI Prudential and Market Penetration in Delhi and NCR Effectiveness of Advertising Strategies - A Case of Indian Soft Drink Role of Advertisement in the Purchase Behavior of Women Customer Satisfaction - A Study of Select Private Hospitals in Delhi Strategies to increase the Market Share of Mother Dairy Ice Cream Market Mapping of Havells Fan Division An Empirical study to determine strategies for Coca Cola to increase market share in Muzaffarpur Quantifying bullwhip effects and reducing its impact Automated supply chain frame work model for mid-sized XYZ Industry Study of factors affecting the decision making of outsourcing in XYZ Industry
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Sample Approved Marketing Topics

Strategic Analysis study with respect to Suzlon Energy (Wind-power Market) Factors Affecting Sale Of Saloni Brand Mustard Oil In Agra Region Impact Of Sales Promotion On Customer Retention Brand Loyalty Of Teenagers (Industry Apparel) Preference Of Youth Towards Foreign Brand And Indian Brand Industry Textile Implementation Of Six-sigma () Technique In Fast Food Service Industry Leads Generation In Sync With Sales Force Survey Of XY Ltd. Study Of The Brand Positioning Of Philips Competitive Intelligence Study Of Bisleri In Mineral Water Market Marketing Of Software Through Search Engine Optimization Market Research On The Perception Of Youth Toward The Counterfeit And Fake Products

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Sample Approved Marketing Topics

Export Marketing Strategies Of Leather Footwear And Footwear Components In

UK And Germany Havell's (Branding) Position In The Switchgear Segment. Export Potential Of Handicraft Items To EU Countries The Indigenous Product Placement And Strategic Analysis Of Dealer Perception Of Videocon Air Conditioners Scope & Feasibility Of Supply Of Cotton To Various Spinners In Punjab An empirical study of the distribution network of Coca Cola in South Delhi Dealer evaluation study for Anchor Industries Sales Promotion Schemes - A Study in Relation to Consumer Electronics Assessment Of Demand & User Preference For Surgical Medical Equipments & Implants For Neuro-spine, Endoscopy & Orthopedic Segment At XYZ Ltd Study Of The Retail Operations Of Mother Dairy Fruits And Vegetable Unit, And Suggesting Improvements In Light Of Emerging Competitions

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FORMAT OF THESIS
The Manuscript consists of three main parts
The Preliminaries The Content or the text The References

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The Preliminaries
Title Page Abstract Certificate of Originality Thesis Topic approval letter sent over email Acknowledgments Table of Contents List of Figures & Tables Synopsis
Note : Preliminary pages Numbering should be in lower case Roman numerals; Centered at the bottom of the page; Numbers at least inch from bottom edge
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 Title Page

The Preliminaries

- Institute logo ,Name and place;

- Name of the Title ,Student and Guide ; Batch and Alumni No - It should contain all capital letters ; Counted, but not numbered ; Abstract theoretical orientation; and the expected out comes and implications of the research - Not to exceed 350 words Certificate of Originality approved the thesis as a complete and final work requiring no further alterations. This signatory format is completely different from the format when submitted at the time of synopsis.
Note : The Certificate of Originality should be either in the form of External guides signature in the companys letter head or email print out from his /her official email Id or External guides signature with companys attestation or External guides signature attached with business card. 22

- This should include the problem under investigation; the research methodology and

- It should include original signature of the Guide . It indicates that the guide has

The Preliminaries
Acknowledgments:

- It should generally include acknowledgment of assistance received persons . - Center the heading ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Table of Contents:

from various

- Lists all sections with page numbers ;Double space between entries; Single space within entries
List of Figures:

- Required if figures appear in thesis - Non-text items; Numbered consecutively throughout

List of Tables:

- Required if tables appear in the thesis - Tables should be numbered consecutively throughout.

Synopsis: Original synopsis (without any alternations) should be attached.

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A General Thesis Content

Introduction Research objectives & Methodology Literature Review Primary Findings & Analysis Recommendations Conclusions & Implications

NOTE: Page Numbering should be in Arabic numerals ;Upper, right-hand corner; At least inch from edge

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A General Thesis Content

Introduction: Introduction of topic. Literature Review : Relevant literature to establish a sound base for the proposed research Research objectives & Methodology : Explanation of what is the research objectives and the methods used to achieve the specified objectives. Primary findings & analysis: Report on the primary data collected using the research methods and techniques .

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A General Thesis Content

Recommendations: It should be based on resolving the Research problem. A thesis is written from a consultants perspective. Conclusions & Implications: It should include how the data collected and the literature reviewed, together contribute to answering the research questions and resolving the research problem.

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Research Methodology
It Should cover the following details: Method used Tool used Target Audience Sample size Sampling method used Research Area Considerations : It must be appropriate to the objective of your study Combined methodology is appreciated Justifications regarding specific methods chosen or used

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Data collection methods

Qualitative marketing research Generally used for exploratory purposes - small number of respondents not generalizable to the whole population - statistical significance and confidence not calculated - examples include focus groups, depth interviews, and projective techniques

Quantitative marketing research Generally used to draw conclusions - tests a specific hypothesis - uses random sampling techniques so as to infer from the sample to the population - involves a large number of respondents - examples include surveys and questionnaires.

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References
Bibliography

- It should include all works which are referred to in the thesis . - May be placed at the end of the main text . - Use any standard manual .If one is not using a style manual, single space within each entry and double space between the entries.
Appendices

- Inclusions : Articles , Questionnaire format ,Old forms or reports, Sample filled questionnaires with Business cards attached - Exclusions : Case study, Power point slides
Response Sheets

- All thesis should contain all the Response Sheets in the prescribed format
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Layout Requirements
Spacing Font Header and Footer Margins Paper Overall appearance Printing the final copy

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Layout Requirements
Spacing

1.5 Inch space or Double space throughout Exceptions: Title page and approval page, Table of contents, Captions, table or figure headings, Extensive quotations, Footnotes or endnotes, Entries in reference section, Appendices.
Font

Any standard font is acceptable ; Use the same font throughout; Use font size 12 Exceptions: Captions (not smaller than 9 point), Headings (not larger than 20 point)
Header and Footer

The Header should include the Institutes Logo with Name (extreme left) The footer should include the Students Batch ( Extreme left) and Thesis Alumni Id Number ( Extreme Right )
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Layout Requirements
Margins

Pages must have at least:1.5 inch left margin ; 1 inch top, bottom, and right margins Exceptions: pg nos must have at least inch clearance from each edge 8.5 X 11 inches (A-4 Size) , White bond,25% (or higher) cotton content.

Paper

Overall Appearance

All corrections should be made before final copy is printed Unacceptable: Overstrikes or cross-outs ,Handwritten additions or corrections, Lines, dots or shading from paste-ups . Print must be sharp and of uniform darkness ; One side only . Every content of the thesis should be in New Page

Printing the Final Copy

Cover should include following Bounded form (Black color) stating Institute Logo ,Name and Place; Thesis Title ;Student Name ,Alumni No, Batch ; Thesis Guide ; Title and Alumni No ( cover Side ); Capital letters in Golden color; Portrait format
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Thesis Deadlines
Submitted to Thesis Dept
Submission of Thesis synopsis in

Submitted to Thesis Dept

Submission of Final Thesis

Hard copy ( Due date: As decided by the respective IIPM campus)

Submission of at least four

( Due Date: As decided by the respective IIPM campus ) One Hard copy + One soft copy(CD)

response sheets before submission Submission of Redo Final Thesis of final thesis (Every time the (Due Date: Within 30 days from guide is consulted ) the date of rejection )

Note :Delay in synopsis submission Note : Delay in submission of final will attract penalty of 5 marks per thesis and redo thesis will attract week from the last due date) penalty and also disqualify the student for convocation.

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Thesis work follow up Response Sheets

Response sheet - format & submission:
Details of the student [ Name (as per IIPM records) ,Batch, Section, Alumni

Id ,Phone No and Email Id )

Thesis synopsis ( Attached with the response sheet every time ) Progress of the work (should be sent as separate attachment ): Students are

supposed to send actual work content ( like preparation of the questionnaire , data collection , analysis done etc. which is generally considered as the main area of the thesis )
Note: - Whenever a student sends his/her response sheet, he/she has to send all the previous response sheets along with the thesis synopsis . - Response sheets can be sent through Email or can be given in person . Email is the most appropriate mode of communication for thesis queries. - All response sheets need to be appended to the report - The Institute reserves the right to reject any thesis for which response sheets have not been received 34

Viva Voce Examination

Purpose of the Viva Voce examination:
To examine whether value addition to the existing knowledge was generated To establish that the research has been carried out independently and genuinely by the candidate To determine the candidates understanding of the literature used in the thesis To examine the conceptual and logical approach and research techniques used in the thesis. To allow the candidate to defend the originality of the thesis

Location: Thesis Viva Voce would be held at respective IIPM Campus where the candidate has studied . If there is any change in the location, the candidate would be intimated about the changed location by proper mode of communication.

Duration: The length of viva voce examination may vary in accordance with different disciplinary practices and will depend on the examiners requirements. As a guideline, The length of written viva voce examination would normally be maximum of one hour and for Oral viva voce examination , it would normally be in the range of twenty minutes and a maximum of one hour.
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Thesis Evaluation Parameters

Research objective/ problem definition / Scope of thesis Research methodology / Description used Research results//analysis Achievement of aims / research objectives Originality //Value addition Quality of recommendations & conclusion Relevance of the Literature used Structure and technical presentation of the thesis
( Writing style , Grammar, Punctuation ,Spelling ,communicativeness and Layout requirements )

Assessment of Process
(Independency shown by the student , Pace of work and Response sheet follow-ups)

Viva Performance ( Oral and written)

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Check list -1
Ensure that the set research objective /problem has been achieved/solved. Ensure that your thesis extends the understanding of a subject and makes an additional

contribution to Human knowledge.

Ensure that the data collected has been properly analyzed . Ideally a thesis is a combination of secondary as well as primary data. However the

requirements may vary depending on the topic chosen would lead to rejection of thesis. synopsis) have been met.

Ensure that the writing style should remain same throughout the thesis report. Plagiarism Ensure that preliminary requirements (Thesis topic approval mail, Guide signatory page and Students must always use the thesis title as approved and sent to them by email Ensure that the structural requirements have been met. Ensure that grammar, punctuation marks etc have been met. The student should use Thesis Registration Identification Number but not the Student

General Identification Number

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Check list -2
The Final Thesis report should be between 10000 to 30000 words The format for the Approval letter is different from the certificate of originality which has to

be arranged from the external guide.

The approval letter / Certificate of Originality should be either in the form of External

guides signature in the companys letter head or email print out from his /her official email Id or External guides signature letter with companys attestation or External guides signature letter attached with business card forms or reports, Sample filled questionnaires with Business cards attached. higher) cotton content

Ensure that Appendices include Articles ,News papers cuttings , Questionnaire format ,Old

Ensure that Paper used in the thesis should of 8.5 X 11 inches (A-4 Size) , White bond,25% (or

Ensure all data , tables and graphs should be in the color format Final Thesis should be submitted in the form of a single Hard copy along with a soft copy There would be marks deduction or rejection of thesis for Non compliance of thesis rules
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Contact
Prof Sumanta sharma ( Head - Department of Projects) (sumanta.sharma@iipm.edu) Prof Alpi Jain ( Thesis queries related to Marketing Area ) (Alpi.jain@iipm.edu ) Prof Rachna Singh (Thesis queries related to Human Resource and Marketing Area) (Rachnas155@gmail.com) Prof Dipti sharma ( Thesis queries related to Human Resource and Marketing Area ) (dipti.sharma@iipm.edu ) Prof Swarup ( Thesis queries related to Finance ,Operations and Marketing Area ) (0124-3350714) Prof Vijay Kumar Boddu ( Thesis queries related to Finance ,Operations and Marketing Area ) (boddu.vijay@iipm.edu ; 0124-3350714 ) Rajiv Kumar ( Thesis Registration ID and Thesis Result status enquires ) (thesis@iipm.edu; 0124-3350715) Postal Address : IIPM , 2nd floor, Building No.79, Behind Ranbaxy Building, Institutional area, Sector 32, 39 ,Gurgaon-122001,INDIA

Best of Luck !

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