Armed Forces Programme (AFP): Course Details, Eligibility, Admission, Fees

Sakshi Chaudhary

The Armed Forces Programme (AFP) is a 6 months professional learning course that focuses on smoothing the transformation process of armed forces officials into the business or corporate world. The course is exclusively provided by IIM Ahmedabad, IIFT Delhi, and MDI Gurgaon.

The admission process requires a minimum of 50% marks in bachelor’s degree for unreserved candidates and 45% marks for reserved category candidates. IIM Ahmedabad also conducts the entrance test for admission to this course which the candidate needs to qualify.

About Armed Forces Programme

The Armed Forces Programme objective is to improve the professional competence of officials by developing a holistic perspective regarding management strategies, tools, and trends in global corporate culture.  The course offers expert knowledge in domains like supply chain, project management, financial management, business law, etc.

After completion of the Armed Forces Programme, the professionals can work in different industries such as IT, Telecom, BFSI, Consulting, Aerospace, Retail, Defense, etc. The average salary of AFP professionals ranges between INR 7-25 LPA, which can increase depending on the years of experience.

Eligibility Criteria 

The eligibility criteria for AFP is based on the admission criteria set by the colleges which a student needs to fulfill. Below mentioned are some of the eligibility criteria for this course:

• Candidates should have completed a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks for unreserved category and 45% marks for reserved category students.
• IIM Ahmedabad conducts its own entrance test for the selection of candidates
• The candidate's work experience should range between 10 to 30 years in the Armed Forces.
• There is no upper age limit to enroll in the course.

Top Colleges in India

The Armed Forces Programme in India is provided by top colleges with the aim to make armed forces officers understand the global management practices and principles in different industries. Below is a list of top colleges in India offering the course:

• IIM Ahmedabad 
• IIFT Delhi
• MDI Gurgaon

Course Structure

The syllabus is divided into three terms where students study business concepts used in different subject areas like marketing, statistics, agriculture, business research, HRM, finance and capital markets, decision making, etc. The course focuses on learning about global management practices through case studies, business presentations, and industrial visits. 

Below is a list of common subjects taught in the course:

• Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management
• Fundamentals of Marketing Management
• Business Analytics
• International Financial Management
• Application of IT in Management
• Basics of International Trade Finance
• Fundamentals of Business Dispute Resolution

Career Options

The Armed Forces Programme graduates can work in top government and private organizations such as Gulf, Reliance Industries, PWC, Adani Aerospace and Defense, etc. The average salary of a graduate ranges between INR 7-25 LPA. (Source: Glassdoor).  

Below listed are the top job roles after completion of the course:

• Crisis Specialist
• Supply Chain and Logistics Manager
• Head- Internal Audit and Risk Management
• Defense Consultant
• Law Enforcement Officer
• Intelligence Analyst
• Government Relations Specialist