The Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development popularly known as SCMHRD, is ranked among the top ten business schools in terms of placements and overall among the top twenty out of the 900plus institutes in the country. SCMHRD is one of the five management institutes of the Symbiosis Educational Society which has 23 institutions under its wings. Symbiosis was founded by Dr. S.B. Mujumdar with a global vision of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (The whole universe is one family) in 1971 much before the present mantra of globalisation.

SCMHRD offers a two year fulltime PGDM with specialisations in all functional areas of management including Manufacturing and Operations Mgt. and Own (Family) Business Mgt. The No. of applicants rose from just 32 in 1993 to almost 11000 in 2001. With virtually no company on campus for the first batch the No. of corporate recruiters rose to 113 in 2001with choice placements for all its students with salaries ranging from Rs.2.2 lacs to Rs.6 lacs p.a. (which does not include other perks like stock options etc.)

An un-affiliated and un-accredited centre of learning emerging as the best among  the business schools in Pune, among all India top ten in terms of placements and top twenty overall, 5th among the post 1990 B-Schools and the first to receive the ISO 9001 Quality Systems Certification and the first “best business school award” of the Asia Pacific HR Conference, Mumbai 1999 - all in a short span of seven years, there is no parallel for SCMHRD with respect to its growth, reputation, and achievements. Viewed against the backdrop of hundreds of pre-1990 business schools with decades of existence and post 1990 institutes - all affiliated or accredited, the achievements of SCMHRD are very significant.

However, its importance does not lie in the above. But in its vision, mission, processes and approaches to grooming of students which are unique and unconventional. SCMHRD is the first management institute which institutionalised values, ethics, environmental concern, character and principle bound self discipline etc. as inviolable norms of everyday behaviour for students, staff and faculty. It is the first education institution where yoga, pranayama and meditation are made compulsory. It is again the first Mgt. Institute, which is following a  Gurukulam approach and processes to learning, integrating Indian ethos and modern management concepts and techniques. Prof. M.S. Pillai the founding director of SCMHRD says “Kings and warriors are trained and groomed in simple ashrams and in jungles. They learn by being with guru doing everything themselves and braving all situations”. According to him, Management is not just a scholastic pursuit. It is a performing art, craft, and science of action. Reaching Olympics and winning medals cannot happen by computers and calculators. Technology is very important and essential. But more important are attitudes and action - competent, ethical and right action with awareness. Therefore SCMHRD stretches students to be mentally and physically strong, intellectually sharp and emotionally balanced. Hard work, humility, honesty, integrity and sincerity are important aspects the institute focuses for inculcation besides imparting modern knowledge and skills. In short SCMHRD is pioneering rather successfully an effort to turnout a few hundred principle driven and performing leader executives and entrepreneurs every year to offer them to the country. Placement is a by-product of that effort. SCMHRD believes India can regain its stature as an ethical country of people with intellect, values and performance. That is the vision of SCMHRD.