Kolkata: What is common among IIM (Ahmedabad), XLRI, Jamshedpur, XIM, Bhubaneswar, and SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai? They all are top B-schools of the country, no doubt. But besides that they are the institutes, who in a bid to stand out amongst the best management institutes in the world, have made a beeline for seeking international accreditation of their institutes.

Lately, IIM-A made public its decision to apply for accreditation from the coveted EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System). XLRI, Jamshedpur too is all set to apply for accreditation by it apart from SAQS (South Asian Quality System).

According to Father N Casimir Raj, director, XLRI, "Our aim is to give our programmes a quality certificate, so that they meet international standards as well."

But the important question that arises is why the international accreditation is gaining importance these days? According to sources the move is necessary for the institutes as they not only want to attract foreign students, but also want to enter into collaboration with their international counterparts for carrying out various joint educational and student exchange programmes.

According to Father Abraham, Director, XIM, Bhubaneswar (XIMB), "Students from accredited institutes can find it easier to obtain international placements and opportunities for pursuing higher studies, particularly in doctoral programmes in international B-schools."