Info Edge's online education portal Shiksha.com has launched a common application form for MBA aspirants that allows them to apply to multiple institutions from a single platform. The company has tied-up with 14 institutes for the service including SDM Mysore, TA Pai Manipal, Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management, Alliance University Bangalore, Nirma University, Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship IFIM Business School among others, and it hopes to sign up 100 colleges by the end of the year. Students can register on the website and apply to multiple colleges through a common profile. They can track application form status, correspond with institutes and pay application fee via the portal. The service is free for both students as well as institutes. Since 15 days of its soft launch, the site claims to have registered 12,500 visits and around 885 completed forms. A few points to ponder: - Two Years Too Late? When we asked what took the company so long to launch the service, since PagalGuy and Minglebox had launched MBA application services almost two years ago, in 2010, Hitesh Oberoi, Managing Director & CEO of Info Edge, responded that those services were more of test preparation services and even Shiksha allowed students to connect with colleges. When we pointed out that they were indeed application services, he said that "What many people tried to do was launch one form, and they went to colleges, and said "please accept this form", but colleges said they want information in…
