Investment Banking

An investment banking course is a professional programme that educates individuals about investments, mergers and acquisitions, financial markets, stocks etc. It is one of the popular courses opted for by students who belong to the commerce stream.

The eligibility criteria for an investment banking course is completing 10+2 with at least 50% marks followed by graduation and qualification of the relevant entrance exam. Some of the popular entrance exams which offer admission to investment banking courses include management entrance exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, SNAP etc. 

Top colleges offering investment banking courses include ISB Hyderabad, IIM Ahmedabad, FMS Delhi, IIM Bangalore, IIM Indore, MICA Ahmedabad, AMU Aligarh, Amity University Noida etc. 

After completing investment banking certification, one can get into various fields and secure job profiles like Investment Banker, Credit Manager, Financial Advisor, Financial Planner, Financial Analyst, Financial Risk Manager, etc. The salary offered after completing investment banking training lies between INR 6,00,000 and 15,00,000 per annum.

An investment banking course in India is mostly offered as a specialization under various finance courses by several colleges. However, nowadays many study platforms and universities are also offering them online as investment banking certification courses. The table given below provides some major highlights of investment banking courses:

Investment banking courses can be pursued after completing any specialised UG degree. However, some organisations prefer students who have a postgraduate professional degree such as MBA, CFA, CMA, FRM etc. The detailed eligibility criteria for investment banking are as follows: 

• Candidates must have completed 10+2 from a recognised board of school education with a minimum of 50% marks.
• Candidates must have completed graduation in a relevant subject from a recognised university with at least 50% marks.
• Candidates who are currently in the final year of their graduation can also apply for the course. However, they have to submit the required documents at the time of admission.
• Further, all the candidates need to qualify the relevant entrance exam in order to secure admission to an investment banking certification or course.
• There is no age limit to apply for the course.

Skill Set for Investment Banking Course

Only completing the investment banking course as well as investment banking certification will not help candidates secure high paying jobs; acquiring specialized skills catered to the industry is equally essential. Some of the skills that candidates must learn before or during their investment banking course journey are listed below:

• Knowledge of financial modelling
• Knowledge of financial markets
• Learning Tableau
• Problem-solving skills
• Getting certifications like NISM, CISI etc
• Effective verbal communication 
• Hands on experience with Bloomberg
• Knowledge of MS Power-Point, MS Excel 
• Eye for small details
• Knowledge of mergers and acquisitions 
• Marketing skills
• Time management skills
• Ready to face challenges
• Knowledge of mathematics and statistics
• Risk-taking attitude
• Analytical skills

Investment banking admission process in India is done via different pathways depending upon the career opted for by the student. The step by step process to pursue investment banking courses is given below.

• Students who have completed 10+2 need to secure admission to their preferred bachelor's degree in any stream from a recognised university.
• While it is not mandatory to have a PG degree for investment banking, many companies prefer candidates with an MBA, M.Com or equivalent master's degree. Hence, candidates need to decide if they wish to pursue higher education depending on their job interests. 
• It is necessary to do internships while completing your degree so that you obtain financial training along with the opportunity to acquire better communication, presentation and negotiation skills. Many companies also offer permanent positions to their interns depending upon their performance.
• Students can also choose to pursue certifications like CA, CFA, CS, etc. to build a stronger profile. In-depth knowledge of subjects like business, finance, economics, and maths can give them an edge over other candidates with no background in business and finance.

Investment banking syllabus varies for different institutions but the core subjects remain the same. The courses are designed for a duration of three years including mandatory internships, practical sessions, as well as capstone projects. 

Some of the subjects taught during investment banking course include the following:

There are various factors depending upon which institutions alter their fee for investment banking courses. These include rankings, location, infrastructure, faculty, curriculum etc. Some of the top institutions of India offering investment banking courses charge a higher fee amount in comparison to other government universities but they also offer great ROI. Moreover, Investment banking course fees in government institutions are less in comparison to private institutions. 

The investment banking course fees range between INR 50,000 - 3,00,000 per annum. The fees are quite affordable in comparison to the salary packages offered after completing investment banking.

Investment banking courses are offered by various institutions, both government and private. The courses are offered either as a specialisation under an MBA or as a diploma or investment banking certificate course. Some of the best colleges and universities offering investment banking courses are presented in the table given below along with their fee details.

All the candidates who have completed an investment banking course get abundant career opportunities both in India as well as abroad. Investment banking courses are one of the highest paying career options. Due to the ever expanding financial market, the demand for candidates who have completed investment banking certification is increasing day by day. However, it is not easy for an individual to build a career in investment banking and it requires a lot of effort and hard work to achieve top positions in respectable companies offering high paying jobs.

Given below, we have provided information about some of the job profiles that candidates can choose after completing an investment banking course as well as information about top recruiters and the salaries offered by them.

Investment Banking Jobs 

A plethora of investment banking jobs are available not only in financial but non-financial sectors across the globe. There are various employment areas where students who have completed investment, banking courses or demand such as banks and non banking financial institutions, wealth and asset management companies, risk and portfolio management companies, mergers and acquisitions units etc.

Some of the top job profiles offered after completing an investment banking course are given below along with their work description.

• Investment Banker: An investment banker is a professional who is responsible for running operations in the investment sector, leveraging their expertise in the financial services industry, analytical abilities and strong, persuasive communication skills to help institutional clients in capital raising and mergers and acquisitions. 
• Financial Planner: A financial planner is responsible for providing financial and investment knowledge. The primary role is to offer professional guidance to clients, both individuals and organizations, on various financial matters like taxation, wealth management, investments, insurance and retirement planning.
• Financial Advisor: A financial advisor, as the name suggests, is responsible for providing financial advice to clients on matters related to investment, planning, retirement, insurance, asset management etc. They also help clients and plan for short-term and long-term financial goals such as real estate, expenses, educational expenses and even stock market.
• Credit Manager: A credit manager is responsible for managing a company’s credit granting procedure, improving sales, and implementing a regress credit policy in the case of bad loans. The work of a credit manager also involves assessing credit worthiness of potential customers and regularly evaluating the credit status of existing customers.
• Financial Analyst: These professionals can be found working in insurance companies, pension funds and other financial businesses wherein their major role is to guide businesses and individuals about expending money in order to get profits. They also help in assessing the performance of stocks, bonds and other types of investments. 
• Financial Risk Manager: A financial risk manager has the job of assessing the risk of situations and solutions to get out of them. An FRM identifies threats to assets, earning capacity and success of organizations. These individuals can be found working in banks, loan departments, trading setups, marketing companies and financial units.

Also Read: What is the Advantage of Doing MBA in Finance in India?

Investment Banking Salary

The salary of an individual who has completed an investment banking course depends upon several factors such as years of experience, acquired skill set, acquired licenses and certifications, the position at which the employee has been hired, the company wherein the individual is working, the reputation of the company, etc. 

The starting salary of an investment banker ranges between 4 to 6 lakhs per annum and a mid-level professional earns between 8 to 12 lakhs per annum. Senior and top level employees can easily earn up to 15 lakhs per annum after completing investment banking certification. Individuals who take up entrepreneurship can even earn up to 25 lakhs per annum.

Some of the top investment banking job profiles and their expected average salary is provided in the table given below. 

Investment Banking Top Recruiters

Various employment sectors offer jobs to individuals who have completed an investment banking course. Investment banking course professionals are hired in financial units such as mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, sales and trading, banking and non-banking financial institutions, tax departments, audit departments and private equity firms. 

Some of the top recruiters for Investment Banking are as follows: 
 

• JP Morgan
• Cognizant
• Wipro
• Deloitte
• Bank of America 
• American Express
• Goldman Sachs
• Maruti Suzuki
• Morgan Stanley
• Apple Inc.
• PwC
• Amazon
• HDFC Bank
• Oracle
• ICICI Prudential
• Capgemini
• Ernst & Young

To stay updated with the financial market and to get great exposure in the field, it is recommended for students to pursue advanced courses after completing an investment banking course. The courses given below are usually of postgraduate level and can be pursued after qualifying entrance exams in order to get certified.

• Cost Management Accounting
• Master of Business Administration - Finance
• Master of Business Administration- Investment Banking
• Chartered Accountancy
• Chartered Financial Analyst
• M.Com in Accounts & Taxation
• M.Com in Financial Management
• M.Com in Finance
• M.Sc. in Investments
• Master of Finance- Corporate Finance & Investment Banking
• M.Sc. Finance & Investment