Indian Maritime University (IMU) Chennai is obviously better than Vels University. It has a brand of its own and is known outside of Chennai as well. Vels University, on the other hand, is just like any other university and anyone hardly outside Chennai even knows about it.  The study environment at Vels University is not at all good though other facilities are good to decent. I would say that if you want to relax and just want a degree after 3-4 years of enjoyment, go to Vels University. Otherwise, IMU Chennai is the one to go for.

I am not familiar with the specialization in which you want to do your MBA. Comparing BIMTECH and IMU is not justified, it is like comparing apples with oranges. IMU offers two MBA programs:  MBA in Port and Shipping Management  MBA in International Transportation and Logistics Management. BIMTECH offers PGDM (equivalent to MBA) programs in the following streams – Retail Management International Business (Human Resource, Operations and Decision Science, Finance, Marketing) PGDM Core ( Human Resource, Operations and Decision Science, Finance, Marketing) Insurance Business Management Categories MBA at BIMTECH MBA at IMU Course Fee 9-12 lakh 4 lakh Highest CTC 15 LPA 13 LPA Average CTC 7-8 LPA 6 LPA Recruiting Companies American Express, Infosys, Google, Pantaloons, etc. Goodwood, Posh, Ocean Sparkle, Aurus, etc. I believe that you must first decide your interest in specialization and then proceed with the choice of colleges. 

Indian Maritime University offers fewer placement opportunities compared to private universities. It’s because Govt. colleges don’t pay placement fees to companies to hire students. However, If you want to join Govt. Sector, an IMU degree can help. Also, the Govt. has taken shipping as a challenge to boost our economy, so you can expect to get new job opportunities in the field.  Career change options are limited for Marine Engineers. As a Marine Engineer, you can’t fit into other professions and the opposite is also true. You need to be a 2nd engineer or a Chief to stop going to sea and start a career on shore. You can get some career options by doing an MBA. Various universities offer PG Diploma in Marine Engineering. Marine Engineering students can appear in GATE as well, but the questions asked in the examination are from Mechanical Engineering. 

If you have a choice between Indian Maritime University and Tolani Maritime Institute, you should choose the latter. I have friends from both these institutes. Based on their experiences, I will say Tolani Maritime Institute is better than IMU in terms of facilities, faculties, management, training, placement. According to the recent placement highlights, the placement average is 80%. Some of the major recruiters that visit the campus placements are Teekey, NYK, MSI, etc. 

If you are interested in Marchant Navy, you can consider joining Indian Maritime University. You can join one of the IMU campuses, after clearing IMU-CET. First, you should decide the course you want to pursue before choosing your campus. All the campuses offer decent opportunities. However, getting placement opportunities will depend on your performance and academic record. 

Some of my friends go to Indian Maritime University, Chennai. Based on what I heard from them, here is a brief highlight of the campus life at the university. The administration is not very cooperative. There is no student involvement in monitoring and improving the quality of education. The only people you will get help from on campus are your seniors. The quality of education offered at the university is average at best. Usually, 4 people stay in a hostel room. Wardens are strict but helpful. In your first year, you are only allowed to leave the campus for only one day per week. You will also need special permission from the warden for leaving the campus.  There are no such extra-curricular activities that take place on campus. The placement statistics of IMU are not good. Many students struggle with recruitment.  This should give you some idea about the campus life at IMU, Chennai. 

MBA in Shipping and Port Management is a niche field of study. But this course is in high demand. If you are interested in the field, it doesn’t really matter that it is a specialized field. A graduate in Shipping and Port Management with decent skills makes almost double/triple of their equivalent MBA graduates. The reason for it is the less number of good Maritime professionals.  IMU offers decent MBA courses. The Kolkata campus has a good faculty base. However, you shouldn’t entirely depend on the on-campus placement drive for employment. If you have the required skills, you can easily get placement opportunities.

The placement scenario for Indian Maritime University hasn’t been great over the last few years, but the status of the institute is certainly not degrading. This year around 80% of the students got placed through campus placements. Fleet management, Thome, Anglo-Eastern, etc. are among the major recruiters. As a cadet, students get around INR 5 LPA - 6 LPA. 

Each campus of Indian Maritime University (IMU) specializes in a specific field. So, it depends on which stream related to the Maritime field, you are applying for.  For Nautical Sciences, IMU Mumbai is the best option after IMU Chennai. IMU Chennai campus is best for DNS. The Kolkata campus is best for B.Tech. For MBA, the Chennai campus is better. For M.Tech and Ph.D., the Visakhapatnam campus is better. You should choose your preferred campus according to the course and stream you are choosing.

To join Indian Maritime University, you will need a fit certificate from a doctor approved by DG Shipping Govt. of India. They will do a medical checkup to see, whether you are fit for the Marine field or not. The required medical test will include eye tests, ear tests, etc. Your eye vision is more important here. Your eye vision should be 6/6. You also shouldn’t have color blindness.