PGDM finance colleges in India

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HOW TO BECOME A FINANCIAL MANAGER?

Serial No.	Table of Contents
1	Introduction
2	What Does The Term Finance Signify In A Broader Context?
3	Why is Financial Management Considered Both Art & Science?
4	What Are The Differences Between Finance & Accounting?
5	What Does The PGDM In Finance Course Stand For?
6	How To Become A Financial Manager?
7	Critical Skills Needed To Become A Financial Manager
8	Source Links

Introduction

The terms "finance" and "financial markets" are quite popular, even in public discourse, despite their definitions being much debated. Today, over 70% of adults from the total world are said to have an involvement with financial markets in one way or the other, even if it is as basic as having a bank account. The PGDM financial market course, offered at some of the best PGDM finance colleges, including IMT Hyderabad, is dedicated to young adults slowly entering the financial markets and making the most out of them.

What Does The Term Finance Signify In A Broader Context?

The term ‘finance’ is both described as an art and a science that directly deals with procuring funds for a purpose and managing all operations to help return the funds acquired, and some for the operations to go on. Timely return of funds creates a good impression for the business among the market and investors and makes room for procuring further capital when it's time to expand.

This is one of the ways to look at how finance works, especially in capital markets. Interestingly, finance has been categorised into many types; however, three prominent types are studied at the best PGDM finance colleges in India more than others. Here is an outline of the three types of finance.

Public Finance: Public finance refers to the governmental funds and resources allocated to the citizens of a state, with distribution and management governed by governmental policies.
Personal Finance: The understanding of personal finance is measured on an individual scale or based on a unit such as family resources.
Corporate Finance: Major corporations, international organisations, and even small business ventures follow a financial system containing capital, production, distribution and revenue collection.

Besides these three types of finance, other types have emerged in the following years, including behavioural finance and social finance.

Why is Financial Management Considered Both Art & Science?

As managing finance deals with a vast magnitude of factors, it is often presumed to be both an art and a science. Art, because it is believed to have mastery over procuring capital or funds. However, the science comes when managing the funds, allocating them for different operations and keeping an account of the return; all of which closely have ties to Mathematics and Statistics.

This is particularly clear in PGDM finance subjects, as they show a moderate balance between theory and equations, while practicals and electives are considered separate from the core course, yet have a significant impact on the credit score of candidates in semesters.

What Are The Differences Between Finance & Accounting?

Finance and Accounting are two different things, and people often confuse the two to be the same thing. Finance consists of broader thinking and subject areas regarding systems and institutions that include all operations, and an analysis and prediction of the future. Whereas accounting deals with the day-to-day financial activities of an institution, providing crucial statistics and reports.

Finance is linked to strategising, planning and management of resources and analysing the return over a significant period, overlooking all assets and liabilities. In accounting, the everyday financial records are submitted through which the broader picture of finance is drawn. Accounting is about mere facts and simply stating the data that is eventually analysed as profit or loss.

What Does The PG Diploma in Finance Course Stand For?

The PG Diploma in Finance is a postgraduate programme about various financial markets and institutions, including money market, debt market, equity market, fixed income market, etc. The two-year degree programme is about making students understand different financial products and services, gathering financial data, using tools and techniques to analyse the data, and giving suggestions on bringing reform through innovative financial policies.

Freshly graduated students are the usual target audience for this PGDM Finance course. The degree and consequent teachings help in building a foundation in Financial Markets, giving you the base needed to extend your academic reach with advanced studies in a related subject matter. The PGDM programme at IMT Hyderabad, one of the renowned PGDM finance colleges, is considered to be exceptionally valuable to corporate institutions and in any financial service team.

How To Become A Financial Manager?

The post of a financial manager is a crucial one for any business, as they have the most significant task and responsibility of overseeing the finances and ensuring healthy and sustainable business operations to flourish. The PGDM finance subjects included in the programme do provide a basic understanding of financial management; however, it is safe to say that managing the actual financial health of a real business requires professional training.

The financial manager is the person in charge of supervising most functions, including managing expenses, monitoring cash flow, accurately processing financial data, and proper planning for profit.

Critical Skills Needed To Become A Financial Manager

To become a financial manager, a degree from PGDM finance colleges is simply not enough if the candidate lacks professional skills training. This is why modern-day course curricula at the best management colleges in India are prioritising practical exposure and skill-based training through several campus and on-field activities. Here are some of the skills that the course highlights and are quite relevant in the professional field.

Along with accounting, it is important for financial managers to set up budgets for every operation and oversee the distribution of wealth and resources in a systematic way.
All the financial data procured through accounting records is studied by financial managers to analyse the overall profit, loss or growth of the company.
For accounting and statistical analysis, mathematical skills must be strengthened to an exceptional level with an undeniable interest in solving problems, both numerical and ideological.
The data, accounts and analytical insights further help the financial manager to make informed decisions that can help in the progress of the company and redirect the focus on making profit.
While half of the job demands analytical and mathematical skills, the other half requires you to explain all those quotations in a more communicable way so that everybody can understand the gist of it.

The programme for PGDM Financial Market is the introductory course that makes you familiar with working in the world of finance. By understanding the variety of financial markets and their operational system, navigating the financial world becomes far more interesting. Apart from the post of a financial manager, you can also be an analyst, consultant, human resource manager, healthcare professional, retail professional, real estate professional, and so much more.

Skills Needed To Become A Financial Manager

Technical Skills	Soft Skills & Traits
Financial analysis & reporting	Leadership
Budgeting & forecasting	Communication
Risk management	Problem-solving
Taxation & compliance	Analytical thinking
IT & financial software	Attention to detail
Financial modeling	Organization
Data analytics	Adaptability

Conclusion

The path to becoming a financial manager is built on a mix of strong fundamentals in finance, consistent practice, and the ability to adapt to changing business environments. A structured programme such as the PGDM in Finance at IMT Hyderabad offers exposure to financial markets, analytical tools, and case-based learning that helps students connect classroom concepts with real business challenges. For anyone considering a career in financial management, gaining this blend of knowledge and applied experience can make the journey more focused and achievable.