Jamshedpur, Dec. 27: XLRI would virtually determine the business future of towns in India. For, the premium B-school is set to conduct nationwide survey on trading potential of the prominent cities.

XLRI would carry out the study based on yardsticks like availability of raw materials, infrastructure, skilled labour, power supply, frequency of trade union activities and the demography of each city.

Most of the metros, tier-two and tier-three cities would be rated by the survey, which would also aim at sensitising the local government about the business potential of different places. Both qualitative and quantitative methods would be used in conducting the survey.

“Our aim is to categorise cities on the basis of business they can attract or set up. This is the first time that XLRI is taking up such a project,” said a senior faculty member of the B-school.

Confirming the development, outgoing XLRI director Fr N. Casimir Raj told The Telegraph: “The survey will be conducted on the lines of Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project. It is conducted by Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in association with Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Manila every year.”

The proposed survey by XLRI would also be conducted along with Institute for Management Development, Switzerland.

“Though IMD, Switzerland, will help us in conducting the survey, we will seek help from AIM, Manila, initially since they have experience in the field,” said the director.

The move to conduct the survey comes in the wake of the XLRI’s decision to sign an MoU with the Manila-based institute next January.

The director said a call on when the survey would be conducted would be taken after the formal deal is signed between the two institutes.