The Indian School of Business (ISB) plans to attract potential students from Africa and the ASEAN region, as a part of its larger strategy to enhance the international diversity.

ISB said it sees these countries as an untapped talent pool that has the potential to contribute to the leadership needs of emerging economies and the world, according to PTI.

In a statement, ISB also said competition to get into the one-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) was intense this year with the school seeing a 28 per cent increase in applications compared to the previous year.

It has admitted record number of students to the PGP Class of 2017 across its two campuses in Hyderabad and Mohali making it the largest class at any management school in India offering a one-year programme.

ISB''s PGP has seen the fastest growth over the years from a class size of just 128 students in 2002 to 905 now, it said.

Dishan Kamdar, Deputy Dean, Programmes at ISB said, "ISB continues to attract the best of experienced professionals from across the world wanting to join the flagship programme to improve their growth prospects." Interest for admission into ISB also increased on account of a strong placements season earlier in the year with the Class of 2016, which graduated in April, receiving a record 1,149 offers.

The students witnessed an increase of 128 per cent in their pay packages on average when compared to what they were drawing before joining ISB, the statement said.

ISB said it has decided to start accepting GRE scores as a part of its Admissions criteria applicable for those who wish to join the Class of 2018 (academic year 2017-18). This will allow ISB to further strengthen the diversity in the PGP and attract aspirants from pure sciences and liberal arts.