KOLKATA: The Postgraduate Diploma in Business Analytics (PGDBA) programme offered jointly by three premier institutions in West Bengal, including IIT Kharagpur, has been ranked first in the country and the second place in Asia in the business analytics category by a university rating organisation.The two other institutions are IIM Calcutta and Indian Statistical Institute(ISI).The course has also been ranked 14th globally in the business analytics category by QS World University Rankings, an IIT Kharagpur statement said Monday.The QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).The QS system names the world's top universities for the study of 48 subjects and five composite faculty areas, alongside five independent regional tables, including Asia.The ranking shows how collaboration among the best institutions can really make a top-notch programme, Prof. P P Chakrabarti, Director IIT Kharagpur, was quoted having said in the statement.PGDBA is a two-year full-time residential diploma programme aimed at creating business analytics professionals, employable by leading Indian and foreign firms.Dean, Postgraduate Studies and Research at IIT KGP Prof. P K Das, said the programme is designed for those who have an analytical mindset, are interested in tackling challenging business problems and possess an inclination towards mathematics."While coursework at IIM Calcutta focuses on the application of analytics in functional areas, ISI brings to the table its expertise in statistical and machine learning theories for analytics."The faculty at IIT Kharagpur engages with the technology aspects of analytics in addition to offering electives in management domain with focus on application of analytics in functional areas," Dean, Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT KGP, Prof. Prabina Rajib said.