It may be surprising, but the Delhi Metro is attracting more professionals and students from the management field than the usually expected technical or engineering sector.

According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), students from a host of foreign universities are making a beeline to learn "management techniques" from the city's mass transporter. It began with the Harvard Business School conducting a study in 2012 on the management strategy of the Delhi metro, recalls Anuj Dayal, executive director (corporate communications), DMRC.

“Since then, many students and professionals, especially from the United States of America, have been coming to us for case studies. But more than technology and engineering, they all are eager to know the management principles we follow,” he said. In January this year, groups of MBA students from America's renowned Maryland and Minnesota Universities spent weeks studying what they call the "Delhi Metro Model.

“Next month, another batch of students from the University of South California are set to arrive at Metro Bhawan, the DMRC headquarters.

Believe it or not, but every employee of the Delhi metro receives a Bhagwad Gita book as a part of her/his orientation programme. Besides, daily yoga and physical training are a must. “There are four basic principles DMRC follows - professionalism, punctuality, integrity and good health. Apart from this what probably intrigues foreigners is how the DMRC, given the Indian impression of delays, managed to complete its project in record time,” he added.

In August, the Hosei University in Japan had sent its students for a similar project. In September, a group of students representing the ASEAN countries had also flown in.