MACFAST (Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies Tiruvalla)

What MACFAST (Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies Tiruvalla) does

MACFAST (Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies Tiruvalla) is a private autonomous postgraduate research institute established in 2001 in Tiruvalla, Kerala, India. It is owned and managed by the Corporate Educational Agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Tiruvalla and operates under the presidency of His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Koorilos. The institution is affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, and is approved by AICTE and DSIR; it holds NAAC A+ reaccreditation, NIRF ranking in the 201-300 band, and was granted autonomous status in October 2025.

The college delivers multidisciplinary programmes across three core schools: Management Studies (MBA), Computer Applications (MCA), and Biosciences (MSc in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Plant Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Food Technology and Quality Assurance), alongside MSW, undergraduate BBA and B.Com Honours degrees, and PhD programmes in Biosciences and Management Studies. Supporting infrastructure includes a digital library with wireless connectivity, a world-class auditorium, state-of-the-art research facilities, the Moodle@MACFAST learning management system, an ERP-MIS platform, and Radio MACFAST 90.4, a community radio station. The corporate relations team runs yearly placement drives with employers including TCS, Infosys, Deloitte, EY GDS, Federal Bank, HCL, Wipro, and Nestle India.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and academic fees across postgraduate and undergraduate programmes; programme-level fee structures are not publicly disclosed. The institution also generates ancillary revenue from conference registrations (BioSpectrum series, AI and Business Management conferences) and from community engagement activities. As a religious-trust-owned educational body, MACFAST reinvests surpluses rather than distributing them to shareholders, and it has no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

MACFAST (Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies Tiruvalla)

Legal name

Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies Tiruvalla

Website

https://macfast.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MACFAST is a private autonomous postgraduate research institute in Tiruvalla, Kerala, offering MBA, MCA, MSc, MSW, UG Honours, and PhD programmes in management, IT, and biosciences, owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Tiruvalla and accredited by NAAC A+ and AICTE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tiruvalla

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue generated from postgraduate and undergraduate program fees including MBA, MCA, MSc programs in Management Studies, Computer Applications, Biosciences, Food Technology, Social Work, and Languages
2. Campus Placement Services: Facilitating recruitment drives connecting students with corporate employers including TCS, Infosys, Federal Bank, Deloitte, and other major companies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MACFAST is a self-financed postgraduate research institute that offers multidisciplinary academic programmes in Business Management (MBA, BBA Honours), Computer Applications (MCA), and Biosciences (Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Food Technology and Quality Assurance, MSW), together with doctoral (Ph.D.) programmes. The institute also runs Radio MACFAST 90.4, a community radio station, and supports campus-based placement with leading corporate recruiters across banking, IT, and consulting sectors.

Product overview

MACFAST is a premier autonomous postgraduate research institute offering multidisciplinary programs across Business Management, Information Technology, and Biosciences. The institution operates as a unified educational platform with undergraduate Honours programs (BBA, B.Com), postgraduate programs (MBA, MCA, MSc in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Food Technology, Plant Biotechnology, Biochemistry, and MSW), and doctoral research programs. Supporting infrastructure includes Radio MACFAST 90.4 community radio, the JSTM academic journal, Moodle-based online learning, and institutional ERP systems. The college gained autonomous status in 2025 as part of its Silver Jubilee celebration (25 years since 2001 establishment).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) Two-year postgraduate management degree for graduates aspiring to careers in business, finance, marketing, and consulting; affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University and approved by AICTE.
• Master of Computer Applications (MCA) Two-year postgraduate programme in computer applications for graduates seeking careers in software development, IT services, and emerging technologies; affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University and approved by AICTE, with 98% pass percentage recorded for the 2024-26 batch.
• MSc Biotechnology Postgraduate science degree in biotechnology for graduates pursuing research or industry careers in biotech; affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, taught at the School of Biosciences.
• MSc Bioinformatics Postgraduate science programme in computational biology and bioinformatics, combining biology, computer science, and data analysis for graduates entering research and industry roles; affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University.
• MSc Food Technology and Quality Assurance Postgraduate programme covering food processing, safety, and quality assurance for graduates pursuing careers in the food industry and regulatory roles; affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University.
• Master of Social Work (MSW) Postgraduate professional degree in social work for graduates pursuing practice and leadership roles in community development, NGOs, and public-sector organisations.
• BSc Food Technology and Quality Assurance Undergraduate honours-equivalent degree covering food processing, safety, and quality assurance for students entering the food industry directly from undergraduate study.
• BBA (Honours) Undergraduate honours degree in business administration for students preparing for management, finance, marketing, and consulting careers.
• BCom (Honours) Undergraduate honours degree in commerce covering accounting, finance, taxation, and business studies for students pursuing careers in finance and accounting.
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Programmes Doctoral research degrees in management, computer applications, and biosciences, supported by MACFAST's DSIR-recognised in-house R&D unit and research facilities for scholars pursuing advanced research careers.
• Radio MACFAST 90.4 - IGNOU Community Radio Community radio broadcasting service operated under IGNOU by MACFAST, covering education, science, health, technology, and community-related programming for the Tiruvalla region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ Top University Ranks Since 2001
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NIOH Johannesburg, South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026National Institute for Occupational Health, Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, South Africa. Collaborating on Biospectrum 2K26 International Conference on Recent Advances in Biological Sciences. Supports public health through disease surveillance, outbreak response, diagnostic services, research and training in health sciences.
• KSCSTE-JNTBGRIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute - premier R&D center dedicated to conservation and sustainable utilization of tropical plant diversity, with research in taxonomy, biotechnology, phytochemistry and ethnomedicine. Co-organizer of Biospectrum conference.
• Kerala Botanical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Professional body dedicated to advancement of botanical sciences connecting traditional plant knowledge with modern scientific research. Collaborating institution for Biospectrum 2K26 conference.
• BIIC, Mahatma Gandhi UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Business Innovation and Incubation Centre of Mahatma Gandhi University. Collaborating on pre-conference workshop and quantum computing research initiatives.
• KSHECminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Kerala State Higher Education Council - collaborating institution for Biospectrum 2K26 conference.
• SWAYAMminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Department of Social Work collaborates with SWAYAM for community outreach programs including Jwala Women's Day programme and INIYA National Community Outreach Program.
• St. Mary's College for Women, TiruvallaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026BAFTA Association Programme collaboration for academic interaction in food science and quality assurance between Department of Food Technology and Quality Assurance and St. Mary's College.
• ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra PathanamthittaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Five-day training programme on Agroprocessing and Value Addition organized under ARYA Project.
• CIODS, Yenepoya UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Centre for Interdisciplinary Oral Sciences at Yenepoya University. MACFAST alumni pursuing PhD there secured ₹10 Lakh IONQ grant for quantum computing research. Dr. Rajesh Raju serves as mentor and Director at CIODS.
• Biotech Research Society, India (BRSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2023Jointly organized Biospectrum 2023 International Conference. Biotech Research Society of India promotes biotechnology research and collaboration.
• Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (CEES)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2023Co-organized Biospectrum 2023 conference focusing on sustainable biotechnology research.
• KSCSTEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2023Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment - co-sponsored Biospectrum 2023 and Biospectrum 2K26 conferences.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Loyola College, Chennai: A historic autonomous Jesuit college offering postgraduate programs across multiple disciplines including management, computer science, and social work. Comparable on autonomous status, faith-based ownership, and multidisciplinary postgraduate structure.
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education: A larger established deemed university with comprehensive postgraduate programs including management, IT, and life sciences. Comparable on academic breadth though significantly larger and more nationally recognized.

Direct peers

• Jain University, Bangalore: A deemed university offering similar postgraduate portfolios in management, computer applications, and sciences with strong placement programs. Comparable for its multidisciplinary approach and tier of ranking in national assessments.
• Christ University, Bangalore: A private deemed-to-be university offering multidisciplinary postgraduate programs across management, computer applications, sciences, and social work. Most comparable peer given similar structure of MBA/MCA/MSc offerings, NAAC accreditation, and autonomous-style academic flexibility.
• REVA University: A Bangalore-based private university offering multidisciplinary postgraduate programs in management, computer applications, and life sciences. Comparable for similar tier, autonomous character, and broad postgraduate portfolio serving South Indian students.
• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: A multi-campus deemed university with strong postgraduate programs in management, computer applications, and biosciences. Comparable to MACFAST for its multidisciplinary postgraduate portfolio and research focus, though significantly larger in scale and national footprint.
• Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences: A deemed university in Tamil Nadu offering postgraduate programs in management, computer applications, and biosciences with research focus. Comparable for its faith-based origins (founded by Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran) and multidisciplinary postgraduate model.
• MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad): A premier autonomous postgraduate-only institution known for its niche focus and strong corporate recruiter pipeline. While specialized in communications/marketing rather than general management, MICA represents an analogous autonomous, niche postgraduate model.

Regional players

• Rajagiri Business School: A Kerala-based B-school with similar positioning in postgraduate management education and a comparable NAAC-accredited, autonomous institution model. Direct regional competitor for MBA admissions in Kerala.
• SCMS Group of Institutions: Kochi-based private educational group offering MBA, MCA, and other postgraduate programs. A regional Kerala peer competing for the same postgraduate applicant pool as MACFAST.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/macfastofficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnK0cPFUM0eWqCnkWDyYwlw
• Facebookfacebook.com/macfastofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/macfast-2001
• Instagraminstagram.com/macfastofficial

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MACFAST (Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies Tiruvalla)