The top-ranked management institutes in India are the IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management). IIM Ahmedabad holds the NIRF Rank 1, followed by IIM Bangalore (Rank 2), IIM Kozhikode (Rank 3), and IIM Calcutta (Rank 4). These are also among the top B-Schools in QS World University Rankings.
To apply for a PGP (Post Graduate Programme in Management) at any IIM, you need a bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates). You must also appear for the CAT exam and meet the sectional and overall cutoffs set by each IIM. Academic performance in Class 10, Class 12, and graduation is also considered.
Admission to IIM colleges is based on multiple factors including CAT percentile, Class 10 and 12 marks, graduation percentage, work experience, gender diversity, and performance in the WAT (Written Ability Test) and PI (Personal Interview). Each IIM has its own weight system for these criteria. Always check the official IIM website for the exact admission criteria.
IIM Ahmedabad offers the PGP with a 36.14 LPA average CTC and a 26 Lakh fee. IIM Bangalore follows with 35.92 LPA average CTC at 24.7 Lakh fees. IIM Calcutta's program has a 32.62 LPA average CTC at 27 Lakh fees. Baby IIMs like IIM Amritsar or IIM Bodh Gaya offer the IIM PGP at fees as low as 13-16 Lakhs with average CTCs in the range of 14-18 LPA.
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To apply for the CAT exam, visit the official CAT website (iimcat.ac.in) during the notification period (usually August-September). Fill in your personal, academic, and work experience details, upload documents, and pay the application fee. After results, shortlisted candidates apply directly to individual IIMs through their portals.
You can apply for an education loan through nationalized banks like SBI (Scholar Loan scheme), Canara Bank, or Bank of Baroda. IIM colleges are on the pre-approved list for most banks. Private lenders like Credila, Avanse, and InCred also offer MBA loans. The loan amount typically covers tuition fees, hostel charges, books, and other related expenses.
Each IIM has its own official website where the application portal is hosted. The common entry point is the CAT official website: iimcat.ac.in. After CAT results, individual IIM portals open for the admission process. Visit specific websites like iima.ac.in (IIM Ahmedabad) or iimb.ac.in (IIM Bangalore) for details.
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta have consistently reported 100% placement records. These older IIMs attract top recruiters from consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain), investment banks, FMCG companies, and tech giants.
IIM Ahmedabad is widely considered the toughest IIM to get into, with a CAT cutoff of 99.5 percentile and above. IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta follow closely at 99+ percentile. Beyond CAT scores, these institutes also weigh academic consistency and interview performance very heavily.
