Total MBA Seats in IIMs 2026: Category-Wise Breakdown

Total MBA Seats in IIMs 2026

IIMs are grouped into Old IIMs, New IIMs, and Baby IIMs based on their establishment year and ranking. Each group has different seat counts and CAT percentile requirements.

Old IIMs alone account for over 3,000 seats in IIMs at the flagship level and require the highest CAT percentile cutoffs in India. New IIMs and Baby IIMs together add around 4,000+ seats in IIMs, making them a strong choice for students scoring between 85 and 95 percentile.

Also Read: List Of IIM Colleges in India

Category-Wise Seats in IIMs 2026: Reservation Policy

All 21 IIMs follow the central government reservation policy uniformly across their flagship MBA/PGP programs. This means every seat in IIMs is divided into fixed category quotas as shown below.

PwD reservation is horizontal, meaning it is applied across all categories rather than being a separate vertical quota. Students from NC-OBC, SC, ST, and EWS backgrounds also receive relaxed CAT sectional and overall cutoffs.

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Category-Wise MBA Seats in Old IIMs

IIM Ahmedabad — 415 Seats

IIM Ahmedabad runs India's most competitive PGP program. The seats in IIM Ahmedabad total 415, and the institute actively promotes gender diversity in its selection process.

Female candidates competing for seats in IIMs like Ahmedabad receive a notable advantage in the selection process due to gender diversity norms. A 99+ percentile in CAT is typically required for General category candidates.

IIM Bangalore — 525 Seats

IIM Bangalore offers both the flagship PGP and the newer PGPBA (Business Analytics) program. The seats in IIM Bangalore total around 525 across both programs combined.

PGPBA seats in IIMs like Bangalore are a specialised option with fewer seats, making it more competitive than the regular PGP. Engineering graduates with a data background are preferred for PGPBA.

IIM Calcutta — 479 Seats

IIM Calcutta's PGP batch for 2026–28 has a total of 479 seats in IIMs, with the open category holding the largest share.

IIM Calcutta is known for its strong finance and consulting placements, with average salaries reaching ₹35 LPA. The open category seats in IIMs like Calcutta at 233 make CAT score the biggest differentiator here.

IIM Lucknow — 583 Seats

IIM Lucknow has the largest PGP batch among Old IIMs. The seats in IIM Lucknow total 583, split by gender as shown below.

IIM Lucknow's large batch makes the seats in IIMs at this level slightly more accessible than IIM-A or IIM-B. A CAT percentile of 97+ is typically required for General category male candidates.

IIM Mumbai — 309 Seats

IIM Mumbai offers three programs — MBA, MBA-OSCM, and MBA-SM. The seats in IIM Mumbai are distributed across all three programs as follows.

IIM Mumbai's MBA-OSCM (Operations and Supply Chain Management) is a unique specialization not widely offered at other IIMs. The MBA-SM (Sustainability Management) program is new and gaining traction among students interested in ESG careers.

MBA Seats in New IIMs: Category-Wise 2026

IIM Trichy — 502 Seats

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IIM Udaipur — 366 Seats

IIM Raipur — 340 Seats

The seats in IIMs under the New IIM category total over 2,100 combined, with specializations like MBA-BA and HRM making them a strong option for students in the 90–96 percentile range. These institutes have growing placement records with average salaries between ₹15–25 LPA.

MBA Seats in Baby IIMs: Seat Intake 2026

The seats in IIMs under the Baby IIM group collectively contribute around 1,800 and are ideal for students scoring between 85 and 92 percentile in CAT. These institutes are growing rapidly in terms of faculty, infrastructure, and placement records.

Total Seats in Top Non-IIM MBA Institutes 2026

Top non-IIM institutes accept CAT scores and offer strong MBA ROI with average salaries between ₹20–35 LPA. Together they add over 4,000 premium seats beyond the seats in IIMs for CAT aspirants.

Non-IIM institutes are a practical choice for students who narrowly miss seats in IIMs but still want top-tier MBA placements. FMS Delhi offers one of the best MBA ROI in India due to its extremely low fee structure.

Conclusion 

The total seats in IIMs for 2026 stand at approximately 7,700 across flagship PGP and MBA programs in 21 institutes. Category-wise, NC-OBC students get the highest reserved seats in IIMs at 27%, followed by SC at 15%, EWS at 10%, and ST at 7.5%. Non-IIM institutes add another 4,000+ seats for CAT aspirants across India. Whether the target is seats in IIMs like Ahmedabad at 99+ percentile or a Baby IIM at 85 percentile, knowing exact seat counts and category-wise availability gives a clear planning edge.