Top 10 MBA Colleges in India: Your perfect guide

India, the unity in diversity, is a country of choices and varieties. With the growing years in the field of education, this educational hub provides a plethora of courses to choose from. Technology and Management are two leading branches that are popular and mostly chosen by the youth of the nation today. The following article is a representation of the top 10 management schools in India, with the mention of their best programs, mode of admission and their cutoffs along with the best placements provided. 

The Indian Institutes of Management 

The Indian Institutes of Management are the Best MBA Colleges in India. They offer  undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees in different fields of management and business that come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. They were first established in 1961 and are currently present in over 20 cities in India like Kolkata, Bengaluru, Indore, Ahmedabad and so on. 

Academic Programmes

The IIM offers various programmes in undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes. Speaking of postgraduate programmes, the IIM offers different programmes with different duration.

1. Two Years MBA - It is a full time programme also called PGP - Post Graduation Programme in Management. This programme is spread out into 6 trimesters across the year of 2 years beginning in the month of June  ending in the month of the 2nd year. This programme is offered in the following IIMs - IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta.
2. One Year MBA- This programme is handcrafted and specially created for working professionals and lasts over one year of full time. It is fully integrated with no specialization. 

Mode of Admission

Generally the mode of admission into MBA colleges involves Common Aptitude Test (CAT) as the mode of admission for several institutions. This is applicable to Indian Residents itself. International students have to enter through GMAT, the Graduate Management Admission Test. The final round involves interviews and group discussions to secure admission to IIMs and other MBA colleges. 

1. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

IIM, Ahmedabd has been considered as the Indian Institute of National Importance by the Ministry of Human Resources,Government of India in the year 2017. This institute has been known as the Best MBA Institute in India with accreditations for serving quality education in India and abroad. The campus is located in Vastrapur, Ahmedabad over an area of 104 acres. Getting an admission at IIM Ahmedabad is regarded as a matter of utmost prestige for students dreaming of doing MBA.

2. Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru

Located in the capital city of Karnataka, this public business school also holds importance nationally. IIM Bangalore was established as the third IIM in the year 1973 after IIM Calcutta and IIM Ahmedabad. 

A count of 106 full time faculty members serving the very talented 1200 students across various degree-granting programmes, Indian Institute stands at the peak of providing executive MBA courses in India today. As IIMB is situated in the heart of the technology capital of India, it is surrounded by many corporate hubs that enhance and integrate education of classroom knowledge with practical exposure. 

3. Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta

With an establishment going back to the year 1961, The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta was the first national institute set up for postgraduate studies and research in management by the Government of India. IIMC is a dream destination for every candidate who aspires to be an MBA and wishes to see oneself successfully landing in an ever changing business environment of tomorrow. This management institute is an autonomous institute which has been growing over the years to be known as an institute of international reputation today. With the courses offered by IIMC ranging from postgraduate and doctoral level programs to executive training programs and different research and consulting activities, it is regarded as one of the pioneers in professionalising Indian Management. 

4. Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow

Lucknow’s Indian Institute of Management is a public business school in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. IIM Lucknow was built as the fourth Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in 1984  by the Government of India. Courses that IIM Lucknow offers are definitely varied: fellowship and executive programs in management and post-graduate diploma courses.India's Ministry of Human Resource Development has recognised this institute as an "Institution of Excellence". IIM Lucknow main campus spans 200 acres (and is in Prabandh Nagar on the outskirts of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The institute is known for its distinguished faculty ready to prepare its students to take on the challenges upcoming in the walks of a work life. Students are enticed to be a part of such an organisation from where they can take it on from just being mere adequate to excellent professionals by nurturing their talents and being guided by the best. 

5. Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

An autonomous business school, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode was set up in 1996 by the Government of India in collaboration with the State Government of Kerala. With a campus of scenic beauty, this institute is one of the premier management institutes of India delivering high quality management education bringing out some of the best business leaders of tomorrow. Through constant academic rigour and excellent education, IIM Kozhikode has become an eminent name when it comes to talking about successful management institutes of the nation. Situated at Kozhikode, the second-largest city in Kerala, it provides a different experience of practicality and industry exposure apart from just classroom learning. Late President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2003, at the inauguration of its new campus dedicated it to the nation as ‘God’s own Campus’.  

6. Indian Institute of Management, Indore

The Indian Institute of Management Indore (often abbreviated as IIM-I) is an autonomous business school located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh in India. The organisation was established  in 1996. IIM Indore was added to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) family of management schools as the sixth version of the important institute. Alongside other IIMs, IIM-I was recognised as an Institute of National Importance in 2017. along with the other IIMs. The campus is located at Prabandh Shikhar, close to Agra-Bombay Highway. The institution is situated on top of a hillock that has a scenic beauty, having a campus spread across an area of 193 acres. The institute excels in serving best management programs and has been recognized among the top ten institutes by NIRF Rankings 2020. With CAT Score being its main eligibility criteria and  its admission procedure all online, it is easier for students to apply here without hassle. 

7. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

The school of management education and research is the Department of Management Studies at the very renowned Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. DMS has been a machine of manufacturing holistic managers placed all over the world with incomparable skill sets and a global outlook. The full time MBA course here ensures to train the students to adapt easily in the constantly changing business environment with its programs that are a mix of problem solving approaches. Be it any course, Marketing, Finance, Strategic Management or Information systems, the quality offered by DMS, IIT Delhi, tops it all. These programs lead students to learn the analytical and functional industry setups that fosters the growth of learning in modern management predispositions. 

8. S.P. Jain Institute of Management

‘Aa no bhadraah kratavo yantu vishwatah’ is the motto of  the S.P.  Jain Institute of Management and Research which means let noble thoughts come to us from every side in English. Abiding by it, the institute, a private business school, has been nobly serving high quality learning and education to its students under the able affiliation of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. It is a 40 years old institute which was established in the year 1981 in the heart of India's Financial centre, Mumbai. It comes under the top  ten management's institute of India and students in large numbers apply to this institute every year. It focuses on Influence Practice and promotes Value-based Growth. It has been awarded accreditation by the prestigious AACSB International -The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. More than 12000 students from different backgrounds become a part of this organization to pursue their dreams and reach greater heights of success. 

9. XLRI Xavier School of Management

XLRI is one of the most prominent Business Schools in India. It was established by a few visionary Jesuit Fathers in the year 1949. The institute ever since through its students is striving to bring a change in the economy and society at large. XLRI, a class apart, ventures to be a management school with a difference. The oldest B-school in the country, XLRI, is the pride of Jharkhand, situated in Jamshedpur. With the aim to instill an integral growth in its students, XLRI's vision is to extend industry based knowledge for continuous improvement to attain the goal of perfection since the past 6 decades. Entry into XLRI is generally through clearing the XAT - Xavier Aptitude Test. A student can apply for more than one program and shall have to undergo the interview process accordingly. This institution is set to embrace students from all backgrounds and fields to achieve a pursuit of academic excellence by creating a unity in diversity. 

10. MDI- Management Development Institute,Gurgaon.

India’s first B-school accredited by the internationally coveted Association of MBA’s (AMBA) London, Management Development Institute (MDI Gurgaon), is a household name for every child asking his parents to pursue MBA as higher studies. A trendsetter in the field of management education, MDI offers Programmes that are recognized and accredited by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) New Delhi.  MDI provides opportunities of learning teamwork and practical know-how of the industry with its on campus facilities available to its students. Establishing a foothold all across the country, the college has also been accredited with several mentions internationally. MDI is a unique blend of global perspective with action centric industry training that welcomes aspiring candidates to join its executive management programmes from India and abroad. 

MBA is a choice of every student, not only from a commerce background but of the ones coming from science and even arts. It is considered to be the strata of higher education of a sort in India. Students take up several exams to crack premium colleges to pursue MBA in order to learn the maximum skills required by the industry. That acts advantageous as it helps them work efficiently in the management sectors once they’re placed. Getting into an MBA college of one's choice might appear tough but with determination anything can be achieved.  

Disclaimer: This content is sponsored and does not reflect the views or opinions of Ground Report. No journalist is involved in creating sponsored material and it does not imply any endorsement by the editorial team. Ground Report Digital LLP. takes no responsibility for the content that appears in sponsored articles and the consequences thereof, directly, indirectly or in any manner. Viewer discretion is advised.

Follow Ground Report on X, Instagram and Facebook for environmental and underreported stories from the margins. Give us feedback on our email id [email protected]. 

Don't forget to Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Join our community on WhatsApp, Follow our Youtube Channel for video stories.