IIMC emerges strong despite a challenging economic landscape

The more things change, the more they remain the same. This adage by the 19th-century French critic, author, and journalist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr seems apt in the case of Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIMC) when comparing its progress this year in the BT-MDRA Best B-Schools Survey to the previous year. With U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on several countries, including India, and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) leading to job cuts, business schools were expected to feel the impact on placements, admissions, and recruitment trends. IIMC has been able to hold its ground.

“As the global business environment grows increasingly dynamic, IIM Calcutta leads with purpose—fostering innovation, nurturing responsible leadership, and preparing professionals to thrive in an ever-evolving world,” says Professor Alok Kumar Rai, Director, IIMC.

The consulting sector led the hiring process in academic year (AY) 2024-25. Further, there was an increase in the number of Indian start-ups participating in the hiring process. The median salary increased from Rs 30 lakh per annum in the previous academic year to Rs 34 lakh.

Frequent recruiters, from Google, Amazon and ITC to the lesser-known ones like TrueTech and Saifee Hospital, continued hiring. The approved intake of the MBA programme remained the same at 480, though. In AY 2024-25, it introduced 14 new courses; the Executive Education (ExEd) division delivered 167 programmes that engaged over 8,000 professionals across open, customised, and consultancy formats.

AY 2024-25 was also the year that saw the launch of cutting-edge courses in AI, corporate sustainability, and private equity. It was also a year of new initiatives, sponsorships, and expanded industry networks, marked by a significant increase in industry engagement, doubling the number of interactions to over 105 industry experts compared to the previous year. There was also a rise in inclusivity-based courses such as Climate Change, Managing Diversity & Inclusivity, and Responsible AI. Further, two new modules were introduced in international immersion programmes, including a live project on Hydrogen in SDA Bocconi Milan, Italy (main campus), and entrepreneurship in ESADE, Barcelona, Spain. Despite these value additions, the fees remained unchanged at Rs 31 lakh. These developments align with IIMC’s traditional strengths, like a loyal network of 45,000 alumni built over six decades, a vibrant campus culture, and a consistent rise in global rankings.

“IIMs, like IITs, have a robust entrance exam, which is followed by a rigorous group discussion. That ensures good control over the quality of students who come into an institution like IIMC. Additionally, the quality of faculty, including those who have come from abroad, plays an important role,” says Mathew Eipe, an alumnus of the 1977 batch and former Executive Director (retired) of Godrej Industries.

Eipe (who also holds an engineering degree from IIT Bombay) said that the combination of an engineering degree and an MBA is perhaps more common at IIMC than at some of the other IIMs. Successful business leaders with an MBA-engineering combination from IIM-C include Sumant Sinha (Renew), K. Ganesh (GrowthStory, Big Basket, Portea) and T.V. Narendran (Tata Steel).

Despite all the cheers, the institution needs to consider a few indicators going forward. This year, in the learning experience parameter in the BT-MDRA study, IIMC was edged out of the top position, slipping to second place from last year’s number one ranking. Similarly, in the placements parameter, IIM-C, which held the top position last year, has moved down to second place this year. One reason for this shift is that IIM Ahmedabad did not participate in the survey last year. Professor Alok Kumar Rai took over as the Director just four months back. The coming year will show who wins the catch-up game.