IIM Indore is one of the larger IIMs, with a hilltop campus outside Indore and a two-year PGP accredited by EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. Its selection formula weights Class 12 marks heavily and gives the personal interview the largest share of the final score. It suits CAT takers with strong sectional scores and solid school records who want a large, diverse cohort.
At a glance
| NIRF 2025 Management rank | 8 (score 75.68) |
| Established | 1996 |
| Type | Institute of National Importance under the IIM Act, 2017 |
| Location | Prabandh Shikhar, Rau-Pithampur Road, Indore, Madhya Pradesh |
| Flagship programme | Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), leading to the award of MBA |
| Duration | Two years, full-time, residential |
| Sanctioned intake | 633 across two-year PG programmes in 2023-24 (NIRF 2025 data) |
| Admission test(s) | CAT; GMAT for NRI and foreign nationals |
| Programme fee | Rs 24,00,000 course fee for Indian students, PGP batch 2026-28, plus deposits and alumni fee (official fee structure) |
| Median salary | Rs 25.5 lakh per annum for the two-year PG cohort graduating in 2023-24 (NIRF 2025 data) |
| Website | iimidr.ac.in |
About IIM Indore
IIM Indore was established in 1996. The institute describes itself as an institute of national importance under the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, promoted by the Ministry of Education. Its 193-acre campus sits on a hillock at Prabandh Shikhar on the Rau-Pithampur Road, and it also has a presence in Mumbai for working executives.
The PGP is accredited by EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA, and the institute says it is recognised by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to an MBA. IIM Indore redesigned the PGP from the 2016-18 batch onwards. The new design added workshop-style skill courses in communication, leadership, spreadsheet modelling, entrepreneurial orientation, design thinking and sustainability. Each year has three terms, with an eight-week summer project between the first and second years.
Programmes
- PGP: the flagship two-year residential programme, leading to the award of an MBA.
- PGP-HRM: a two-year programme in human resource management. CAT applicants who choose IIM Indore's PGP are also considered for PGP-HRM.
- IPM: a five-year integrated programme in management.
- EPGP: the Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management.
- PGPMX: a programme for working executives in Mumbai.
- Doctoral programmes: the Doctoral Programme in Management (DPM), the Executive Doctoral Programme in Management (EDPM) and the Executive Doctoral Programme in Management and Governance (EDPMG).
- Executive education: degree, diploma and certificate programmes, including programmes for defence officers.
Admissions and eligibility
The PGP 2026-28 admission procedure requires a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST and PwD candidates). A completed CA, CS, ICWA (CMA) or FIAI qualification with the required percentage also qualifies. Final-year students can apply but must submit a completion certificate issued on or before 30 June 2026.
You apply by choosing IIM Indore while registering for CAT, at no extra cost. The 2026-28 batch used CAT 2025. NRI and foreign national candidates have a separate GMAT-based route with a different fee. Reservation follows Government of India norms.
Selection process
The rules below come from the official admission procedure for the PGP 2026-28 batch (CAT 2025). When we checked, IIM Indore had not posted a 2027-29 procedure on its admissions page.
Stage I: CAT 2025 percentile cut-offs. You must clear every section and the overall minimum:
| Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 |
| NC-OBC | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 |
| SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 60 |
| ST / PwD | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 |
Stage II: shortlisting for the interview. A composite score made up of:
- Class 10 score: 10 (normalised)
- Class 12 score: 25 (normalised)
- CAT sectional scores: VARC 16, DILR 16, QA 23 (each relative to the highest score in that section)
- Diversity factor: 7
- Work experience: 0 to 3
Stage III: final selection. A final composite score made up of:
- Class 10 score: 5
- Class 12 score: 5
- CAT sectional scores: VARC 20, DILR 10, QA 10
- Personal interview score: 45
- Diversity factor: 5
The policy also requires consistent minimum performance in each PI parameter. A candidate who falls short in any of them is not considered for final selection.
The institute's RTI summary for the 2026-28 batch says 5,054 candidates were shortlisted for the PGP interview.
Fees and financial aid
The official fee structure for PGP batch 2026-28 (updated 9 January 2026) sets the course fee for Indian students at Rs 12,00,000 per year, or Rs 24,00,000 over two years, payable in six instalments. First-year additions are a refundable caution deposit of Rs 50,000 and a mess deposit of Rs 54,000, which is adjusted against actual mess bills. The second year adds an alumni fee of Rs 10,000 plus GST. Textbooks are not included, and mediclaim premiums are deducted from the caution deposit. NRI and foreign nationals admitted through GMAT pay a course fee of Rs 18,00,000 a year.
IIM Indore runs a Need Based Financial Assistance (NBFA) scheme. Students in the PGP, PGP-HRM and IPM with an annual family income below Rs 12,00,000 can apply. The NBFA committee assesses applications and may call students for an interaction before setting the amount. The PGP pages also link to the government's PM-Vidyalaxmi education loan scheme.
Placements
NIRF 2025 data. For the two-year PG programmes, IIM Indore reported a median salary of Rs 25.5 lakh per annum for the cohort graduating in 2023-24. That year 635 students graduated, 633 were placed and 2 went on to higher studies. The medians for the earlier graduating years were Rs 24.7 lakh (2022-23) and Rs 24.09 lakh (2021-22).
Final placement report, Class of 2026 (batch 2024-26). The official consolidated report covers a batch of 586: 492 MBA candidates and 94 dual-degree (IPM) candidates. It lists:
- Highest package: Rs 82.54 lakh per annum
- Average package: Rs 27.27 lakh per annum
- Median package: Rs 25.00 lakh per annum
- Over 240 recruiters, more than 70 of them first-time
- 158 pre-placement offers, 27% of final offers
- Offers by domain: consulting 41%, finance 20%, general management, operations and HR 15%, sales and marketing 13%, product and IT/analytics 11%
The report does not state whether the figures were audited.
Placement figures vary by year and role; read the official report.
Campus and student life
The campus is spread over 193 acres on a hillock outside Indore. The institute lists a sports complex, hostels and a strong IT backbone among its facilities. Its International Relations Center runs a student exchange programme for PGP students, who can study full-time for one or two terms at a partner school abroad. The batch is large and varied. In the 2025-27 batch, 51% of MBA candidates were female and 36% had work experience. In the 2024-26 batch, 36% of MBA candidates had work experience.
How to prepare for IIM Indore
IIM Indore's general-category floor is 80 in every section and 90 overall. That leaves little room for a weak section, so work on all three. Our CAT 2026 preparation guide and our guide to improving your CAT quant score are good starting points. QA carries 23 points in the shortlisting formula, the most of any section.
Class 12 marks are worth 25 points at the shortlisting stage. Candidates with modest Class 12 scores need a correspondingly stronger CAT. At the final stage the interview is worth 45 points, and VARC carries twice the weight of DILR or QA. Strong reading and communication therefore pay off twice: in the test and in the interview. Use our reading comprehension strategy for the first, and practise structured, honest interview answers for the second. No cut-off or score guarantees a call or an offer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the IIM Indore PGP fee?
For the 2026-28 batch, the course fee for Indian students is Rs 24,00,000 over two years. A Rs 50,000 refundable caution deposit, a Rs 54,000 mess deposit and a Rs 10,000 alumni fee plus GST are added. Check the official fee page for your batch.
What is the CAT cut-off for IIM Indore?
For 2026-28, the minimum CAT 2025 percentiles for General and EWS candidates were 80 in each section and 90 overall. The minimums for other categories are lower.
Does IIM Indore have a WAT?
The 2026-28 admission procedure describes a personal interview at Stage II and no separate writing test in the final score. The procedure can change from year to year, so check the policy for your batch.
What are IIM Indore's median placements?
The NIRF 2025 data shows a median of Rs 25.5 lakh per annum for two-year PG graduates in 2023-24. The official report for the Class of 2026 lists a median of Rs 25 lakh and an average of Rs 27.27 lakh.
IIM Indore or IIM Mumbai?
Both rank in the NIRF 2025 top ten. IIM Mumbai gives CAT 60% of its final composite, while IIM Indore gives the interview 45% and weights school marks at shortlisting. Your sectional scores and academic record should guide which suits you better.
Sources
- NIRF India Rankings 2025: Management: rank and score (accessed 22 October 2026)
- NIRF 2025 data submitted by IIM Indore (IR-M-S-8918): sanctioned intake, graduates, placed students and median salary (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore PGP 2026-28 Batch Admission Procedure for CAT 2025 Applicants: eligibility, cut-offs, composite score formulas (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore Fee Structure for PGP Batch 2026-28: course fee, deposits and instalments (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore RTI information, PGP and PGP-HRM 2026: number of candidates shortlisted for the interview (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore Consolidated Placement Report 2026: final placements for 2024-26 and batch profiles (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore Need Based Financial Assistance: NBFA eligibility and process (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore PGP programme page: accreditation, structure and AIU equivalence (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore at a Glance: history, status, campus and programmes (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Indore International Relations Center: student exchange (accessed 22 October 2026)
Researched from official sources on 22 October 2026. Admissions policies, fees and placement figures change every year: confirm them on the institute’s website before applying.