MDI Gurgaon is one of India's best-known private business schools, located in the corporate hub of Gurugram and admitting students through CAT. It suits candidates who want a large PGDM cohort close to Delhi NCR's industry. Its selection formula rewards work experience and a well-rounded profile, not just a high percentile.
At a glance
| NIRF 2025 Management rank | 9 (score 71.96) |
| Established | 1972, by the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) |
| Type | Private institute under the MDI Society |
| Location | Mehrauli Road, Sukhrali, Gurugram, Haryana |
| Flagship programme | Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) |
| Duration | Two years, full-time, residential |
| Sanctioned intake | 570 across two-year PG programmes in 2023-24 (NIRF 2025 data) |
| Admission test(s) | CAT; GMAT accepted only for PGDM-IB and for NRI/international applicants |
| Programme fee | Rs 26,55,310 for PGDM, PGDM-HRM and PGDM-Business Analytics, PGP batch 2027-29, including boarding and lodging (official, subject to revision) |
| Median salary | Rs 26.13 lakh per annum for the two-year PG cohort graduating in 2023-24 (NIRF 2025 data) |
| Website | mdi.ac.in |
About MDI Gurgaon
According to MDI's milestones page, the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) set up the institute in 1972, with support from KfW (Germany) and the Union Ministry of Finance. It began by training managers of development banks at an office in Delhi. The institute moved to its permanent 35-acre campus in Gurugram in 1980 and launched the full-time residential PGDM in 1994. MDI Murshidabad, the second institute under the MDI Society, became operational in 2014.
MDI holds AACSB (2021), EQUIS and AMBA accreditations. Its milestones page says it was the first Indian business school to be internationally accredited, when AMBA accredited its full-time programmes in 2006. The institute says it has around 13,000 alumni in 54 countries and partnerships with more than 90 business schools worldwide.
Programmes
- PGDM: the flagship two-year residential programme.
- PGDM-HRM: a two-year programme in human resource management.
- PGDM-IB: a two-year programme in international business, which requires a four-year bachelor's degree. MDI signed a dual-degree MoU with ESCP Europe in 2018.
- PGDM-Business Analytics: launched in 2023.
- PGDM-BFS: in banking and financial services.
- Executive programmes: PGDM-BM, PGDM-BA, a 12-month hybrid programme in Public Policy and Management, and an online PGDM.
- Fellow Programme in Management: the doctoral-level programme.
Admissions and eligibility
For the PGP batch 2027-29, the official PGDM page requires:
- At least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in both Class 10 and Class 12.
- A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in any discipline. It must be a minimum of three years for PGDM, PGDM-HRM, PGDM-Business Analytics and PGDM-BFS, and four years for PGDM-IB.
- A CAT 2026 score. GMAT (taken at a test centre between 1 January and 28 November 2026) is accepted only for PGDM-IB applicants, and Indian candidates cannot use GMAT for the other programmes.
Final-year students may apply if they complete all degree requirements by 30 June 2027 and submit proof by 31 October 2027. Where a university has no CGPA conversion scheme, MDI multiplies the CGPA by 9.5.
The MDI application opened on 24 September 2026 and closes at 5 pm IST on 28 November 2026. CAT 2026 is on 29 November 2026. The application fee is Rs 3,000 including GST, or Rs 3,590 if you apply to both MDI Gurgaon and MDI Murshidabad.
Selection process
MDI's PGDM page sets out the proposed weights for the PGP batch 2027-29. They cover PGDM, PGDM-HRM, PGDM-IB and PGDM-Business Analytics.
Stage I: shortlisting for the GD/PI.
- CAT score (GMAT for PGDM-IB only): 65%
- Class 10 percentage: 5%
- Class 12 percentage: 5%
- Graduation percentage (pre-final year marks if you are still studying): 5%
- Academic diversity (engineer/non-engineer): 5%
- Gender diversity: 5%
- Work experience: 10%
Stage II: final selection (MDI ranking).
- CAT score: 35%
- Group discussion: 10%
- Written Analysis Test: 5%
- Behavioural Assessment Test: 5%
- Personal interview: 20%
- Graduation: 5%
- Academic diversity: 2.5%
- Gender diversity: 2.5%
- Regional diversity: 2.5% (candidates from the North-East, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh and Lakshadweep)
- Sports: 2.5% (national and international level only)
- Work experience: 10%
Shortlisted candidates are called for the WAT, GD and PI between February and April 2027. The listed centres are Bengaluru, Gurugram, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, and every centre except Gurugram is tentative.
For comparison, the 2026-28 criteria gave CAT 70% at Stage I, with academic and gender diversity at 2.5% each.
Fees and financial aid
MDI's PGDM page lists this fee for the PGP batch 2027-29 (PGDM, PGDM-HRM and PGDM-Business Analytics), subject to revision:
| Component | Two-year total (Rs) |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees | 19,23,010 |
| Boarding charges | 2,08,400 |
| Lodging charges | 2,19,500 |
| Learning material fees | 1,24,000 |
| Student activities | 62,500 |
| Library fee | 75,400 |
| Alumni fee | 15,000 |
| Security deposit | 27,500 |
| Total | 26,55,310 |
You pay in three instalments: Rs 6,00,000 at admission (April to July 2027), Rs 7,48,905 in October 2027, and Rs 13,06,405 in May 2028. NRI students pay USD 38,668 in total. MDI reserves the right to revise fees.
The PGDM page states that up to 5% of seats over and above the approved intake for each course are available under a tuition fee waiver scheme, as per AICTE and MDI guidelines. MDI's financial aid page lists education loan schemes from several banks, including SBI, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank, PNB, ICICI Bank and Credila.
Placements
NIRF 2025 data. For the two-year PG programmes, MDI reported a median salary of Rs 26.13 lakh per annum for the cohort graduating in 2023-24. That year 556 students graduated and 547 were placed. The median was also Rs 26.13 lakh in 2022-23, and Rs 24.06 lakh in 2021-22.
Final placement report, batch 2024-26. The official report covers 313 PGDM, 124 PGDM-HRM, 31 PGDM-Business Analytics and 118 PGDM-IB students. Across these programmes it lists:
- 157 recruiters, 75 of them new
- 189 pre-placement offers
- Highest CTC: Rs 97.50 lakh (BFSI)
- Highest international CTC: Rs 80.20 lakh
For the PGDM alone, the report gives a batch average of Rs 29.5 lakh and a median of Rs 29.0 lakh, and a top-10-percentile average of Rs 45.7 lakh. Consulting made the most PGDM offers (35.1%), followed by BFSI (23.2%). 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 35-acre campus is on Mehrauli Road in Gurugram, about 12 km from Delhi's international airport. It has hostels, a library and a computer centre, and MDI's milestones page notes that a new girls' hostel was inaugurated recently. MDI's global engagements office runs incoming and outgoing student exchanges with partner schools. Recent agreements include Loughborough University's School of Business and Economics (2022) and emlyon business school (2024). The batch of 2024-26 had an average of 27 months of work experience, and about a quarter of the batch were freshers.
How to prepare for MDI Gurgaon
CAT is worth 65% of the Stage I shortlist for 2027-29, so your percentile matters most at the first step. Build a steady base across sections with our CAT 2026 preparation guide, and use mock analysis to keep improving.
Work experience carries 10% at both stages, and diversity, graduation marks and sports also add points. Experienced candidates can stand out here even if their percentile is a little lower. At the final stage the GD, WAT, Behavioural Assessment Test and PI together carry 40%, so practise group discussions and timed essays as well as interview answers. If you are weighing MBA routes beyond CAT, our CAT vs GMAT comparison explains the trade-offs. Remember that MDI accepts GMAT only for PGDM-IB. No cut-off or score guarantees a call or an offer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MDI Gurgaon PGDM fee?
For the PGP batch 2027-29, MDI lists a total of Rs 26,55,310 for PGDM, PGDM-HRM and PGDM-Business Analytics, including tuition, boarding and lodging. The fee is subject to revision.
Does MDI Gurgaon publish a CAT cut-off?
MDI's selection page does not set a minimum CAT percentile. It publishes weights instead, with CAT counting for 65% of the shortlisting score for 2027-29. Avoid relying on unofficial "cut-off" figures.
Is work experience important at MDI?
Yes. It carries 10% in both the shortlisting and the final-selection stages for 2027-29.
What is MDI Gurgaon's median salary?
The NIRF 2025 data shows a median of Rs 26.13 lakh per annum for two-year PG graduates in 2023-24. For the 2024-26 PGDM batch, the official report gives a median of Rs 29.0 lakh.
MDI Gurgaon or a newer IIM?
It depends on fees, placements and your profile. Compare MDI's latest official report with those of IIMs such as IIM Indore, and note that MDI awards a PGDM rather than an MBA degree.
Sources
- NIRF India Rankings 2025: Management: rank and score (accessed 22 October 2026)
- NIRF 2025 data submitted by MDI (IR-M-I-1170): sanctioned intake, graduates, placed students and median salary (accessed 22 October 2026)
- MDI Gurgaon PGDM admissions page: 2027-29 eligibility, dates, selection weights, fee and tuition fee waiver (accessed 22 October 2026)
- MDI Selection Criteria for 2-year Full Time PGP 2026-28: previous year's weights for comparison (accessed 22 October 2026)
- MDI Gurgaon Final Placement Report, Batch of 2024-26: placement statistics and batch profile (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Milestones @ MDI Gurgaon: founding, campus, programmes and accreditations (accessed 22 October 2026)
- About MDI Gurgaon and Infrastructure: accreditations, alumni and campus (accessed 22 October 2026)
- MDI Financial Aid: education loan schemes (accessed 22 October 2026)
- MDI Global Engagements: exchanges and partnerships (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.