AIM retools for IIM Guwahati era

Northeast's oldest MBA institute shifts focus to tech programmes and entrepreneurship, plans to launch BSc data science and five-year integrated BCA-MCA course as Assam prepares for its first IIM

- Pritha Roy Choudhury

As the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Guwahati takes shape, Northeast's oldest management institution is not bracing for competition, but recalibrating its mission to strengthen the region's ecosystem for MBA education.

The Assam Institute of Management (AIM), established in 1988, looks at the newest IIM as an opportunity, rather than a threat. “I'm actually happy that an IIM is coming up here,” said Sanjeev Raj, director, AIM. “It strengthens the ecosystem. Not everyone will get into an IIM, and that's where AIM steps in, offering a similar experience inspired by IIM Ahmedabad.”

With IIM Guwahati on the horizon, AIM is positioning itself as an accessible alternative that maintains the standards of the country's premier business schools, while remaining rooted in regional needs. “Our trimester system, case-based learning, and interactive pedagogy all reflect the IIM Ahmedabad model,” explained Raj.

Raj believes MBA can be a key driver of regional development. “When students from the Northeast pursue management studies, they don't just build their own futures, they contribute to local growth. We hope more of them stay back and start enterprises here. There's tremendous potential for entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said.

Parliament recently passed the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, paving the way for IIM Guwahati, India's 22nd IIM, and granting it the status of 'institution of national importance'. While introducing the bill in Rajya Sabha, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said that the institute will “admit students from this academic year”.

Evolution, expansion

AIM began its journey not as a degree-granting institute but as a centre for management training and consultancy under the Planning and Development Department of Assam government. Over the decades, it has evolved into a full-fledged management institute.