IIMs see interest rise in research programmes

Second-generation and newer IIMs see the most expansion with significant growth in practice-track’ programmes

- Shradha Chhetri

The number of students opting to do a PhD at Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) has grown constantly over the last five years, shows the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) data. Institutes say this trend hints at a growing demand for management faculty and increased focus on academia, along with corporate jobs.

This growth is in both full-time and part-time PhD programmes offered by the IIMs. In some cases students enrolled in part time programmes outnumber those in the regular ones.

The data collated for all IIMs are from 2019-20 to 2023-24. However, even the numbers receiving degrees in the 2025 convocations indicate growing numbers.

PhD at IIMs

Most IIMs offer doctorate programmes in specialisations including the following:

• Economics

• Finance and accounting

• Human resource management

• Information systems

• Marketing

• Public policy

• Strategy

These are the common areas of specialisations, but some institutes - like IIM Ahmedabad - also offer specialisations in innovation and management in education and organisational behaviour.

Those who have completed two years of masters or a two-year postgraduate diploma are eligible for admission; and now, those who have completed four years of graduation with 65% marks are as well.

Candidates applying for the doctoral programme in management are required to take the Common Admission Test (CAT) or a standard test in lieu of CAT, such as GRE, GMAT, GATE, UGC-NET/CSIR. For NRIs and foreign candidates, the standard test is Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT).

There is also a written test and interview which is conducted by the IIMs for shortlisting.

First-generation IIMs