Top business schools in India for a six-figure salary

The pandemic has severely disrupted many Indian students plans to study abroad for their MBA. India’s sky-high COVID-19 cases have prompted many countries to stop travel from the country.

Aspiring business school candidates who have yet to receive their vaccine or those who have been affected by closures of embassies and consulates are worried about obtaining their student visas in time, putting them in a pickle about their study abroad plans. For some, pursuing an MBA in India might be a better option. Luckily, there are several top business schools in India that can help you land a six-figure salary.

There are plenty of opportunities for those with an MBA in India to earn an attractive salary, thanks in part to its booming tech sector.

A recent GMAC survey also found that corporate recruiters project a robust demand for business school graduates, with nine in 10 of them expecting it to increase or remain stable in the next five years. The median MBA salary for 2021 is also projected to recover to its pre-pandemic 2020 level of 115,000 US dollars.

The benefits of getting an MBA in India would be the same as they would be anywhere else around the world. This qualification advances one’s business and managerial skills, provides an invaluable networking platform, and helps builds leadership skills. An MBA positions graduates for a promotion or can open the door to managerial and C-suite positions, which traditionally come with attractive paychecks, most of which hit the six-figure mark.

What’s more, an MBA in India typically costs a fraction of what business schools in the US or UK costs. 

India is home to many esteemed business schools. While there’s a number to choose from, five b-schools consistently place in the Financial Times top 100 Global MBA rankings. To land an above-average salary, these are among the top MBA programmes to consider in India:

Indian School of Business

The Postgraduate Programme in Management (PGP) at ISB is a Global MBA equivalent, full-time residential programme for professionals. This one-year programme was designed to enhance business management skills with cutting-edge research and a widely acclaimed curriculum taught by a world-renowned faculty. 

According to the Financial Times, graduates can expect to earn an average salary of US$161,349 – a 173% increase from pre-MBA salaries. 

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

IIM Bangalore’s PGP is a master’s level programme that results in an MBA. This two-year full-time programme equips learners to take on leadership roles in an increasingly complex and dynamic global landscape. It spans six trimesters in two-year and also includes a summer project intermediary. 

Upon completion, IIMB graduates can anticipate a salary of US$171,903 – a 127% increase from their pre-MBA salaries. 

Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

The IIMC MBA has a two-tier structure that consists of a core curriculum, a summer internship, and optional elective courses in the second year. The programme was designed to mould professionals into excellent general managers and high-level decision makers with a broad strategic vision. Throughout the programme, students will hone key skills in accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and management.

Graduates have achieved median salaries of US$167,045, a post-MBA increase of 129%.

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad 

IIMA’s PGP pathway to an MBA has been around for over 55 years, top-ranked for various reasons. The two-year programme is known for creating business leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs. Although it specialises in business, graduates have gone on to work across various industries, including not-for-profit organisations, government, policy, research and academics. 

Regardless where they end up, a majority land outstanding salaries that go up to US$192,390 – a 87% boost. 

Indian institute of Management Indore

IIMI’s PGP is accredited by the Association of MBAs. This two-year programme sets out to develop contextually relevant, socially-conscious managers. The programme also includes skills development courses in communication, leadership, spreadsheet modelling, entrepreneurial orientation, innovation, design thinking, and sustainability – all taught in a workshop based format.

Graduates have gone on to achieve average salaries of US$155,823 – a 69% salary jump.