IIM Bangalore offers a five-year, full-time Ph.D in management in 10 areas, from Economics to Strategy. The institute does not publish a fixed number of seats, and each area picks its own scholars. Tuition is waived, so the only fee is the application fee of INR 1,000 for one area. Every Indian scholar gets a fellowship of INR 52,000 a month, which comes to INR 6.24 LPA. You apply with one valid score from GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE, NET or the IIMB Test, then take an area test or an interview. NIRF placed the institute #2 in management in 2025. No cutoff or pay figure is published for Ph.D graduates.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Course Duration | 5 Years |
| Number of Ph.D Specialisations | 10 |
| Admission Through | One test score, then area test and interview |
| Minimum Eligibility | 55% in a master's, or 65% in a four-year bachelor's |
| Total Fees | INR 1,000 |
| Hostel + Mess | Room in years 1 and 2; else INR 26,500 a month |
| Scholarship Available | INR 52,000 a month fellowship, tuition waived |
| Average Package 2025 | Not published for Ph.D graduates |
| Placement Rate 2025 | Not published |
| NIRF Management Rank | #2 in 2025 |
The total fee is INR 1,000 for one area and INR 1,500 for two areas, and the tuition fee is INR 0 because it is waived. You pay this once, online, when you apply. If you use the IIMB Test instead of another score, you also pay INR 1,200 for each attempt. None of these fees comes back. After admission you pay no tuition for all five years.
| Fee head | Amount | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee | INR 0 | Waived for Indian scholars, all 5 years |
| Application fee, one area | INR 1,000 | One time, not refunded |
| Application fee, two areas | INR 1,500 | One time, not refunded |
| IIMB Test fee | INR 1,200 | Each attempt, only if you use it |
| Total, one area | INR 1,000 | Application fee only |
| Total, two areas | INR 1,500 | Application fee only |
Applications opened on 10 Jul 2026 and close on 25 Jan 2027 at 5 pm. The IIMB Test is on 25 Oct 2026 and 31 Jan 2027. Shortlists go out by 25 Feb 2027, interviews are on 12 and 13 Mar 2027, and offers come on 20 Mar 2027. The prep course starts in the last week of May 2027.
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Online application opens | 10 Jul 2026 | Over |
| IIMB Test 1 registration and fee, last date | 22 Oct 2026 | Confirmed |
| IIMB Test 1, online exam | 25 Oct 2026 | Confirmed |
| IIMB Test 2 registration, last date | 23 Jan 2027 | Confirmed |
| Last date to apply | 25 Jan 2027 | Confirmed |
| IIMB Test 2, online exam | 31 Jan 2027 | Confirmed |
| Shortlist by email | 25 Feb 2027 | Tentative |
| Economics area test, online | 27 Feb 2027 to 28 Feb 2027 | Tentative |
| Area tests and interview round on campus | 12 Mar 2027 to 13 Mar 2027 | Tentative |
| Offer letters | 20 Mar 2027 | Tentative |
| Offer acceptance, last date | 26 Mar 2027 | Tentative |
| Prep course, reporting and classes start | May 2027 | Tentative |
You need 55% in a master's degree, or 65% (6.5 CGPA) in a four-year bachelor's degree. SC, ST and PwD applicants need 50% or 6.0 CGPA. You also need one valid test score that your area takes. Final-year students can apply, but you must show your marks sheet by 31 Dec 2027 or the offer is cancelled.
| Requirement | What you need |
|---|---|
| Master's degree or 2-year PG diploma | 55% (50% for SC, ST and PwD) |
| Four-year bachelor's degree | 6.5 CGPA or 65% (6.0 CGPA for SC, ST and PwD) |
| CA, ICWA or CS | 50% in your bachelor's degree (45% for SC, ST and PwD) |
| Test score | One of GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE, NET or IIMB Test, valid on 25 Jan 2027 |
| Final-year students | Can apply; marks sheet due by 31 Dec 2027 |
The steps are a test score, the online form, the shortlist, the area test, the interview and the offer. You pick one or two areas on the form, first and second choice. Each area makes its own shortlist from your marks, test score, statement of purpose and letters. The area test and interview decide the offer, and you cannot change area later.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| Get a test score | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE, NET or the IIMB Test, as your area allows. |
| Apply online | Fill one form, name one or two areas and upload your papers. |
| Wait for the shortlist | Each area emails only the applicants it shortlists. |
| Take the area test | Most areas set a written test; Strategy and Marketing do not. |
| Face the interview | Faculty check your research interest and how clearly you think. |
| Accept the offer | Accept on the portal, then join the prep course in May. |
There are 10 areas, and they share one fee and one stipend but not one test list. Economics needs no score at all, Strategy does not take GATE, and Finance and Accounting does not take the IIMB Test. Five areas take no NET score. Each area also sets its own selection steps. Every area name below opens its own course page.
| Area | Tests it takes | Selection |
|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. (Economics) | No test score needed | Area test first, then interview |
| Ph.D. (Organizational Behavior and Human Resources) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE, NET or IIMB Test | Area test and interview |
| Ph.D. (Information Systems) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE, NET or IIMB Test | Written test and interview |
| Ph.D. (Public Policy) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE, NET or IIMB Test | Area test, then interview shortlist |
| Ph.D. (Strategy) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, NET or IIMB Test | Interview only |
| Ph.D. (Entrepreneurship) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE or IIMB Test | Two-stage test and interview |
| Ph.D (Decision Science) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE, NET or IIMB Test | Written test on interview day |
| Ph.D. (Finance & Accounts) | GMAT, GRE, CAT or GATE | Area test and interview |
| Ph.D. (Marketing) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE or IIMB Test | Interview only |
| Ph.D (Production & Operations Management) | GMAT, GRE, CAT, GATE or IIMB Test | Area test and interview |
CAT, GMAT and GRE open all 10 areas, while GATE and the IIMB Test open 9 each. IIMB publishes no cutoff score, so a valid score only lets you apply. The shortlist then reads your marks, statement of purpose and letters. NET works only in five areas and only for some subjects; Strategy takes NET in Management, code 17, alone.
| Route | Areas it opens | What decides the seat |
|---|---|---|
| CAT | All 10 | A CAT 2024, 2025 or 2026 score, then the area's test and interview |
| GMAT or GRE | All 10 | A centre test taken after 25 Jan 2022, not an online test |
| GATE | 9, all but Strategy | A score from after 25 Jan 2024 |
| UGC or CSIR NET | 5, set subjects only | A score from after 25 Jan 2024, in a subject the area lists |
| IIMB Test | 9, all but Finance and Accounting | The 25 Oct 2026 or 31 Jan 2027 test; the higher score counts |
IIMB publishes no pay figure and no placement rate for Ph.D graduates. The programme trains teachers and researchers, so most graduates join business schools. Some Indian companies, MNCs, investment banks and consulting firms also hire for research roles. Firms and institutes contact the doctoral office directly, and you can use the IIMB placement office too. You cannot take a job while you study.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average pay after Ph.D | Not published |
| Placement rate | Not published |
| Where most graduates go | Teaching and research jobs at business schools |
| Other employers | Indian companies, MNCs, investment banks and consulting firms |
| Placement help | The doctoral office and the IIMB placement office |
The fellowship pays INR 52,000 a month, and the travel grant gives up to INR 4.40 Lakhs for conferences. Every Indian scholar gets this support for five years, in any area, with no income test. You also get INR 80,000 in year 1 and INR 30,000 a year after that for books and research. In return you work as a research and teaching assistant. Foreign nationals do not get the fellowship.
| Scholarship | Who can get it | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fellowship stipend | Every Indian scholar | INR 52,000 a month |
| House rent allowance | Scholars without a hostel room | INR 26,500 a month |
| Start-up grant | Every Indian scholar, year 1 | INR 80,000 |
| Contingency grant | Every Indian scholar, years 2 to 5 | INR 30,000 a year |
| Travel grant | Scholars presenting at conferences | Up to INR 4.40 Lakhs |
NIRF placed IIM Bangalore #2 in management in 2025, and Collegedunia ranks it #3 in its management ranking for 2026. EQUIS, a European business school body, accredited the institute again in 2021 for five years. NIRF ranks on teaching, research and outcomes. No ranking body ranks the Ph.D on its own.
| Ranking body | Year | Rank or grade |
|---|---|---|
| NIRF, Management | 2025 | #2 |
| Collegedunia, management | 2026 | #3 |
| EFMD EQUIS | 2021 | Accredited for 5 years |
The house rent allowance is INR 26,500 a month if you live outside. Scholars usually get a hostel room for the first two years, if one is free, and it may be extended after that. The campus is on Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru. Hostel rooms are not promised, so plan for the allowance in later years.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hostel room | Usually for years 1 and 2, if a room is free |
| House rent allowance | INR 26,500 a month |
| Campus | Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru |
The Ph.D has two years of coursework, a comprehensive exam and then your thesis. Year 1 and 2 are classes in research methods and your area. After the exam you work on your thesis with a faculty guide. The fellowship stops at the end of June in year 5 or at convocation, whichever comes first.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Years 1 and 2 | Doctoral coursework in research methods and your area |
| End of year 2 | Comprehensive exam |
| Years 3 to 5 | Thesis research and defence |
| All years | Research and teaching assistant work |
Official 2027 dates for every area. Tap 2028 Session for next year.
Source: IIMB doctoral admission procedure 2027.
This is the full 5-year cost, and it is the same for every area.
Source: IIMB doctoral admission procedure 2027 and financial support page.
Pick your test and when you took it. Areas change with the test.
IIMB publishes no cutoff score for any area, so these verdicts only say where your test is taken. The shortlist also reads your marks, statement of purpose and letters, so a valid score is where the process starts, not where it ends.
Answer two questions to see the support you get in any area.
Each chip below says which answer blocked the scheme.
Short answers to what students ask before they apply.
This page is AI assisted and human verified.
Comments
Found 2 Comments
It is unlikely that IIM Bangalore would launch an IPM programme anytime soon, although talks are still going on.
IIM Bangalore PGP BA is a 2 year duration course. The admission to the Domestic students in provided on the basis of CAT scores followed by interview. The admissions to the international students are done on the basis of GMAT/ GRE scores followed by Interview round. The PGP BA students have to reside in hostel. There are a total of 73 seats offered in the course.