Top Business Schools in India: The Employers’ Choice

India’s rise to global prominence in the world of business as one of the BRIC nations has been well documented. One consequence of this is that more jobs are open to MBAs in India than any other country in the world. While many Indians look abroad for MBA student, an MBA in India is also a viable doorway to this plethora of career opportunities.

But like any other nation, it is important to identify which are the schools  to which employers look when hiring MBA talent.

So, which are the top business schools in India according to employers? Below are the five Indian schools featured in the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report – the top business schools in the world according to a global survey of 4,300 employers.

1. IIM-Ahmedabad

India’s Institutes of Management, much like its Institutes of Technology, are some of the most challenging schools in the world to get into. The most competitive of all, IIM-Ahmedabad, admitted only 0.25% of applicants to its class of 2014 as compared with Harvard’s rate of 13%. So if you want to study an MBA in India at employers’ number one school, you’re going have to come with some impressive test scores (which tend to be the focus at Indian schools).

IIM-Ahmedabad is number one on the list of top business schools in India according to employers. Located in India’s fifth-largest city, home to numerous pharmaceutical and textile companies, the public school was established in 1961. It is the annual host of a number of notable and large events and conferences, including international business school conference, Confluence.

Around 310 candidates are admitted to IIM-Ahmedabad’s MBA-equivalent ‘post-graduate programme in management’. Average MBA salary on graduation stands at US$66,888, while tuition fees are US$36,000 in total. Unsurprisingly given the high level of competition to gain entry, 100% of graduates are in employment after three months.

2. IIM-Bangalore

The second-best MBA in India in the eyes of employers is that offered by IIM-Bangalore – a member of the Global Network for Advanced Management, a collaborative network of global business schools.

India’s third biggest city Bangalore is a hub for information technology, biotechnology, and was voted one the best cities in the world for startups by the Startup Genome Project – a Silicon Valley-based study of over 26,000 entrepreneurs.

Of the schools included in this list, IIM-Bangalore has the most international students, at 10%. It can also boast 100% employment rates, though the average MBA salary on graduation of US$30,000 is considerably lower than that on offer at IIM-Ahmedabad. This is somewhat offset by fees of only US$9,000.

3. Indian School of Business

The first private school on this list, the Indian School of Business is based in the cities of Hyderabad to the east and Mohali in the north. It is a young school, with the former campus opening in 2001, followed by the latter in 2012. Notably, it was the first Indian business school to be accredited by the AACSB.

The school offers a family business program, and has research centers focused on healthcare, public policy, manufacturing and infrastructure management – all pressing issues for the world’s second most-populous country.

While students at IIMs tend to have only two years of work experience under their belt, the average at the Indian School of Business stands at five, so the school might be worth a look if you want to study an MBA in India with more experienced candidates. The class of 569 students is 29% female and 6% international – high by Indian standards. Fees of US$45,000 can be justified by 100% employment after three months and starting MBA salary figures of US$44,000.

You can meet the Indian School of Business at the QS World MBA Tour >

4. IIM-Calcutta

The third and final IIM to be included in the employers’ list of top business schools in India is IIM-Calcutta. It was the first of these schools to be founded, in 1961, in collaboration with MIT Sloan.

IIM-Calcutta has moved recently to offer double degrees with business schools in Europe, teaming up with CEMS (a prestigious global association of business schools) to select students. Students will receive degrees from both schools. Among the school’s facilities is the Management Center for Human Values, which focuses of soft skills.

Tuition fees of US$8,000 make IIM-Calcutta’s the cheapest MBA in India to make this employers’ list of top business schools in India, and again, employment figures stand at 100%. The average MBA salary on graduation is US$27,500, with an added bonus of US$4,870.

5. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

Based in New Delhi and Kolkata, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade specializes, as you might expect, on international business; research centers at the school focus on technology, issues flagged by the WTO and SMEs.

80% of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade graduates are in employment after three months of graduation. Salary figures are not available, but average bonus levels of US$10,000 will make a significant dent in tuition fees of US$20,000.

Learn more about career trends in the Asia Pacific region >