IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, and ISB reach top 100 of QS global rankings

Three Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, have figured in the world's top 100 for their MBA courses, according to QS rankings announced on Sep 25.

The three IIMs are IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Calcutta. Also, the three B-schools have been ranked among the top 50 for employability.

According to the coveted ranking published by the London-based higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), 14 Indian full-time MBA programs have secured a spot in QS’ global list for 2025, including three new entries.

Stanford Graduate School of Business in the US continues to be at the top spot among B-schools for the fifth consecutive year. The US continues to dominate the upper echelon of the MBA table, with all three top spots occupied by American business schools.

While the Wharton School remains in the second spot, Harvard Business School has ranked third.

The QS Global MBA and Business Master’s Rankings 2025 spans 58 countries and territories, analyzing the world’s 340 best global MBAs and a series of specialized high-demand Business Master’s Rankings, including Master’s in Management, Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, and Supply Chain Management.

These rankings offer independent insights for career-driven students navigating the global business education landscape. By providing a detailed comparative analysis, these rankings help prospective students make informed decisions about programs that align with their career goals.

"Whether aiming to lead in corporations, innovate in start-ups, or impact the public sector, students can use these insights as they shape their professional paths," said QS CEO Jessica Turner.

Indian institutions are increasingly nurturing leaders prepared to navigate today’s complex and dynamic business environments. The strong showing of IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Calcutta—particularly in employability and alumni impact—demonstrates India’s ability to shape top-tier global talent.

"However, ongoing challenges related to internationalization and gender diversity remain critical areas for improvement. Bridging these gaps is not only key to enhancing the global competitiveness of India’s leading business schools but also vital for fostering more inclusive environments that align with the future of business leadership," added Turner.

The 14 entries from India include seven IIMs -- Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Indore, Lucknow, Udaipur, and Kozhikode.

The other institutes include the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad; the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon; the Xavier School of Management; the International Management Institute, Delhi and Kolkata; and Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai.

While IIM Ahmedabad's full-time MBA program leads nationally in the Entrepreneurship and Alumni Impact category, IIM Bangalore's full-time MBA program has achieved the highest return on investment in India, with the other two programs appearing among the world’s top 100.

However, none of the 14 ranked Indian MBA programs featured in the world’s top 250 for student and faculty diversity, highlighting a significant gender gap in the classroom.

This indicator also assesses the percentage of international students and faculty, an area where Indian business schools continue to lag, underscoring the ongoing challenges in internationalization within Indian business education.

(PTI)