IIM Ahmedabad among world’s top 5 business schools on core metrics: Director
IIM A director asserts that the institution ranks in the top 5 globally based on key metrics, despite global rankings favoring international student presence.
As more Indian students weigh the choice between studying management in India or going abroad, the Director of IIM Ahmedabad offers a clear message: when judged on the indicators that truly matter, IIM Ahmedabad stands among the top five business schools in the world.
In a candid and wide-ranging conversation, IIM A Director Professor Bharat Bhasker explains why international rankings don’t tell the full story, how the institute is preparing students for an AI-driven future, and why India today offers faster career growth than many Western economies.
Global rankings don’t capture the real picture
Asked how IIMA compares with international institutes, the Director says the answer lies in understanding what global rankings actually measure.
“On core parameters like placement value, content readiness and learning outcomes, we are in the top five globally,” he says. “But global rankings are built on metrics that suit their environment, not ours.”
He points to one such metric: the percentage of international students. Top global schools may have 40–65% international enrolment, while IIMA may have 0.1–0.2%.
“But India needs us to train Indian students. We are a growing economy; they are not. Their challenge is the lack of domestic students. This parameter benefits them, not us,” he explains.
He stresses that when rankings focus on geography-neutral criteria, “IIM Ahmedabad stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world. That is how our students should think.”
A global leadership legacy spanning six decades
The Director points to IIMA’s extraordinary alumni footprint as proof of its standing.
“We have produced the World Bank Chief. How many other business schools can say that?” he asks.
IIMA and the larger IIM system have produced CEOs and top leaders of multinational corporations across the world, including in the United States. In academia, the institute’s impact is equally prominent: the current Dean of Harvard Business School and the Dean of Cornell University are both IIM Ahmedabad graduates. C.K. Prahalad, one of the world’s most respected management thinkers, began his academic career at IIMA.
“These outcomes speak louder than FT or QS rankings. Remove irrelevant parameters and we are comfortably in the top five,” he says.
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Why international placements matter less today
International placements, he says, have not declined — students are consciously choosing to build their careers in India.
“The opportunity here is immense. The growth trajectory is very high,” he explains.
In global consulting firms, he says, professionals in India often reach partner level significantly faster than their counterparts in the US or Europe. “Associate partner can happen seven to eight years down the line. How many countries offer such fast growth?”
Alumni like Vindi Banga have shown that global leadership roles can emerge from careers that begin in India. “India is where the business market is. Learn here, and you will be the best anywhere,” the Director says.
80+ global tie-ups — and a new vision for the Global South
IIMA has around 80 international collaborations across Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and other regions. Student exchanges, faculty engagement and joint courses are routine. One professor teaches annually at Michigan Ross — so regularly that even the Financial Times recently sought to confirm whose faculty he actually was.
But the Director says IIMA’s international strategy goes beyond such tie-ups. Its Dubai initiative is part of a broader goal: offering a world-class management education model that serves the Global South.
“Why only Harvard or Stanford? We offer the same quality at far more affordable prices,” he says.
“We want Africa, Asia and the Gulf to grow with us. Our philosophy is rooted in India’s values — we never grow at the cost of others.”
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What makes a student the right fit for IIMA
Beyond CAT, the Director says the institute looks for multi-dimensional individuals with wide perspectives and strong analytical skills.
“CAT only shows you have the aptitude. We look for curiosity, trainability and leadership potential. We want people who can think beyond one dimension,” he explains.
Skills students need in an AI-led workplace
With AI and automation changing the job market rapidly, the Director believes students must know how to personalise and work with technology.
“You should be able to create your own AI assistant — ChatGPT, OpenAI or Gemini — that matches your writing style and persona,” he says.
“Newer jobs will emerge around managing personalised, agentic AI tools. The skill is to tailor technology, not fear it.”
A campus that focuses on student well-being
IIMA has a full-fledged mental wellness board, counsellors available daily, and an anonymous online support system.
“We tell students that stress is normal — exams, peers, everything. Talking to a counsellor is healthy. We treat it as well-being, not a mental health issue,” he says.
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Why IIMA launched a new AI and Analytics programme
Explaining the institute’s Blended Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics and AI, the Director says it was designed for a workplace that will look completely different five to ten years from now.
“India should have started producing AI-ready managers two years ago. Technology professionals exist, but AI-aware managerial leaders are missing,” he says.
For five years, IIMA’s Centre for Data Analytics and AI studied how prepared Indian corporations are for an AI-driven future. “We identified gaps and designed this programme to fill them.”
Maintaining IIMA’s rigour in a blended format
Despite the online-offline model, he says the rigour remains unchanged.
“Our faculty is relentless — there is no compromise,” he stresses.
About 20% of the programme is taught on campus through three immersion visits. The rest is delivered online on evenings and weekends, supported by extensive group work. Faculty also conduct batch meets in major cities, often joined by alumni, to enhance peer learning and networking.
Leadership at the core, technology as the next layer
Despite the programme’s strong focus on AI and analytics, the Director says IIMA has not diluted its strengths.
“We are not doing a technology programme. Communication, teamwork, ethics, integrity — these remain the foundation,” he says.
“What we add is the next layer: the AI-driven business environment. The core stays intact; we simply equip students for the world they are stepping into.”
