International Institute of Management Studies (IIMS), Pune

Overview

The International Institute of Management Studies (IIMS), Pune - Hinjewadi Campus, is ranked # 30 in India according to the IIRF 2024 rankings of best MBA colleges in India, and offers two PGDM programs: a General MBA and a specialization in Retail and E-Commerce Management. IIRF has also recognized IIMS as a Business School of Excellence in terms of Corporate Connect. The highest salary package in the most recent placement was INR 12 LPA, with the average settling between INR 4 and 5 LPA over the past few years. Prominent full time and summer internship recruiters include Deloitte, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Accenture, EY India, PWC, and Amul. The Corporate Relations and Placement Department works to provide interview training and ensure a 100% internship and placement rate.

IIMS Pune emphasizes industry readiness and practical training, with a compulsory 3 month summer internship and 1.5 month winter internship. Most students complete more than 200 hours of live projects during their course. The campus is large and green, located away from the city in a pollution free zone. There is also a marked international flavor to the education provided at IIMS, with several faculty members having multinational experience, and the campus hosts multiple international conclaves and conferences. It also organizes international study tours to the United States, Europe, and Dubai, and has an exchange collaboration with Babson University. The Institute provides world class infrastructure to help its students concentrate on professional improvement, from a well stocked library to IT enabled classrooms, sports grounds, medical facilities, and modern hostels for both male and female students.

Highlights

Fees

The total tuition fee payable by all PGDM students at IIMS Pune (either specialization) is INR 9.27 Lakh for the whole two year course. The payment schedule is as follows:

• Payable at the time of admission, to confirm acceptance of the seat offer: INR 92,700 (10%of the total).
• Payable soon after joining (1 July 2024): INR 2.78 Lakh (30% of the total).
• Payable before first semester examination (1 November 2024): INR 1.39 Lakh (15% of the total).
• Payable before second semester examination (1 April 2025): INR 1.39 Lakh (15% of the total).
• Payable before third semester examination (1 November 2025): INR 1.39 Lakh (15% of the total).
• Payable before fourth semester examination (1 April 2026): INR 1.39 Lakh (15% of the total).

It is not compulsory for PGDM students of IIMS to live in the hostel. However, students who choose to do so must pay the hostel and mess fees, which total INR 98,200 per year (INR 1.96 Lakh for the entire course), with 56% of this amount spent on hostel rent, and the remainder on mess fees. All rooms are double occupancy, and there are separate hostels for boys and girls.

Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to either PGDM program at IIMS Pune are as follows:

• The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree of at least three years’ duration from a recognized Institution of Higher Education, in any discipline. Students in the final year of such a degree may also apply, provided that they submit their final degree certificates and transcripts before they join the PGDM course.
• The aggregate of all UG semester examinations must be at least 60%.
• The candidate must have a valid score in any one (or more) of these five entrance examinations: CAT, MHT-CET, CAT, CMAT, and MAT.
• Candidates who have a consistent record above 60% in Standard X and XII (as well as during UG studies) will have an advantage during the shortlisting phase, though this is not a strict requirement.

The steps in the online admission process are as follows:

• Filling up the online application form on the IIMS Pune website.
• Uploading attested copies of all required documents certifying the eligibility of the candidate.
• Verification of the application and receipt of an email invitation for the Personal Interview (PI) round.
• Completion of two PI rounds with different members of the Admission Panel of IIMS.
• Selected candidates will be sent an Admission Letter.
• To accept the Admit Offer, candidates must pay the first installment of fees online through the IIMS website.
• After this, candidates may complete the joining formalities at the IIMS campus.

Candidates may also apply offline, by mailing a printout of the application form and xerox copies of all documents to the Institute.

Placements

Some prominent full time job recruiters at IIMS Pune are: 

• Major banks: Bandhan Bank, Kotak Mahindra, Federal Bank.
• Marketing roles in large retail firms: Hindware, Philips Machine Tools.
• Consulting firms: Deloitte, PwC, Mondelez International, Exide Industries.
• Financial services companies: Bajaj Allianz, Seeds Fincap.
• Human Resources firms: TalentServe.

Many of the same companies recruit students for summer internships as well, in addition to other blue chip firms such as Mercedes Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Citibank, ITC Limited, ICICI Securities, Infosys, and Kansai Nerolac Paints. The highest salary package in the most recent placement was INR 12 LPA, with the average settling between INR 4 and 5 LPA over the past few years.

The placement process followed by the IIMS Pune authorities has the following steps:

• Pre-Placement Training: This includes talks by companies about the roles they plan to offer, personal grooming workshops, mock interviews, interactive sessions with alumni working in different firms, and internship fairs.
• Final placement interviews: The entire process starts in August each year, and most interviews take place in or after December, between the third and fourth PGDM semesters.
• Offer letters: After companies release their offer lists, candidates must accept or reject the offers to opt out of the placement process or continue in it.

The IIMS Corporate Relations and Placement Department coordinates the entire sequence of steps above. It also signs MoUs with prominent corporate entities (e.g. Indigo Paints) to provide training sessions related to Entrepreneurship Development, in addition to providing summer internships and final placements, following the best practices laid down by the top MBA colleges in India.

Cut-Offs

The academic cut-off for application to the PGDM program at IIMS Pune is based on the UG semester exam aggregate; candidates must have an average percentage of 60 or higher. In addition, applicants who also scored above 60% in both their Standard X and XII Board Examinations will be favorably considered during the shortlisting process for the Personal Interview round, though it is not a compulsory requirement. The final selection is made on the basis of academic record, entrance examination, extracurricular activities, and PI performance; the overall cut-off is not decided ahead of time.

Faculty & Alumni

The International Institute of Management Studies, Pune, is home to 30 core Faculty members, of which 3 are full Professors, 5 are Associate Professors, and 22 are Assistant Professors. It also has 17 Visiting Faculty members, who have several decades of Industry experience, and specialize in different areas of interest, from Brand Marketing to Business Analytics, and Financial Accounting to Human Resource Management.  Together, the core and visiting faculty members work to provide a strong theoretical base to the PGDM students of IIMS, and also ensure their industry readiness by guiding them in their live projects, internships, and final interview preparation.

The Alumni Cell of IIMS Pune coordinates networking and workshop activities. It has several chapters - including active Cells in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Dubai - which meet on an annual basis. IIMS also maintains an online alumni portal, through which all recent graduates of the Institute can register themselves to receive updates and news. This is primarily used for professional networking, and alumni can search for others who are working in fields of interest, and connect with them online.

Scholarships

There are three categories of scholarships offered by IIMS Pune to its PGDM students:

• Tuition fee scholarships to students who have exceptional academic performance either at undergraduate level, in the qualifying entrance examination, or both.
• Sports and research scholarships to students who have displayed excellence in either field at the state, national, or international level.
• Scholarships to the children and wards of armed services personnel and current or ex- servicemen. This takes the form of a 5-8% tuition fee reduction, for an approximate amount of INR 45,000 to INR 72,000.

IIMS Pune has also tied up with all the main nationalized banks in India to offer education loans to its PGDM students.

Preparation & FAQs

Many students who wish to study MBA at IIMS Pune choose to appear for the MHT CET entrance examination. This is a highly competitive test, and students must ensure that they attend classes to prepare for any MBA aptitude test (e.g. CAT or CMAT) for at least six months, in addition to appearing for 5-10 mock tests. Previous years’ CET papers and sample tests can be found on the MHT CET website, and should be consulted to make sure that the applicant has covered the complete syllabus during preparation. For the two PI rounds at the IIMS Pune campus, students should work on their communication skills in English and their confidence in person.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the best Business School in Pune?

The International Institute of Management Studies (IIMS), Pune - Hinjewadi Campus, is a contender for the best Business School in Pune. It is one of the top MBA colleges in Maharashtra, with a rank of 30 in the latest IIRF 2023 list of the best MBA colleges in India.

Q. Which professional certifications are offered by IIMS Pune to its PGDM students?

In addition to a strong core curriculum and practical training, IIMS Pune also offers professional certifications to ensure strong CVs. Some examples are SAP, Business Analytics, Digital Marketing, Foreign Languages, and Six Sigma.

Q. What is the weightage of different criteria for students who apply to the PGDM program at IIMS Pune?

The weightages of the different PGDM admission criteria are as follows: 40% for the score or percentile in the entrance test (e.g. CAT, CMAT, MHT-CET), 35% for the score in the Personal Interview round, 15% for the UG and Standard XII academic record, and 10% for extracurricular achievements (e.g. sports, cultural, and NCC).

Q. If a candidate fails to submit the MHT-CET 2024 application form by the given deadline, is there any alternative?

Candidates who miss the last date for submission of the MHT-CET 2024 application form may appeal to the authorities to allow late registration. However, in this case, an additional late fee of up to INR 500 may be imposed on the candidate.