Women's enrolment rises sharply at IIMs as B-schools push for diversity

IIM-Indore and Kozhikode cross 50% female enrolment as B-schools adopt diversity points for inclusive classrooms

India’s top business schools are ramping up female enrolment in their flagship programmes — a move experts believe will help produce a new generation of high-calibre women leaders, as industries across sectors push for greater diversity at all levels.

 

The six older IIMs have collectively enrolled 9 per cent more women in the incoming Class of 2027 compared to the previous cohort, according to a recent Economic Times report.

 

This shift is being praised by industry experts as a step forward for inclusive leadership development, aligning with corporate India’s push to diversify boardrooms and senior management positions. 

 

Diversity initiatives pay off for IIMs

At IIM-Indore, women now make up 53.79 per cent of the incoming class — the highest female representation in the institute’s 29-year history. Similarly, IIM-Kozhikode has reported that women constitute close to 55 per cent of its 489-member new cohort. IIM-Ahmedabad, too, has seen a spike, with 30.84 per cent female representation — its highest in the past four years.

 

These numbers reflect deliberate policy changes. To boost gender diversity on campus, IIMs have introduced new measures in their admission process. Beginning with the 2025 admissions cycle, IIM-Indore implemented a diversity factor, assigning six out of the 100 points in the final selection stage to women and applicants from non-engineering backgrounds.

 

Other IIMs are adopting similar strategies. IIM-Kozhikode awards diversity points during interview shortlisting to female and transgender candidates, while IIM-Ahmedabad has implemented gender diversity points to widen the interview pool.

 

IIM-Bangalore has maintained nearly 40 per cent female representation in its postgraduate programme, and also emphasises inclusion for candidates with disabilities, according to Dean of Academic Programmes Mukta Kulkarni.

 

As more premier business schools prioritise gender balance, this growing trend is expected to have a long-term impact on India’s management landscape, paving the way for more women to assume leadership roles across sectors.