The Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 has reaffirmed the dominance of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in the country’s management education landscape. For the sixth consecutive year, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) has secured the top spot, closely followed by Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore). While the rankings are based on a composite score that factors in teaching quality, research output, graduation outcomes, inclusivity, and perception, the placement data tells its own story. One that shows a narrower gap between India’s two premier business schools than their overall ranks might suggest.

Placement performance: Margins that matter

According to NIRF submissions, IIM Ahmedabad’s graduating batch of 2023–24 achieved a median salary of ₹31 lakh per annum, with 434 out of 444 students successfully placed. The institute also saw a small but steady rise in the number of students opting for higher studies — 10 in the most recent cycle. In comparison, IIM Bangalore reported a higher median salary of ₹32.5 lakh per annum for the same cycle, with 517 out of 517 students placed, reflecting a perfect placement record. Interestingly, Bangalore’s placement median has consistently edged past Ahmedabad’s over the last three years, rising from ₹31.5 lakh in 2020–21 to ₹33 lakh in 2021–22, before settling at ₹32.5 lakh this year.

The difference may seem incremental, but in a competitive market where compensation benchmarks and recruiter loyalty often shape aspirants’ choices, Bangalore’s placement advantage has become increasingly visible.

Graduation outcomes and beyond

Placement numbers feed directly into the Graduation Outcomes (GO) metric of NIRF, where both IIMs post near-perfect scores: Ahmedabad at 98.72 and Bangalore at 98.86. The razor-thin difference here underscores that placements remain an area of parity, with Bangalore inching ahead in compensation benchmarks.

Yet, the divergence emerges in other parameters:

• Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR): Ahmedabad leads with 91.84 versus Bangalore’s 89.16, reflecting its long-standing emphasis on pedagogy and academic rigor.
• Research and Professional Practice (RPC): Both institutions lag behind global standards, but Ahmedabad (64.92) narrowly outpaces Bangalore (59.04).
• Outreach & Inclusivity (OI): Bangalore (73.27) edges past Ahmedabad (72.01), highlighting a stronger push towards diversity.
• Perception: Bangalore dominates here, securing a perfect 100, compared to Ahmedabad’s 93.26, a telling sign of how recruiters, peers, and aspirants view the two campuses.

Two giants, different strengths

The placement numbers confirm what students on the ground already know: while IIM Ahmedabad continues to hold the symbolic crown of India’s best management school, IIM Bangalore has carved out a decisive advantage in compensation and recruiter perception.

For aspirants, the choice between the two may increasingly boil down to priorities: Ahmedabad for its academic depth and legacy, Bangalore for its industry edge and recruiter connect.

In the broader canvas of Indian management education, the comparison also reveals a maturing ecosystem, one where incremental differences at the very top push institutions to sharpen their edge across parameters that go beyond rankings.