As IIM Guwahati takes shape, Assam Institute of Management retools itself for Northeast’s MBA mission

As the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Guwahati takes shape, the Northeast's oldest management institution, Assam Institute of Management (AIM), is not bracing for competition, but is recalibrating its mission to strengthen the region’s ecosystem for management education.

AIM Guwahati established in 1988, looks at the newest IIM as an opportunity, rather than a threat. “I’m actually happy that an IIM is coming up here,” said Sanjeev Raj, director, AIM. “It strengthens the ecosystem. Not everyone will get into an IIM, and that’s where AIM steps in, offering a similar experience inspired by IIM Ahmedabad.”

With IIM Guwahati on the horizon, AIM is positioning itself as an accessible alternative that maintains the standards of the country’s premier business schools, while remaining rooted in regional needs. “Our trimester system, case-based learning, and interactive pedagogy all reflect the IIM Ahmedabad model,” explained Raj.

Raj believes management education can be a key driver of regional development. “When students from the Northeast pursue management studies, they don’t just build their own futures, they also contribute to local growth,” he said. “We hope more of them stay back and start enterprises here. There’s tremendous potential for entrepreneurship and innovation.”

The parliament recently passed the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 , paving the way for IIM Guwahati, the 22nd IIM of the country, and granting it the status of ‘institution of national importance’. While introducing the bill in Rajya Sabha, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said that the institute will “admit students from this academic year” .

AIM Guwahati: Evolution, expansion

AIM began its journey not as a degree-granting institute but as a centre for management training and consultancy under the Planning and Development Department of the Government of Assam. Over the decades, it has evolved into a full-fledged management institute.

“We started operations in 1988 and for many years, we functioned primarily as a management development and consultancy institute. It was only in 1994 that we launched our first post graduate diploma in management (PGDM) batch,” said Raj.

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Over the years, AIM has adapted to changes in management education while keeping its core mission intact. In 2018, the institute came under the Assam Science and Technology University (ASTU) which now awards its degrees. “Our PGDM was converted into an MBA in 2019,” said Raj. “We also launched a five-year integrated MBA in 2023 for students who wish to build a strong foundation right after school.”

The AIM Guwahati vision

The story of AIM Guwahati is tied to the vision of its founding member, Professor Shantikam Hazarika. “I had been trying since the 1970s,” he recalls. “But I was then working in the corporate sector. Finally, when I quit, I started the AIM. It took me more than one-and-a-half years to get all the paperwork done. I wanted it to be a government institute, not a private management school.”

Hazarika’s persistence paid off when AIM was formally established in January 1988. “Our model has always been IIM Ahmedabad . During those days, there were only two IIMs – Ahmedabad and Calcutta . The director of IIM Calcutta was also on AIM’s governing body,” he said.

AIM was registered as a society, with the Government of Assam providing a running grant, rare for a management institution in those days. “We began by training professionals in courses like company secretaryship, cost accountancy, and various development programmes,” said Hazarika. “In 1994, we received approval to start the PGDM. Whatever I had missed out on earlier during my working days, I tried to incorporate into AIM.”

Hazarika, who had earlier worked with Oil India Limited, modelled AIM’s structure and teaching methods on the best practices of the IIMs.

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AIM Guwahati: Courses, research

Sinmoy Goswami, assistant professor and coordinator of the AIM Research Centre, said AIM Guwahati now offers a range of programmes designed to meet current industry needs. “We have a two-year MBA, which follows the trimester system with six trimesters and examinations every four months,” he said.

“Our five-year integrated BBA-MBA programme is modelled as per the NEP framework and gives students a strong grounding right from their undergraduate years. We also offer a PhD in management, conducted under the Assam Science and Technology University (ASTU).” NEP is the National Education Policy 2020.

The institute plans to launch a four-year BSc in data science and a five-year integrated BCA-MCA programme. “We have already received approval for the integrated BCA-MCA,” added Goswami. “These new programmes are part of our effort to strengthen the link between technology and management.”

Beyond academics, AIM plays a distinctive role in research, training, and policy. “We conduct research projects for the Assam government and other northeastern states,” he added. “Our faculty also organises training programmes for government employees. Through our examination cell, we help conduct recruitment examinations for various state government departments. So, we are not only teaching management, we are also helping implement it.”

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To give students practical exposure, AIM offers a unique paper called ‘New Age Management’ (earlier Executive Effectiveness). “There are no lectures for this paper,” Goswami explains. “Students are organised into groups, undertake social activities, and host student seminars – all of which are graded. They also complete a summer internship and, from 2024 onwards, submit a grand project thesis in their final year.”

Assam Institute of Management: Admissions, placements

AIM’s admission process follows All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) norms, with candidates required to have at least 50% marks in graduation. Admission is based on MAT scores, followed by a group discussion, personal interview, and a short written test to assess communication skills.

“About 80% of our students come from Assam,” said Raj. “A few are from other states, often children of parents in transferable jobs. But our student community largely represents the Northeast.”

Placement has been a strong point for AIM, with around 80-90% of students getting placed every year. “The banking and FMCG sectors are our main recruiters,” Raj added. “Banks like ICICI, HDFC, and IDBI visit regularly. Earlier, even Punjab National Bank and State Bank of India recruited from our campus. We are now working to expand placements in business analytics and consultancy.”

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A vision for Northeast

With the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 being implemented in Assam, AIM is aligning its programmes with the new vision. “We are adopting NEP 2020 in letter and spirit,” said Raj. “We are introducing more flexibility, skill-based learning, and exposure to entrepreneurship.”

Still, he notes, “Unless big industries set up headquarters here, employment will always remain a challenge. But with government focus and industrial growth, that too will change.”