IIM Kozhikode sets record with 66% women in flagship MBA batch

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode has recorded the highest-ever representation of women in the history of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), with 66% women enrollment in its flagship Post Graduate Programme (PGP) for the 2026-28 academic session.

The institute admitted 599 students into its three full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes and 99 doctoral scholars during the inauguration ceremony held on July 3. The event was attended by the senior managing director at Accenture, Raghu Polisetty, as the chief guest and presided over by IIM Kozhikode director Debashis Chatterjee.

According to the institute's press release, 329 out of 499 students admitted to the flagship PGP are women, taking female representation to nearly 66%, the highest recorded by any IIM in its flagship MBA programme.

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The institute said the latest batch further strengthens IIM Kozhikode’s position as a leading management institution promoting diversity and inclusive education in India. Over the years, the institute has consistently increased women’s representation in its management programmes.

In 2013, IIM Kozhikode became the first IIM to cross 50% women admissions in its flagship MBA batch with 54% female representation. It again crossed the 50% mark in 2021 and reached 59% women admissions in 2024 before setting the new record in 2026.

Across all three full-time MBA programmes, the institute recorded nearly 63% women students this year.

MBA programmes see strong diversity

The Post Graduate Programme in Liberal Studies and Management (PGP-LSM) recorded the highest gender diversity with 82% women students in its seventh batch. The Post Graduate Programme in Finance (PGP-Fin) reported 12% female representation.

The institute also reported strong academic diversity in the incoming MBA batch. According to the official data, 57% of students admitted to the flagship PGP come from non-engineering backgrounds.

The PGP-LSM batch has 96% non-engineering graduates, while PGP-Fin has 45% non-engineers. Overall, 59% of students across the three MBA programmes belong to non-engineering streams.

99 doctoral scholars join IIM Kozhikode

IIM Kozhikode also inducted 99 doctoral scholars this year. Of these, 27 scholars joined the regular Doctoral Programme in Management (DPM), while 72 enrolled in the Executive Doctoral Programme.

The institute mentioned in the press release that women account for 66% of the regular doctoral batch, making it the highest-ever female representation in a regular PhD cohort at IIM Kozhikode.

The intake also includes the inaugural batch of the Doctoral Programme in Management (Teaching Track), introduced to develop future management educators and researchers.

Congratulating the institute, Accenture Senior Managing Director Raghu Polisetty highlighted that the incoming students should view artificial intelligence as an enabler rather than a replacement for human capabilities.

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Further, he added, "AI can enhance intelligence, but it cannot replace human judgement, ethics or purpose. The leaders who will thrive are those who remain lifelong learners, adapt continuously, build meaningful human connections and focus on creating collective success rather than individual achievement. Leadership today carries both the responsibility and the opportunity to build a more equitable and inclusive world.”

Addressing the new batch, IIM Kozhikode director Debashis Chatterjee said diversity and excellence must go together in management education.

Furthermore, he said, "The Class of 2028 marks a significant milestone for IIM Kozhikode and for management education in India. The highest-ever representation of women in the history of the IIM system reflects our long-standing belief that diversity and excellence go hand in hand. Beyond gender, we remain committed to building classrooms enriched by varied academic backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. The leaders of tomorrow will emerge from learning environments that celebrate neurodiversity, curiosity and collaboration."

With record-breaking gender diversity and a strong focus on multidisciplinary learning, IIM Kozhikode’s 2026-28 batch reflects the growing shift towards more inclusive and balanced management education in India.