IIM Kozhikode’s MBA 2025–27 batch sees 51% female students, marking a milestone in gender diversity and inclusive management education in India.
In a strong statement for gender diversity in management education, the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) has welcomed 586 students into its full-time postgraduate programs for the academic session 2025–2027, with a noteworthy 51% of them being women. This marks the fourth time in a decade that the institute has admitted more female than male students to its flagship MBA program.
While women comprised only 36% of the national CAT 2024 application pool, IIM Kozhikode’s flagship Post Graduate Programme (PGP-29) cohort stands out with 55% women among its 489 students. The achievement underscores the institute’s long-standing commitment to inclusive admissions and nurturing a gender-balanced leadership pipeline.
More Than Just Numbers: Diversity at Its Core
The incoming students are spread across three full-time MBA programs:
- Post Graduate Programme (PGP)
- Post Graduate Programme in Finance (PGP-Fin)
- Post Graduate Programme in Liberal Studies and Management (PGP-LSM)
In addition to gender parity, the batch also reflects rich academic and geographic diversity. A significant 53% of the flagship PGP cohort comes from non-engineering backgrounds, signaling a growing interest among students with varied educational experiences—such as arts, commerce, and sciences—in business education.
Geographically, the student base is equally diverse. While 23 students hail from Kerala, the home state of IIMK, a sizeable 35% of the batch comes from Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. The batch also includes seven international students from countries such as the USA, UK, UAE, and Canada, adding global perspective to the classrooms.
Program Highlights: PGP-Finance and PGP-LSM
The PGP-Finance (PGP-Fin 06) cohort comprises 49 students, with a perfectly balanced mix of candidates from engineering and non-technical backgrounds. The average age of the batch is 25.4 years, and students bring in an average of 2.5 years of work experience, reflecting the program’s appeal to young professionals looking to specialize in finance.
The PGP-Liberal Studies and Management (PGP-LSM 06) cohort, consisting of 48 students, also has a strong female majority—60%, and a remarkably high 96% of the group is from non-engineering disciplines. This clearly shows a continued rise in demand for interdisciplinary business education that blends management with the humanities and social sciences.
Biggest-Ever FPM Intake: A Focus on Research
Alongside the MBA cohorts, IIM Kozhikode has also inducted the 19th batch of its doctoral-level Fellow Programme in Management (FPM). With 31 scholars, this is the largest intake in the program’s history. These PhD candidates will engage in advanced research across various fields of management and allied disciplines, further strengthening the academic ecosystem of the institute.
Kicking Off with Industry Insights
The new academic year at IIM Kozhikode began with a week-long orientation program, featuring interactive sessions with industry leaders, faculty, government officials, and alumni. These sessions are designed to give students early exposure to real-world leadership insights, strategic thinking, and community engagement.
Regular academic classes for the MBA programs will commence from June 30, following the conclusion of the orientation week.
A Legacy of Inclusivity and Academic Excellence
IIM Kozhikode has long championed gender inclusion, academic diversity, and global outreach, setting benchmarks that many other business schools are now trying to emulate. By ensuring greater representation of women and professionals from varied backgrounds, IIMK continues to foster a vibrant, inclusive, and future-ready learning environment.
As the 2025–2027 batch embarks on its academic journey, it stands as a testament to the institute’s evolving vision of management education—one that values diversity, inclusion, and excellence in equal measure.
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