IIM placements defy global turmoil, pay hits new highs

New Delhi: The Class of 2026 at India's top business schools, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), has secured higher salary offers than last year despite increasing geopolitical tensions, led by strong hiring by consulting and financial firms.

At IIM Ahmedabad, the highest offer more than doubled to ₹2.2 crore, offered by Dubai-based Intertec Systems for an AI role, a person at the institute told ET. Average salaries at IIM-A rose to ₹36-38 lakh from ₹33 lakh last year.

Similar trends were seen across campuses, with IIM Lucknow and IIM Calcutta also reporting higher compensation and number of offers.


Placement teams said consulting firms led hiring this season, with stronger participation compared to the past two years, helping to offset slower technology recruitment.

Improved compensation and stronger recruiter turnout defied increasing global uncertainties ranging from the ongoing West Asia war to US President Donald Trump's move to impose trade tariffs on most countries to the rising impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs across industries.

Placement teams said the institutes remain in close touch with recruiters from the Gulf region, which is impacted by the Israel-US-Iran war. So far, no offers have been revoked by companies headquartered in the region, easing earlier concerns around potential disruptions due to geopolitical tensions, they told ET.

At IIM Lucknow, the top offer this year stood at ₹1 crore a year, made by a UK-based bank, up from ₹75 lakh last year, a person at the institute said. The average salary rose slightly to ₹33.2 lakh from last year's ₹32.9 lakh. At IIM Calcutta, the average salary was ₹36 lakh a year, up from ₹35.37 lakh last year while the highest offer jumped to ₹1.45 crore from ₹1.25 crore.

Consulting boom

IIM Indore director Himanshu Rai said recruiters are prioritising candidates with cross-functional expertise, who can navigate global volatility and support technology-led transformation - a shift that has shaped hiring preferences across campuses.

"While this year's statistics are still being compiled, we expect continued growth across domains, with a clear uptick in consulting," he said, adding that the institute has seen a steady rise in consulting offers over the past four to five years.

At IIM Kozhikode, consulting accounted for the highest number of offers, followed by BFSI, with continued hiring in general management, analytics and technology. "While hiring in some technology segments has been measured, the sustained strength in consulting and BFSI has ensured balanced outcomes," said Roopak Kumar Gupta, chairperson, corporate access readiness and engagement, at IIM Kozhikode.

At IIM Bangalore, the Class of 2026 across PGP and PGPBA received 664 offers from 177 firms. Management consulting alone accounted for 45% of the total, followed by technology/product management (15%) and investment banking (11%).