PGDM Admission

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)

The two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) is the flagship programme of IMI Kolkata. It is designed to prepare students for careers in industry across functional areas. The program equips students with strong conceptual skills to manage businesses in an integrated manner. The program develops versatile managers who are capable of handling responsibilities in different business domains. The emphasis is on developing a holistic manager with a vision to tackle the challenges of the future in a socially responsible manner. The program is also accredited by the NBA and has equivalence to an MBA given by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

The programme is:

• Approved by AICTE,
• Accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA)
• Accredited internationally by the prestigious Association of MBA’s (AMBA)
• Accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)

Programme Educational Objective (PEOs)/ Goals and Programme Outcome(POs)/objectives:

PEO (Programme Educational Objectives):
PEO 1	Demonstrate solution-driven critical thinking skills with an innovative mindset.
PEO 2	Develop responsible leadership capabilities in business.
PEO 3	Be a socially sensitive and value driven individual.
PEO 4	Develop a global perspective in management.

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Programme Competencies	At the end of the programme, the students will be able to:
PC 1	Communication	Communicate effectively in a business context through written reports, presentations, and interpersonal interactions.
PC 2	Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	Demonstrate critical thinking skills by appropriate problem identification, evaluating alternatives based on multiple perspectives, and presenting innovative solutions for problem-solving.
PC 3	Integrated Thinking	Develop the ability to conceptualise complex business problems, apply appropriate theories, tools and techniques from various functional areas of management to support business decisions.
PC 4	Leadership Skills	Illustrate the role of responsible leadership in management.
PC 5	Ethical Awareness	Identify ethical issues and be aware of socio-cultural norms in management practices.
PC 6	Global Awareness	Identify the challenges faced by the organisation in the global platform for taking business decisions.

Programme Duration

The PGDM programme at IMI Kolkata is of two years duration. IMI follows a trimester system and each programme consists of six trimesters. Each trimester is of 11-12 weeks duration. The academic calendar begins early July.

Education background

To be eligible for admission to the PGDM Programme, the participants must possess a bachelor’s equivalent degree, with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks or equivalent in any discipline, from a recognised university in India or abroad (recognised by the UGC / Association of Indian Universities). However, the final selection may be based on a higher cut-off percentage depending on the total number of applicants for the programme. The bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling under the 10+2 system or equivalent. Candidates appearing in the final year of their bachelor’s degree or equivalent are also eligible, provided they furnish proof of meeting the minimum eligibility criteria by September 30, 2025. Candidates who are unable to comply with this requirement are liable to be rejected from the programme. It is desirable that candidates complete all academic requirements before enrolling for the programme to help them keep pace with the rigour and assessment parameters of the programme.

Participant profile

Participants in the PGDM programme may be fresh graduates and/or those with relevant work experience from any discipline, including Engineering, Humanities, Commerce, Economics, Medicine, or any other field of education.

Eligibility criteria

50% marks or equivalent CGPA in graduation from any AIU approved academic institution. Those graduating in 2025 may also apply.

Categories of Applicants

Self Sponsored Candidates:

The bulk of the applicants to IMI Kolkata are self-sponsored candidates. They are either fresh graduates or have worked for a few years and joined IMI Kolkata after quitting their jobs. The Institute’s placement cell provides them with placement assistance on the best effort basis.

Company sponsored candidates:

IMI Kolkata accepts applications from candidates sponsored by companies. These candidates will also be assessed as per the selection process followed at IMI Kolkata.

Candidates being sponsored by their respective companies must submit a letter from the sponsoring organisation to this effect and undertake to pay all fees and dues from time to time, during the entire duration of the programme. This letter/undertaking will be required to be submitted at the Personal Interview stage.

Candidates who are sponsored by their organisation will not be eligible to receive any placement assistance from the Institute’s placement cell.

Foreign Nationals:

IMI Kolkata accepts applications from candidates with Foreign Nationality. These candidates will also be assessed as per the selection process followed at IMI New Delhi.

Candidates with Foreign Nationality are required to hold valid foreign passports and will not be eligible to receive any placement assistance from the Institute’s placement cell.

Admissions Test

Common Admission Test (CAT)

Admission to the programme is through the Common Admission Test (CAT) – 2024 to be conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad at different centres all over the country. CAT 2024 would be held on Sunday, November 24th, 2024  (refer to CAT Bulletin for further details).

Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)

Admission to the programme is also through the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) – 2025 to be conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur in association with XAMI (Xavier Association of Management Institutes). XAT is conducted at all India-level to select the most appropriate students for management education. XAT 2025 would be conducted on Sunday, January 5, 2025 (refer to https://xatonline.in/ for further details).

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

Candidates with Foreign Nationality are also eligible, based on their GMAT scores, provided they have taken the GMAT test not earlier than January 2020 and not later than January 2024.

Candidates will be required to furnish their GMAT scores while applying and provide a self-attested copy of the GMAT score sheet to the Admission Office for verification at the time of personal interview. Candidates appearing for GMAT or no GMAT score while applying can enter numeric `0’ in the GMAT score field and should email their scorecard immediately after the test to admission.imik@imi-k.edu.in. GMAT scores without the above document will not be accepted and the application may be summarily rejected.

Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)

CMAT 2025 exam will be conducted in April or May 2025. The National Testing Agency will conduct the CMAT exam 2025 in two shifts for admission to MBA/PGDM colleges approved by AICTE. The CMAT exam a national level test conducted annually.

Applying Online

Application Procedure:

For complete information, refer to the Admission Bulletin 2025 – 27. Please note that after submitting the final application along with payment of application fee, the candidate cannot edit or make any changes in the given information

• Application form is available at https://admission.imi.edu/kolkata/
• Users should create a new account while applying online. The login details will be used for filling the admission form and for checking the status of the application later. After logging in successfully, the admission form will be displayed.
• Applicant should complete the online application form and submit it along with non-refundable application processing fee.
• Incomplete forms are liable to be rejected

Payment Instructions

The admission application form fee will be as follows:-

• Application processing fee for Kolkata's PGDM programme for first program is Rs.2000/-. However, if an applicant who has applied to IMI New Delhi also wants to apply for IMI Kolkata and/or IMI Bhubaneswar, s(he) can do so without any extra cost.
• The admission fee can be paid through Credit Card/ Debit Card/ Net Banking through the designated payment gateway. No receipts are to be sent to IMI’s Admission Office.

Selection Process

Candidates who apply online for admission into PGDM will be shortlisted on the basis of Entrance Score (CAT/XAT/CMAT or GMAT score)

Academic Record

Only shortlisted candidates will be called for the final stage of the selection process – the Individual Assessment Individual Assessment Process (Personal Interview) will be held in January/ February 2025(tentative). Past academic records, performance in the individual assessment process along with other qualitative parameters, like quality of work experience and extra-curricular activities constitute the core components of the selection process. The IMI Kolkata Admissions Committee reserves the right to modify these components while communicating these to the applicants at the Individual Assessment stage. The overall objective will be to identify and assess the candidate’s potential for a managerial career.

Applicants should note that mere fulfillment of minimum eligibility criteria may not ensure consideration for shortlisting by IMI Kolkata. IMI Kolkata will not entertain any correspondence on this subject and decisions of the IMI Kolkata Admissions Committee will be final in all matters.

Admission Offer

Admission offers will be based on a composite score arrived after the assessment has been made during the various stages of the selection process defined earlier. The result will be announced through an Admission Portal and will be notified on the IMI Kolkata Website. Applicants are advised to check the updates on the website at regular intervals.

While applying online, applicants are advised to provide their complete postal address and active email ID which should be valid up to 30th July 2025 for receiving important communications.

Withdrawal & Refund Policy

As per AICTE rules, in the event of an applicant withdrawing before the starting of the program, the wait listed candidates would be given admission against the vacant seat. In such a case the entire fee collected from the student, after a deduction of the processing fee of Rs.1000/- (Rupees one thousand only), shall be refunded and returned to the candidate withdrawing from the program. However, should a student leave the program after commencement of the course and if the seat consequently falling vacant is not filled by another candidate, for whatever reason, only the refundable component of fee shall be returned to the candidate.

NOTE: Any changes in the Schedule for any of the academic related activities as notified by the Council from time to time are binding on all the AICTE Approved Universities/Institutions.