Mumbai: The number of applications for admission to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai has witnessed an extraordinary surge in 2025, with a staggering 5,59,887 candidates vying for a spot, compared to just 13,534 applicants in 2024. This reflects an unprecedented increase of 4,034%. Despite the overwhelming number of applicants, only 500 to 530 students will eventually secure admission into the prestigious institute.
The general Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme received 2,69,356 applications this year, compared to 9,430 in 2024. The MBA in Operations and Supply Chain Management programme saw 77,618 applications in 2025, a stark rise from 2,665 last year. Similarly, the MBA in Sustainable Management attracted 2,12,913 applications this year, a massive jump from just 1,439 in 2024.
Professor Manoj Tiwari, Director of IIM Mumbai, attributed this sharp increase to several factors. “The steep rise in the number of applicants in 2025 when compared to 2024 is due to several factors. In 2024, the institute's website was not linked in the dropdown menu of the list of colleges provided by the Common Admission Test (CAT) as the administration had already approved the website for the 2024 admission cycle when we were rebranded as IIM Mumbai,” he explained.
The rebranding of the institute, formerly known as the National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering (NITIE), has played a crucial role in enhancing its visibility and appeal among aspirants. The renaming was officially approved in August 2023 after the proposal was passed in both Houses of Parliament.
“The popularity of the brand IIM has also contributed significantly, especially now with more people aware about the rebranding of the institute. The most important factor that has helped us grow significantly and attract such a huge number of talent has been the development of cutting-edge, industry-friendly courses. We thrive to make our students industry-ready at the time of graduation by imparting skills that are required in the changing nature of industries,” said Professor Tiwari.
In addition to the influence of the IIM brand, the institute’s location in Mumbai has further boosted its appeal among students. Vivek Khanjode, Dean of Academic Affairs at IIM Mumbai, highlighted this aspect, stating, “The brand IIM and the brand Mumbai coming together has obviously helped. Mumbai is a go-to location for industries from across the country, and that has naturally attracted a lot of students.”
A closer look at the gender-wise breakdown of applicants also reveals significant trends. In 2024, there were 10,039 male, 3,488 female, and seven transgender applicants. Of these, 6,724 males, 2,699 females, and all seven transgender applicants had applied for the general MBA programme. The MBA in Operations and Supply Chain Management had 2,252 male applicants and 413 female applicants, while 1,063 males and 376 females applied for the MBA in Sustainable Management programme.
In 2025, the number of male applicants for the general MBA programme surged to 1,72,207, while 97,141 female candidates and eight transgender candidates also applied. For the MBA in Operations and Supply Chain Management, 59,169 males, 18,448 females, and one transgender applicant submitted applications. The MBA in Sustainable Management programme received 1,37,958 applications from males, 74,949 from females, and six from transgender candidates.
With Mumbai serving as India’s financial hub and the addition of the IIM brand, the institute has firmly positioned itself as a top choice for management aspirants, said Professor Tiwari. He added that with new courses, industry-academia collaborations, and more cutting-edge technology-driven education, the institute will only keep attracting more and more aspirants in the coming years.
