PhD in Management at IIM Ahmedabad: Doctoral Programme Admissions 2027
Job Description
IIM Ahmedabad has opened applications for its PhD in Management, the Doctoral Programme in Management, for the 2027 intake. The programme covers tuition, pays a monthly stipend, and admits students across eleven areas of management research.
Areas of the PhD in Management
Economics; Finance and Accounting; Food and Agribusiness; Human Resource Management; Information Systems; Innovation and Management in Education; Marketing; Operations and Decision Sciences; Organizational Behavior; Public Systems; and Strategy. You can apply to at most two specialisations.
Eligibility
You need one of the following (reserved-category candidates get a relaxation of 5 percentage points):
- A master’s degree or two-year postgraduate diploma with at least 55%
- A five-year integrated master’s degree with at least 55%
- A CA, CS or CMA qualification with at least 50%, plus a bachelor’s degree with at least 55%
- A four-year (eight-semester) bachelor’s degree with at least 65%
Final-year students may apply provisionally. You also need a valid score in one of: CAT, GMAT or GRE (taken within five years; GMAT and GRE must be test-centre based), GATE or UGC-NET JRF (within three years; accepted NET subjects depend on the area), or ICAR-SRF (within one year, for Food and Agribusiness only).
Stipend and funding
From 1 June 2026, the programme covers tuition and pays a monthly subsistence allowance of Rs 48,000 during coursework, Rs 52,000 after the area comprehensive examination (ACE) and Rs 58,000 during the thesis phase. Students also receive a contingency grant of Rs 35,000 a year, conference travel support of up to Rs 5,75,000, fieldwork reimbursement of up to Rs 2,00,000, a Rs 1,00,000 computing grant, and house rent allowance of Rs 18,000 (single) or Rs 24,000 (family).
How to apply
Apply online through the official IIM Ahmedabad admissions page by 18 January 2027, 5 PM IST. The application fee is Rs 500 (Rs 250 for reserved categories). Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed online or in person, tentatively in March–April 2027. The programme usually takes four to five years, including two years of intensive coursework.
Still choosing a research direction? Use our Find a Supervisor directory to explore faculty across India.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Official advertisement: www.iima.ac.in
How to prepare your IIM Ahmedabad PhD application
- Choose areas deliberately: you can pick at most two. Read recent papers by faculty in each area and choose where your background and questions fit best.
- Sort out test scores early: check which tests your chosen area accepts, and have a valid score in hand well before the deadline.
- Know your research interests: be ready to explain the questions that interest you and why management research is the right path, not just your career goals.
- Prepare for the interview: expect questions on your academic background, your quantitative preparation (statistics, econometrics or optimisation, depending on the area) and a research idea you can discuss in depth.
- Understand the programme: knowing what the coursework and comprehensive examination involve shows the panel you understand what a PhD asks of you.
About IIM Ahmedabad
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad was founded in 1961 and is one of India's leading management schools. Its doctoral programme trains researchers for careers in research and teaching at universities and research institutions.
