PGP-29 at IIMK Sees 55% Women, Strong Non-Engineering Representation

IIM Kozhikode Welcomes Most Diverse MBA Batch Yet, Achieves Gender Milestone

With a growing commitment to gender inclusivity in management education, the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) has once again reaffirmed its leadership in promoting women’s representation and leadership potential. As part of its 2025–2027 academic cycle, the institute inducted 586 students into its flagship full-time postgraduate programmes, continuing its legacy of nurturing high-achieving women in management classrooms, an institutional philosophy that embraces diversity as a cornerstone of excellence.

Renowned for achieving one of the highest female enrolments among the Indian Institutes of Management, IIMK’s latest cohort includes students from the Post Graduate Programme (PGP), the Post Graduate Programme in Finance (PGP-Fin), and the Post Graduate Programme in Liberal Studies and Management (PGP-LSM), each contributing to a vibrant and multidisciplinary learning community. In parallel, the induction also marked the entry of the 19th cohort of doctoral candidates into the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM), reinforcing academic research pathways and scholarly leadership, particularly among women.

Notably, the institute achieved a gender milestone this year, with women comprising 51% of total enrolments across its three MBA programmes, a figure that surpasses national trends. This marks the fourth time in a decade that women have outnumbered men in IIM Kozhikode’s full-time MBA cohort. Specifically, the flagship PGP-29 batch, comprising 489 students, reportedly includes 55% women, significantly above the 36% female share in the CAT 2024 applicant pool.

The institute also highlighted notable academic and regional diversity within the PGP-29 class, with 53% of students coming from non-engineering backgrounds. Geographically, students from Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh together represent 35% of the intake, while 23 students hail from Kerala, the host state. The cohort also includes seven international students from Canada, the USA, the UK, and the UAE, reflecting growing global engagement.

In the PGP-Finance (PGP-Fin 06) cohort, comprising 49 candidates, the intake is evenly balanced between engineering and non-engineering backgrounds. The average age stands at 25.43 years, with students bringing an average of 2.51 years of work experience. Meanwhile, the PGP-Liberal Studies and Management (PGP-LSM 06) batch includes 48 students, of whom 60% are women and 96% come from non-engineering disciplines, underlining a strong inclination towards interdisciplinary learning in management education.

Further, the doctoral-level Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) welcomed 31 scholars, its largest intake to date, who will engage in research across a wide range of management and allied fields. This year’s induction was followed by a comprehensive orientation week featuring sessions with industry leaders, faculty members, government officials, and alumni. Regular academic classes for the incoming MBA cohorts are scheduled to commence on 30 June, marking the start of a new academic journey grounded in diversity, innovation, and academic rigour.

Editor’s Note:

The latest admission numbers from IIM Kozhikode show more than just progress; they highlight a big shift in Indian management education. With women making up 51% of the overall MBA intake and 55% in the main PGP batch, the institute is leading the way in challenging gender imbalance in top academic spaces. Data from IIM Kozhikode’s Executive Post Graduate Programme (EPGP) shows that women’s enrolment has doubled over the past three batches. Today, women make up more than a quarter of that programme, showing a clear rise in ambition among women to take on leadership roles in fields traditionally led by men. What’s even more encouraging is the diversity among these women; many are from non-engineering backgrounds, some are international students, and others are joining interdisciplinary programmes. This means that barriers to entry are slowly coming down, not just for access, but for leadership opportunities across different fields.

Skoobuzz firmly believes that as IIM Kozhikode and other institutions continue to support inclusion, the impact will go beyond classrooms. It will reach boardrooms, policy-making spaces, and startups. The message is simple: when women are given equal chances, they don’t just join the conversation, they lead it.