IIM Kozhikode MBA Batch Hits 66% Women Students

The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode just shattered its own diversity record with a class that looks nothing like business school used to.

Women now make up 66% of the flagship MBA program's incoming class, the highest proportion ever recorded across India's entire IIM system. Of 499 students starting their two-year journey in July 2026, 329 are women.

The numbers tell a story of consistent progress. IIM Kozhikode became the first IIM to cross 50% female enrollment back in 2013, when women represented 54% of students. The percentage dipped but climbed back above 50% in 2021, then reached 59% in 2024.

This year's leap to 66% sets a new benchmark for India's top business schools. Across all three of the institute's full-time MBA programs, women account for 63% of the incoming class of 599 students.

The shift goes beyond gender. Non-engineering graduates now form the majority in the flagship program, with 57% of students coming from humanities, sciences, and other disciplines. That number jumps to 96% in the Liberal Studies and Management program.

The Ripple Effect

The change at IIM Kozhikode signals a broader transformation in who gets to lead India's businesses. Management education has long been dominated by male engineering graduates, creating homogeneous leadership pipelines across corporate India.

When business schools diversify, the boardrooms of tomorrow follow. These 329 women will graduate in 2028 equipped with elite credentials and ready to reshape industries from finance to technology to social enterprise.

The institute also welcomed 99 doctoral scholars, including 27 in the regular PhD program where women again represent 66% of the cohort. That's the highest female representation in a regular doctoral batch in the school's history.

The inaugural class of the new Teaching Track doctoral program joined this year too, preparing the next generation of management educators. More diverse faculty means more diverse perspectives in classrooms for decades to come.

IIM Kozhikode's progress didn't happen by accident. It reflects years of intentional effort to remove barriers and create pathways for underrepresented students in management education.

The future of Indian business just got brighter, and she's walking through the doors at Kozhikode.