More non-engineering students breach B-school wall

India's leading business schools, once primarily the domain of engineering graduates, are on a drive to diversify their classrooms with an enhanced focus on non-engineers. This shift stems from the growing belief that not only the institutes, but also a rapidly changing corporate world requires varied perspectives and problem-solving abilities.

In a first, non-engineers at 50.12%, outnumbered engineers for the 2025-27 batch at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. At IIM Kozhikode, 53% of the latest batch is non-engineers, while at IIM Lucknow, it is at 49.3%. Both SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in Mumbai, and Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon have 42% non-engineers in the new batch.

In comparison, till about a decade ago, non-engineers comprised only 10-15% of the class at IIMs.

While efforts to balance the skew have been ongoing for a while now, through initiatives such as awarding extra 'diversity points', giving less weightage to the Common Admission Test (CAT) score, and focusing more on personal interviews, the momentum gathered pace in the last two-three years.

At IIM Ahmedabad, for instance, in the last three years, the share of non-engineers has risen from 33.5% to the current 50.12% levels.

Himanshu Rai, director at IIM Indore, attributes this to the growing recognition among both academic institutions and recruiters that successful managers can emerge from a wide array of academic backgrounds. Business schools, he says, are placing greater emphasis on diverse thinking styles, strong communication abilities, and domain expertise from fields such as statistics, economics, humanities, commerce, design, and law.

Interdisciplinary Insight a Must

"Today, this shift is not only deliberate but also necessary. Modern business challenges are complex and multifaceted, demanding more than just quantitative prowess; they require interdisciplinary insight and varied perspectives," said Rai.

"The success of business education lies in academic diversity," noted Prof Jyotsna Bhatnagar, dean-graduate programmes, MDI, Gurgaon. "This not only makes it more relevant but also way more future-proof than what even the smartest AI is yet to replicate. A healthy mix of student portfolios helps in more meaningful conversations and better problem-solving abilities."

"The rise of non-engineering students in our B-schools is a welcome shift," says Supratik Bhattacharyya - chief talent officer, RPG Group, which recruits from top IIMs, FMS, XLRI, SPJIMR and MDI, among others.

"Despite RPG being rooted deep in engineering and technology driven businesses, we strongly believe that diverse minds lead to better decisions, richer problem-solving, and more inclusive leadership," said Bhattacharyya.

"We see immense value in bringing together talent from varied academic backgrounds, because real-world challenges demand as much analytical thinking as it does creative problem-solving, empathy and communication. Only a mix of perspectives can help us build more agile, innovative, and human centric organisations."

At IIM Kozhikode, this holistic approach ensures a richer and more varied learning experience for all students, bringing diverse perspectives to classroom discussions, said admissions chairperson Ram Kumar PN. IIM Bangalore has 170 non-engineers (28%) in the flagship two-year MBA (PGP and PGPBA) - highest in the last four years, said Prof Mukta Kulkarni, dean of Academic Programmes.