Competition to secure a seat at IIM is high. IIMs follow a reservation criteria set as per the laws issued by Government of India. Read this article for a clear picture of OBC reserved seats in different IIM colleges.
OBC category seats at IIMs: India has a total of 21 IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management). These 21 IIMs account for 5500+ MBA seats. Out of these, 3400+ seats are left for the open category after the reservation for categories, like OBC, SC, ST, etc. CAT exam score helps shortlist candidates for admission to IIMs. Candidates with a valid category certificate to claim reservation may increase the chances of admission to IIMs. IIM reservation policy is set in accordance with the Government of India rules. Out of all seats at IIMs, 800+ seats belong to the OBC categories. Scroll down for details on OBC category seats at IIMs.
| Check Category Wise IIM Seats | ||
| Total IIM Seats for General Category | Total IIM Seats for General Category | Total IIM Seats for SC/ST Category |
IIM-Wise OBC Seats
Go through the list given below to have detailed information on the OBC seats in different IIM colleges:
| IIMs |
Seats for OBC candidates |
|---|---|
| 113 |
|
| 122 |
|
| 102 |
|
| 32 |
|
| 32 |
|
| 32 |
|
| 32 |
|
| 28 |
|
| 32 |
|
| 25 |
|
| 33 |
|
| 37* |
|
| 37* |
|
| 17* |
|
| 38* |
|
| 33* |
|
| 33* |
|
| Total |
1110 |
Asterisk (*) has been put on the number of seats to give a clear picture about colleges wherein number of seats can vary slightly.
IIM Ahmedabad is widely acclaimed for producing top business leaders and entrepreneurs, the Post Graduate Master’s Degree Program offered by the college has always been top priority for aspirants. Some of the alumni of IIM-A include Raghuram Rajan (Former RBI Governor), K.V Kamath (Chief of BRICS Bank), and Ajaypal Singh Banga (CEO of Mastercard), among many other eminent names. It has nearly 104 seats in PGP (now rechristened MBA) program reserved for OBC candidates.
Moving to our next IIM in the list, let’s talk about another top ranked one – IIM Bangalore. Located in one of the most beautiful cities of India, IIM Bangalore has always been among the favourite business schools for aspirants. The college has an outstanding placement record and has seen many business tycoons as its alumni.
Some of the alumni of IIM-B include K. Radhakrishnan (Former ISRO Chairman), Ravi Subramanian (Author of many bestsellers), and Nila Madhab Panda (Film Producer), among many others. It has 103 seats reserved for OBC candidates in the PGP (now called MBA) program, almost equal to its peer - IIM Ahmedabad.
Next in the list comes the IIM with the largest number of seats among all 20 campuses – IIM Calcutta. The college is placed among top 3 business schools, IIM ABC, in India. It has impeccable placement records. The institute has produced some of the best brains in business world.
Some of the alumni of IIM-C include Ajith Balakrishnan (Founder of Rediff), Indra Nooyi (Former CEO of Pepsi), and Amish Tripathi (Author of many bestsellers,) among many others. It has 125 seats reserved for OBC candidates in the flagship PGP (now renamed MBA) program.
Commonly asked questions
The answer to this question of whether an average student can get into IIM can be both yes and no depending on the definition of an average student.
- Based on Academics (Class 10/ Class 12/ Graduation): While a student with average scores in Class 10, Class 12 and graduation with a good CAT score certainly has good chances of getting a call from IIM-A, chances are less for someone with an average CAT score.
- Based on student category (General or Reserved): While it is tough for a General category average student to grab a seat at IIM due to high score requirements, a reserved category student can get admission being at average scores as well.
- Based on past work experience, diversity and other factors: Gender and academic diversity is also a factor on which students are shortlisted at IIM. IIMs judge the past academic category based on the degree obtained by the students before MBA and then a weightage is allotted based on that. For Engineers, the percentage for scoring the highest marks is higher as compared with other streams
- Performance in selection rounds: Once you make it to the final selection rounds, i.e., AWT/PI process, it can be considered a fresh start. At this stage, students can forget their past average-ness but definitely require good grasp over the past subjects as academics-related questions are asked in the interview.
Based on the above factors, it can be considered that while getting into top Management institutes, such as IIM is extremely tough, the past performance, CAT performance, student category and a lot of factors can be the reasons for a student to receive that final call.
No, IIM Khozhikode BMS adissions are not open for direct admissions. Candidates who wish to apply for BMS at IIM Khozhikode are required to appear for one of the accepted entrance exams which include:
- IIMK BMS Aptitude Test
- JEE Mains
- SAT
- ACT
Total Seats at IIMs
The table below mentions total seats offered by all the IIMs:
| Name of IIM | Total number of Seats |
|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad (IIM A) | 385 |
| IIM Amritsar | 240 |
| IIM Bangalore (IIM B) | 565 |
| IIM Bodh Gaya (IIM BG) | 120 |
| IIM Calcutta (IIM C) | 462 |
| IIM Indore (IIM I) | 450+150 |
| IIM Jammu | 120 |
| IIM Kashipur | 210 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 525 |
| IIM Lucknow (IIM L) | 490 |
| IIM Mumbai | 550 |
| IIM Nagpur | 240 |
| IIM Raipur | 210 |
| IIM Ranchi | 210+150 |
| IIM Rohtak | 240+60 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 120 |
| IIM Shillong | 180 |
| IIM Sirmaur | 170 |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | 210 |
| IIM Udaipur | 150 |
| IIM Vishakhapatnam (IIM Vizag) | 120 |
Hopefully, the list will be helpful for those OBC candidates who have been doing all sorts of research in order to have an idea of seat availability in different IIM colleges. For such IIM updates, stay tuned to Shiksha.
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Student Forum
Answered 18 hours ago
Admission in IIM Calcutta depends on multiple factors such as: CAT scores, past academic records, gender diversity, and performance in the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). Candidates can check below minimum required CAT score for getting shortlisted at IIM Calutta:
- OPEN / Gene
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 20 hours ago
Yes, IBS Mumbai considers top scorers in national exams like CAT, NMAT, or GMAT for tuition fee waivers. Students who secure a high percentile are eligible for these merit-based awards during the first year. The continuation of this financial aid in the second year depends strictly on maintaining a
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No, national entrance exams like JEE, CAT, or MAT are not strictly mandatory in all cases for admission to IILM University, Greater Noida. National level entrance exam scores are preferred for direct shortlisting and merit scholarships.
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In case of mistakes in the fields mentioned on the CAT admit card, candidates must contact the official CAT helpdesk via email or phone to get it rectified before the exam date.
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Candidates need to log in using their CAT User ID and Password to download CAT admit card. These login credentials are generated at the time of registration.
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No, the Common Admission Test (CAT) admit card cannot be obtained offline. Candidates have to download CAT 2026 admit card from the official website.
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Yes. Candidates must preserve their admit card safely. It is a mandatory document required for identity verification during the Writing Ability Test (WAT), Personal Interview (PI) rounds, and final admission stages at the institutes.
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Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance
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