Nearly half of IIM Lucknow's 2025 batch comes from non-engineering backgrounds
The IIM Lucknow has officially begun its new academic session for 2025, welcoming 643 students across its prestigious postgraduate and doctoral programmes. The new batch brings in a rich mix of academic backgrounds, with a nearly equal split between engineering and non-engineering students. This is a departure from the usual trend of a majority of management students coming from engineering backgrounds.advertisementAccording to research by QS-IGAUGE, a large share of management (MBA/PGDM) students in India have an engineering background. At top institutions like the IIMs, around 75% to 80% of the student intake consists of engineering graduates. Of these, nearly 30% to 35% are alumni of premier engineering institutes like the IITs and NITs.This reflects a long-standing trend in Indian education, where engineering is commonly viewed as a stepping stone to a management career offering wider professional opportunities. But this year, IIM Lucknow has recorded a reversal of the trend.
In the new academic year, 50.70% of students are from engineering backgrounds and 49.30% from non-engineering disciplines, highlighting a strong emphasis on academic diversity. In terms of gender representation, 30% of the incoming cohort are women.The PGP and PGP-ABM courses also showcase varied experience levels, while 32% of students in the PGP programme are freshers, the PGP-ABM programme sees a majority of 68% freshers, indicating interest from early-career aspirants in both general and niche management fields.advertisementThe new academic year was formally inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Ananth Narayan G, Whole-Time Member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and an alumnus of IIM Lucknow's Class of 1993.The event also saw participation from senior faculty members including Prof Sanjeet Singh (Dean, Faculty), Prof Sanjay K. Singh (Dean, Programmes), Prof Pushpendra Priyadarshi (Chairperson, Doctoral Programme), Prof Dipti Gupta (Chairperson, PGPSM), and Prof Alok Dixit (Chairperson, PGP).INDUSTRY EXPOSURE AND INDUCTIONAs part of their induction programme, students will participate in interactive sessions with industry experts and academicians. These sessions are designed to familiarise them with opportunities for professional development and personal growth, reinforcing IIM Lucknow's commitment to producing well-rounded leaders.Welcoming the incoming cohort, Prof Sanjeet Singh, Dean of Faculty, encouraged students to embrace intellectual curiosity and emotional intelligence.'At IIM Lucknow, what will set you apart is your ability to think critically, challenge assumptions, and approach problems with both emotional intelligence and clarity of mind,' he said.He also praised the diversity of the new batch, stating that students hail from backgrounds such as engineering, arts, commerce, and more. He added, 'Over the next two years, IIM Lucknow will offer you the opportunity to grow, collaborate, and discover your unique perspective.'advertisementIIM Lucknow aims to nurture the new batch with academic excellence, interdisciplinary learning, and leadership development.With nearly half of the batch coming from non-engineering streams and 30% being women, the 2025 cohort represents IIM Lucknow's growing focus on inclusivity and holistic talent development.- Ends
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