For the first time since its inception in 2015, the flagship PGP (MBA) programme at IIM Visakhapatnam (Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam) has seen female students outnumber their male counterparts in the current academic year. In the new batch, which was inducted this week, women make up 51% of the cohort, while men make 49%. The third-generation IIM has given admission to 338 students for the 2025-27 batch, with engineering students dominating the cohort with nearly 60% representation. Female representation in the new batch is nearly 11 percentage points higher than the 2024-26 batch, which has 40% women.
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Across the IIM system, female representation now typically hovers around 35-40%, marking a significant improvement from two decades ago. In the early 2000s, women constituted just 10 to 15% of PGP cohorts. This positive change has been driven by initiatives like supernumerary seats for women, gender-diversity weightage, and targeted outreach efforts. Recent admission figures further highlight the gradual push for gender diversity across campuses.
IIM Vizag director, Prof. (Dr.) M Chandrasekhar, said the institute is a strong advocate for gender diversity, a commitment reflected in the new batch, where over 50% of admitted students are female. “At least one female faculty member was present on every interview panel for PGP aspirants this year. The gender balance is also evident in the institute’s faculty demographics, with a female faculty strength of 41% — a figure approaching 50%. This balanced learning environment is believed to be a key factor in attracting more female students, ultimately enriching classroom discussions and enhancing the overall diversity and depth of the academic experience,” he added.
IIM Visakhapatnam gave admissions to 11 students into PhD programme as part of its 2025 batch. Former director of IIM Bangalore, Prof G Raghuram, attended as the chief guest for the inauguration of new batches of PGP and PhD.
