Old vs New IIMs Placement 2026: Average Package, Highest CTC & ROI Comparison

India has a total of 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The year of establishment of these IIMs groups them into old IIMs and new IIMs. An MBA aspirant usually faces a dilemma while choosing between new and old IIMs. The prestigious old IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Indore, often termed BLACKI, are the most chosen IIMs due to their exceptional placements. However, several new IIMs, such as IIM Shillong, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, etc., are emerging as strong contenders by building reputation through placements, academic excellence, etc. 

In this blog, we have compared the old vs. new IIMs placement 2026 based on average package, highest CTC, and return on investment (ROI). This will allow the MBA aspirants to make an informed decision to begin their professional journey.

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Old vs New IIMs Placement 2026: Quick Comparison

Here, we have broken down the major basis of comparison between the old and new IIMs. This will give a major breakdown on the comparison between the new and old IIMs. 

Aspect	Old IIMs (BLACKI + IIM Indore)	New IIMs
Institutes Included	IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore	IIM Shillong, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Rohtak, IIM Kashipur, IIM Nagpur, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Jammu, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Amritsar
Established	Founded between 1961 and 1996	Established after 2007
Industry Reputation	Strong national and global brand recognition	Rapidly growing reputation with increasing industry acceptance
Average Package	Rs. 28–38 LPA	Rs. 16–22 LPA
Alumni Network	Extensive	Growing rapidly
Corporate Partnerships	Long-standing partnerships	Increasing collaborations
Recruitment Opportunities	High	Expanding
Placement Performance	Higher average salaries, premium job roles, and international offers	Consistently improving average salaries and placement rates each year
Key Advantage	Prestige, global recognition, extensive recruiter network, and strong alumni support	Excellent ROI, affordable MBA fees, modern curriculum, and rapidly improving placements

Old IIMs vs New IIMs: Understanding the Difference

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have been classified into old and new IIMs based on the year of establishment. The old IIMs include the institutions established from 1961 to 1996 and are widely known for their academics, strong alumni network, and record-high placements. These are often termed BLACKI. The new IIMs were established after 2007. Since these IIMs were established later on, therefore, they have relatively small networks. Though they are newer IIMs, they continue to attract great placements and are on their way to building a strong alumni network. The table below lists the new IIMs and the old IIM. 

Category	IIMs	Established
Old IIMs	IIM Calcutta, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore	1961–1996
New IIMs	IIM Shillong, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi, IIM Raipur, IIM Tiruchirappalli, IIM Kashipur, IIM Udaipur, IIM Nagpur, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Amritsar, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, IIM Guwahati, IIM Mumbai (NITIE),	2007 onward

How Much CAT Percentile Do You Need: Old IIM vs New IIM

The CAT percentile is one of the most important factors to secure admission in the IIMs. The older IIMs, like BLACKI, require a higher CAT percentile due to intrinsic competition and a greater placement record. On the other hand, the new IIMs offer excellent MBA programs at comparatively lower percentiles. However, the final selection depends upon the personal interview, academic performance, diversity, etc. Given below is the table of CAT percentiles needed to take admission in IIMs. 

Institute	Year of Establishment	Qualifying Percentile	Realistic Shortlist Zone
IIM Calcutta	1961	85	99–99.5+
IIM Ahmedabad	1961	95	99.5+
IIM Mumbai (NITIE)	1963	85	97–99+
IIM Bangalore	1973	85	99.5+
IIM Lucknow	1984	90	97–99+
IIM Kozhikode	1996	85	97–99+
IIM Indore	1996	90	97–99+
IIM Shillong	2007	75–90	95–98+
IIM Rohtak	2010	95	95–97+
IIM Raipur	2010	92	94–97+
IIM Ranchi	2010	92	94–97+
IIM Udaipur	2011	92	95–98+
IIM Trichy	2011	92	95–98+
IIM Kashipur	2011	92	93–96+
IIM Nagpur	2015	90	92–95+
Bodh Gaya / Amritsar / Jammu / Sirmaur / Sambalpur / Visakhapatnam	2015–16	90–92	90–95+
IIM Guwahati	2025	90	90–95+

Old IIM Placements 2026: Highest & Average Package

The old IIMs, i.e., IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Indore, dominate with a 100% placement record. They attract top recruiters from every industry. In addition to this, they also have great alumni as well. The table below displays the average placement of the old IIMs based on the 2024-26 placement report. 

Institute	Highest CTC (Domestic/International)	Average CTC
IIM Ahmedabad	Rs. 2.20 Crore (Estimated Peak)	Rs. 27.03 LPA
IIM Calcutta	Rs. 1.45 Crore (Domestic) Rs. 1.10 Crore (International)	Rs. 36.00 LPA
IIM Bangalore	Not yet announced for 2026  Rs. 1.15 Cr (for 2025)	Rs. 35.35 LPA
IIM Mumbai	Rs. 71.40 LPA	Rs. 34.50 LPA (Top 50% Avg)
IIM Lucknow	Rs. 1.00 Crore	Rs. 33.20 LPA
IIM Kozhikode (based on 2025 report)	Rs. 81.00 LPA	Rs. 27.50 LPA
IIM Indore (based on 2025 report)	Rs. 70 LPA	Rs. 29.75 LPA

New IIM Placements 2026: Highest & Average Package

The new IIMs are steadily narrowing the gap in terms of placement and package. They have emerged as strong contenders that offer impressive placement records. Institutes such as IIM Shillong, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Rohtak, IIM Kashipur, IIM Nagpur, and IIM Visakhapatnam are strengthening their recruitment base, packages, and placement rates. The table below displays the average package of new IIMs based on the 2025 report. 

Institute	Highest Package	Average Package
IIM Shillong	Rs. 71.5 LPA	Rs. 26.44 LPA
IIM Nagpur	Rs. 69.57 LPA	Rs. 18.07 LPA
IIM Ranchi	Rs. 50.39 LPA	Rs. 19.29 LPA
IIM Sambalpur	Rs. 48.6 LPA	Rs. 16.64 LPA
IIM Raipur	Rs. 42.66 LPA	Rs. 18.15 LPA
IIM Trichy	Rs. 40+ LPA	Rs. 20.55 LPA
IIM Rohtak	Rs. 36 LPA	Rs. 19.27 LPA
IIM Kashipur	Rs. 32.13 LPA	Rs. 18.11 LPA

Placement Percentage of New & Old IIMs 

The Old and New IIMs maintain impressive placement records. They have great recruiters from across the world. The IIMs continue to be the preferred choice for MBA aspirants as they offer nearly a 100% placement record. Several new IIMs have also improved their placement performance, with many reporting placement rates between 95% and 100% for the latest MBA batches.

Institute Category	Placement Rate
Older IIMs	Nearly 100%
New IIMs	95–98%

Top Recruiters at IIMs

The IIMs attract the world’s leading employers from all the leading industries, such as consulting, finance, technology, FMCG, e-commerce, manufacturing, etc. They have been attracting some of the leading companies such as JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, BCG, EY, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Procter & Gamble (P&G), ITC, Nestlé, and many others. The leading industries that are top recruiters at IIMs include the following.

Industry	Leading Recruiters
Management Consulting	Boston Consulting Group (BCG), McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, Accenture Strategy, Deloitte, EY-Parthenon, Kearney, KPMG, PwC, Strategy&
Technology & Product Management	Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Salesforce, Uber, Cisco, Media.net, BrowserStack
Private Equity & Venture Capital	Blackstone, General Atlantic, Temasek, Elevation Capital, Z47, Ares Management
Manufacturing & Operations	Tata Steel, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Vedanta, Adani Group, JSW Steel, Tata Power
General Management & Conglomerates	Tata Administrative Services (TAS), Aditya Birla Group, Mahindra Group, Godrej Industries, Reliance Industries, Essar Group
FMCG & Consumer Goods	Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Procter & Gamble (P&G), ITC, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Tata Consumer Products
E-commerce & Retail	Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Swiggy, Zomato, Reliance Retail
Investment Banking & Finance	Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, HSBC, Bank of America, UBS, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank

Why Candidates Prefer an MBA from Old IIMs?

The Old IIMs, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Indore are the top choice for any MBA aspirant. This is mainly due to their long standing reputation, strong placement record and extensive industry connections. The newer IIMs have made significant progress to establish their legacy. Here are top reasons why MBA aspirants prefer old IIMs as compared to new IIMs. 

• Strong Brand Value
• Higher Placement Records
• Presence of top recruiters from leading company for placement 
• Extensive Alumni Network
• Great Industry Exposure
• Diverse Career Opportunities
• Strong Return on Investment (ROI)
• Academic Excellence and Faculty
• Global Recognition

Conclusion: Old vs New IIMs

The choice of choosing an MBA college between the new IIM and old IIM depends upon one’s  career goals, CAT percentile, budget, and long-term aspirations. The older IIMs continue to lead the battle through brand value, alumni, placement, etc. While the newer IIMs are still in the process of strengthening their reputation by improving academic offerings, expanding recruiter participation. 

Instead of depending solely upon the placement package, aspirants should also look into factors such as on placement packages, aspirants should evaluate factors such as specialization, faculty, curriculum, industry exposure, internship opportunities, alumni network, etc. A well informed decision should be made based on one’s long term career goals.