IIM Raipur Indian Institute of Management

IIM Raipur is a study in contrasts. It’s a young institute, established in 2010 as the 10th IIM, but it’s built a 200-acre permanent campus that students routinely call the best among the newer IIMs. The academic rigor is intense, the faculty is pedigreed, and the placement report looks solid on paper. But talk to students, and you’ll hear about the isolation of its Naya Raipur location and a healthy skepticism about the gap between the glossy placement brochure and the fixed salary that lands in the bank account. It’s an institute that’s clearly on the rise, backed by the IIM Act of 2017, but still carving out its distinct identity in a crowded field.

IIM Raipur — Quick Facts

• Location: Atal Nagar, Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
• Established: 2010 (10th IIM).
• Type: Autonomous Institute of National Importance.
• Key Accreditations: AACSB (International), NBA.
• Flagship Program: 2-Year MBA (PGP), intake of ~330-400 students.
• NIRF 2025 Ranking: 15th in Management.
• Approx. Total 2-Year Cost: ₹21-22.5 Lakhs.
• Average Placement Package (2024): ₹19.70 LPA.
• Official Website: https://iimraipur.ac.in/

Courses and Academic Programs at IIM Raipur

The academic engine here is the two-year, full-time residential MBA program—they call it the PGP. It follows a hectic trimester system spread over six terms. You’ll specialize in the usual domains: Finance, Marketing, Operations, HR, and the like. But the curriculum has a couple of distinctive hooks. There’s a mandatory Rural Immersion Module, which isn’t just a field trip but a structured attempt to understand grassroots markets. And for those looking abroad, the institute has exchange partnerships with over 19 foreign universities, including places in the UK and Russia.

Beyond the flagship, IIM Raipur has been expanding. There’s an MBA in Analytics, which is gaining traction as data roles explode. More recently, they launched an MBA in Public Policy and Good Governance in partnership with the Chhattisgarh government, with the first batch starting in 2026. For working professionals, there’s an Executive MBA (ePGP) delivered in a hybrid format. And of course, there are full-time PhD programs for research-oriented minds.

The faculty strength sits around 55-60 permanent members. Almost all hold PhDs from top Indian or international schools—IIMs, IITs, and the like. That’s a strong foundation for a young institute. Professors like Badrinarayan S. Pawar in HRM and Mohit Goswami in Operations are frequently mentioned by students as being particularly knowledgeable and accessible, even if the overall workload is punishing.

IIM Raipur Placements: Packages, Companies & Reality Check

This is where you need to read between the lines. The official placement report for 2024, which you can find on their website, states a 100% placement rate with an average package of ₹19.70 LPA and a median of ₹18.50 LPA. The highest package was reported at ₹43.40 LPA. For the top 25% of the batch, the average was a healthy ₹28 LPA. The sectoral split is fairly standard for B-schools: Consulting/IT (35%), BFSI (25%), Sales & Marketing (20%), and Operations (20%). Recruiters are brand-name: Amazon, Accenture, the Big Four—Deloitte, EY, KPMG—alongside Adani, Tata Steel, and major banks.

But here’s the reality check that pops up consistently in student reviews on platforms like Reddit. That ₹19.70 LPA figure is the Cost to Company (CTC). It often includes variable pay, joining bonuses, and other components that may not be guaranteed. The consensus among alumni is that the median fixed salary—the reliable cash that hits your account—is closer to ₹13-15 LPA. That’s a significant, and important, distinction. The ₹43 LPA outlier is just that—an outlier. The internship scene is robust, though, with the highest stipend for summer 2024 hitting ₹5.3 lakhs for two months.

So, the placement cell is effective at getting everyone a job offer. The brands are good. But you should temper expectations about the in-hand salary, especially if you land in the middle of the batch.

Fees and Financial Aid at IIM Raipur

Pursuing an MBA here is a major financial commitment. For the 2025-27 cycle, the total tuition and academic fees for two years are approximately ₹18.41 lakhs. Add to that hostel lodging (₹1.41 lakhs) and mess charges (around ₹1.2 lakhs), and you’re looking at a base cost of over ₹21 lakhs. Factor in a refundable caution deposit and personal expenses, and a realistic total budget is ₹21-22.5 lakhs.

To help manage this, the institute offers a few scholarship avenues. The IIM Raipur Merit-cum-Means Scholarship is the primary one. There’s also the Central Sector Scholarship for SC/ST students, and eligible candidates can apply for various state government scholarships. It’s not a huge array of options, but the support is there for those who qualify.

Admissions: Eligibility, Cutoffs & Selection Process

Your ticket in is the CAT. For the General category, IIM Raipur has a published qualifying cutoff of 90 percentile overall, with a minimum of 75 percentile in each section (VARC, DILR, QA). But that’s just to be considered. In practice, you’ll likely need a 94+ percentile score to realistically secure a call for the next stage.

The selection process has seen some changes. While many newer IIMs use a Common Admission Process (CAP), IIM Raipur conducted its own independent admissions for the 2025-27 batch. After shortlisting based on CAT score, past academics (10th, 12th, graduation), and diversity factors, candidates face a Personal Interview (PI).

The final composite score is weighted heavily on the CAT (50%) and the PI (25%). Your academic profile counts for 15%, work experience for 5%, and gender/academic diversity for the remaining 5%. So, a great CAT score gets you in the door, but you can’t afford to bomb the interview.

Campus, Hostels and Student Life

If there’s one thing every student and review agrees on, it’s the infrastructure. It’s genuinely impressive. The 200-acre campus is modern and purpose-built. The hostels are a major selling point—second-year students get single occupancy rooms with attached bathrooms, a luxury in the IIM system. First-years are in twin-sharing rooms. A standout feature is the radiant cooling system in the hostels, which uses chilled water running through pipes in the floors and walls. In Raipur’s brutal summer heat, this is, as one student on Shiksha put it, “a lifesaver.”

The library is digitally focused, with over 2.5 lakh e-resources. There’s a state-of-the-art sports complex with a pool, gym, and floodlit fields. A 24/7 student-run canteen caters to late-night study sessions. The campus has high-speed Wi-Fi and a medical center with AIIMS Raipur tie-ups.

But the flip side is location. The campus is in Naya Raipur, a planned administrative city. It’s clean and peaceful, but it’s isolated. The nearest major city hub, Raipur, is about 25 km away. There’s very little in terms of entertainment, cafes, or a social scene outside the campus gates. This leads to the common student quip that the campus is a “golden cage.” You have everything you need inside, but you’re largely confined to it.

Student Reviews: What IIM Raipur Alumni Really Think

Synthesizing feedback from CollegeDunia, Shiksha, Quora, and Reddit paints a clear picture. The positives are strong: world-class infrastructure, a rigorous academic environment with good faculty, and a diverse peer group with an average work experience of around 18 months.

The negatives are equally consistent. The isolation of the location is the biggest gripe. Then there’s the culture. Students frequently complain about a “toxic” atmosphere within some student committees, particularly the Placement Committee (PlaceCom), describing a “facade of fear” around rule enforcement. The institute is also known for being strict—maintaining a 75% attendance mandate and enforcing formal dress codes.

And, as mentioned in the placements section, there’s widespread cynicism about salary inflation in official reports. The sentiment is best captured by a Reddit user on r/CATpreparation: “Don't believe the 43 LPA package; that's one person. The reality for the middle of the batch is 16-18 LPA CTC with 13 LPA fixed.”

Verdict: Is IIM Raipur Worth It?

IIM Raipur is a solid, rapidly evolving B-school that delivers on the core IIM promise of a rigorous management education and access to good recruiters. Its infrastructure is arguably its biggest competitive advantage over other new IIMs. If you secure a seat here with a CAT score in the mid-90s percentile, you are getting a nationally recognized brand at a cost that, while high, is in line with peers.

But it’s not for everyone. You have to be comfortable with a secluded, campus-centric life for two years. You need to go in with realistic salary expectations, understanding that the fixed component is what matters most. And you should be prepared for a structured, sometimes rigid, academic environment.

Who is it best for? Candidates who prioritize modern facilities and a focused study environment over city life, and those aiming for roles in consulting, IT, or analytics where the institute’s placement record is strongest. Who should look elsewhere? If you thrive in a vibrant, urban setting with easy access to a city’s social fabric, the isolation of Naya Raipur might feel stifling. Similarly, if your primary goal is a stratospheric finance package, older IIMs or even Trichy might have a slight edge. For everyone else in that 94-99 CAT percentile range, IIM Raipur is a compelling and legitimate option that’s building a strong reputation, one batch at a time.