Updated on 11th February 2025 | 5:00 pm | #MBAScholarships
MBA scholarships in India 2025-26: Scholarships play a vital role by providing crucial financial support to students and acknowledging academic excellence. For a majority of aspirants who dream of a future in the Business or Management field, an MBA is considered an important degree across India. The only hitch is the highly exorbitant fees. That’s exactly where scholarships for MBA students step in. These scholarships lessen the financial burden, reward students for their toil, and stimulate them to pursue an MBA.
MBA scholarships in India can be broadly divided into private-sponsored and government-sponsored scholarships. Government scholarships for MBA students support economically disadvantaged sections of society, including reserved categories, while private scholarshipsfor MBA students are awarded based on merit, leadership potential, and financial need. Moreover, several prominent B-schools, including top Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and private institutes, offer scholarship packages with stipends of their own. Many MBA scholarships are available for aspirants, such as the BML Munjal Scholarship, Merit Cum Means Scholarship, and those offered by various IIMs, which are truly a boon for students.
The provision of MBA scholarships plays a vital role in ensuring quality management education among various groups in society. Exorbitant prices of MBA programs make scholarships the only means to provide financial assistance to worthy students who should not be prevented from unleashing their talent and potential due to economic constraints. Let us see some of the advantages offered through MBA Scholarships, which go as follows:
No student deserves to be deprived of taking an MBA just because his or her family cannot afford to pay the huge fees. Students tread miles after miles, working hard for the MBA entrance exams. Providing MBA scholarships in India serves as a great tool for facilitating gifted students while also advancing academic excellence and driving national economic development through the creation of skilled business leaders.
MBA scholarship eligibility criteria in India vary depending on the scholarship provider and type of scholarship. Generally, eligibility criteria may include the following:
The Government of India offers several scholarships for MBA students to support their higher education. Following are some of the Government sponsored MBA Scholarships offered:
There are several privately sponsored scholarships available to help deserving students. Here's a list of some prominent MBA scholarships in India, along with their eligibility criteria:
Privately Sponsored MBA Scholarships In India |
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Scholarship Name |
Eligibility Criteria |
Last Date to Apply (Tentative Schedule)* |
BML Munjal Scholarship |
Open to Indian nationals with a minimum 80% in Class 12 and a minimum CAT/XAT/GMAT percentile |
June 11, 2025 |
PNB Housing Finance Protsahan Scholarship |
Scholarship for deserving MBA students specializing in Marketing & Finance. Eligibility criteria typically include scoring at least 60% marks in Class 12 and during the first two years of graduation. The applicant's annual family income is below 300,000 per year. |
Third/ Fourth week of January 2025 |
ONGC Scholarship |
SC/ST/OBC and General category students in their first year of MBA studies. Eligibility includes Indian nationality, age under 30, and a family income below INR 200,000 annually. It offers financial support for tuition and other educational expenses. |
July 8, 2025 |
Aditya Birla Group Scholarship |
Recipients of the scholarship receive financial support that can cover up to the full fees for outstanding full-time MBA candidates. |
January 31, 2025 |
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) |
INR 1 lakh/year MBA scholarship for second-year students with a gross family income ≤ INR 6 lakh/year. |
Second/ Third week of October 2025 |
OP Jindal Engineering and Management Scholarships (OPJEMS) |
Top students from leading engineering and management colleges in India. Around 100 recipients are selected annually based on academic excellence, with eligibility usually requiring a top-ten ranking in their second year. |
August 7, 2025 |
IDFC FIRST Bank MBA Scholarship |
Need-based scholarship for students with a family income of less than INR 6 lakhs per annum. |
June 30, 2025 |
ITM University Scholarship |
Minimum 50% marks (45% for reserved categories) in qualifying exams for MBA studies. |
January 28, 2025 |
T. Thomas Scholarship (IIM Ahmedabad) |
Awarded by Hindustan Unilever Ltd. to a second-year MBA student based on merit-cum-means criteria. The scholarship amount is INR 100,000 per year. |
Second/ Third week of June 2025 |
IIM Bangalore MBA Scholarships |
PGP students with household incomes below INR 800,000, including those facing severe financial challenges. Aid ranges from 100% to 20% based on financial need, evaluated through various criteria and personal interactions with faculty. |
June 11, 2025 |
IIM Lucknow MBA Scholarship |
Students with strong academic records but limited family income. Eligibility criteria include a combined gross family income below INR 4 LPA, covering self, parents, and spouse if applicable. |
June 30, 2025 |
*The dates provided are sourced from official websites and are subject to change. Please refer to the official websites for the most up-to-date information.
To apply for MBA scholarships in India, follow these steps:
Applying for an MBA scholarship in India usually requires the submission of the following documents, each with a file size not exceeding 500kb; including:
MBA scholarships in India offer several benefits to students such as:
Some of the top B-schools in India that accept MBA scholarships are renowned for their quality education and scholarship opportunities.
List of B-Schools Accepting MBA Scholarships |
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Top Institutes of Management (IIMs): Including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, IIM Shillong |
Nirma University Institute of Management, Ahmedabad |
XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur |
SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai |
Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon |
Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad |
Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi University |
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune |
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai |
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai |
Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar |
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSOM), IIT Bombay |
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi and Kolkata |
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai |
TISS - Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai |
IMT - Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad |
FORE School of Management, Delhi |
International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi |
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai |
MICA - Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad |
To increase your chances of receiving an MBA scholarship, focus on maintaining a strong academic record, gaining relevant work experience, securing strong letters of recommendation, and applying to a range of scholarship opportunities.
Generally, MBA scholarships do not need to be repaid, unlike loans. However, some scholarships may have conditions like maintaining a certain GPA or fulfilling post-graduation commitments, such as working in a specific industry or region for a designated period.
Yes, several governments offer scholarships for MBA studies, typically through educational institutions or specific government agencies.
Yes, you can get scholarships for MBA programs at IIMs based on merit, financial need, or specific criteria set by the institute.
CAT toppers can indeed get scholarships, often based on their percentile scores. For example, some institutes offer scholarships of INR 50,000 per semester for CAT percentiles of 90 or higher, while those with percentiles between 80 and 80.96 may receive INR 40,000 per semester.