IIM Bangalore salaries double: 102% hike puts PGPEM in FT's global top 10
By TUF News Desk · Published 12 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Graduates of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore’s executive MBA now earn more than twice what they made before the programme. That jump has put IIM Bangalore among the world’s top 10 programmes for salary increase in the Financial Times Executive MBA Ranking 2026.
The Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM), the institute’s two-year MBA for working professionals, rose to 64th globally from 72nd last year. It ranked second among Indian business schools. The programme recorded a 102% salary increase among alumni, up from 82% in the 2025 ranking.
The salary figures
The average alumni salary three years after graduation reached US$285,934, compared with US$243,035 in 2025. The institute said this was its strongest performance on alumni salary measures since 2020. IIM Bangalore is the only Indian business school to feature in the global top 10 for salary increase.
The institute credited the outcome to the programme’s design for professionals who study while continuing to work. Responding to the ranking, IIM Bangalore’s director-in-charge said the results reflected the value participants draw from the programme, particularly around alumni salary outcomes.
How the ranking works
The Financial Times ranking evaluates executive MBA programmes using a mix of alumni feedback and institutional data. More than half of the overall weight comes from measures such as current salary, salary growth, career progress, work experience, achievement of career goals and the strength of alumni networks.
IIM Bangalore also moved up in the ranking’s sustainability measure. Its carbon footprint rank improved to 19th globally from 23rd last year, and the institute reported a marginal improvement in gender representation across faculty, students and board members.
What this means for aspirants
The salary increase figure is the one that matters most to working professionals weighing an executive MBA against two years of fees and effort. A 102% increase means alumni roughly doubled their pay within three years of finishing the programme.
Executive MBA programmes are built for people with work experience, so the FT figures reflect mid-career salaries rather than entry-level placements. If you are comparing programmes, look at the salary increase and current salary columns alongside fees and intake, since these indicate what alumni actually earned. Our guide to rankings explains how to read ranking tables without over-relying on any single number.
The wider picture
Across the 100 ranked business schools, the average alumni salary three years after graduation was US$237,892, crossing inflation-adjusted pre-Covid levels in the 2026 FT ranking. The joint executive MBA of the Kellogg School of Management and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology topped the global table, followed by China’s Ceibs and Spain’s Iese.
Separately, in the QS Executive MBA Rankings 2026, the PGPEM retained its position as India’s top executive MBA and remained the only Indian business school in the global top 100. If you are shortlisting programmes, our guide to choosing a university in India covers how to weigh rankings against factors like programme format, peer profile and cost.
The official announcement is available on the IIM Bangalore website.
Frequently asked questions
What is IIM Bangalore’s PGPEM?
The Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management is a two-year MBA designed for working professionals. It entered the global top 10 for salary increase in the FT Executive MBA Ranking 2026.
What was IIM Bangalore’s rank in the FT Executive MBA Ranking 2026?
The PGPEM ranked 64th globally, up from 72nd in 2025, and stood 10th in the world for salary increase. It was second among Indian business schools.
How much did IIM Bangalore PGPEM alumni salaries rise?
Alumni recorded a 102% salary increase, up from 82% in 2025, with the average alumni salary three years after graduation reaching US$285,934.
How does the Financial Times rank executive MBA programmes?
The ranking combines alumni feedback with institutional data, weighing measures like current salaries, salary growth, career progress, work experience, aims achieved and alumni network strength.
Frequently asked questions
What is IIM Bangalore's PGPEM?
The Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management is a two-year MBA designed for working professionals. It entered the global top 10 for salary increase in the FT Executive MBA Ranking 2026.
What was IIM Bangalore's rank in the FT Executive MBA Ranking 2026?
The PGPEM ranked 64th globally, up from 72nd in 2025, and stood 10th in the world for salary increase. It was second among Indian business schools.
How much did IIM Bangalore PGPEM alumni salaries rise?
Alumni recorded a 102% salary increase, up from 82% in 2025, with the average alumni salary three years after graduation reaching US$285,934.
How does the Financial Times rank executive MBA programmes?
The ranking combines alumni feedback with institutional data, weighing measures like current salaries, salary growth, career progress, work experience, aims achieved and alumni network strength.
Sources: The Economic Times, Shiksha, IIM Bangalore