CAT 2026: Women hold 54% of IIM Indore PGP seats, a record
By TUF News Desk · Published 20 October 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
CAT 2026 is set for November 29 in three sessions across roughly 170 cities, and the batch profiles the IIMs have just published give this year’s test-takers a clear picture of who actually gets in. The headline number: at IIM Indore, women are now the majority in the flagship PGP classroom.
IIM Indore, which is also the institute conducting CAT 2026, admitted 487 students to its Post Graduate Programme for the 2026-28 batch. Of these, 265 are women and 222 are men, putting women’s representation at 54.4%. That is the highest share any of the IIMs in the comparison has recorded. The batch also breaks the engineering grip: 263 students come from commerce, arts and other non-engineering streams, against 224 engineers. On experience, the batch still leans fresher, with 278 students joining straight from college and 209 bringing prior work experience.
Bangalore hits 42%, Ahmedabad bets on experience
At IIM Bangalore, 541 students joined the PGP, and 42% of them are women, the institute’s highest share so far. Engineers remain the bulk of the classroom at 67%; among them, 30% studied at IITs, 21% at NITs and the rest at other institutes. The batch averages 27 months of work experience with an average age of 25, and 15 students entered through the GMAT route with an average score of 713.
IIM Ahmedabad’s 414-strong PGP cohort has 30.92% women and 60.87% engineers. The standout number there is experience: about 77% of the batch worked before joining, with an average of 24 months on the job.
What aspirants should read into this
The pattern across the three batches is that the CAT score is the first filter. Most IIMs then weigh the academic record, work experience, gender diversity and the Written Ability Test and Personal Interview scores, and that shows in the classrooms. The Indore numbers carry a second message: freshers still form the larger half there, so applicants with no work experience have a real shot. Aspirants comparing B-schools beyond the IIMs can use our guide on how to choose the right university or B-school in India to weigh their options.
CAT 2026 dates
Registration for CAT 2026 ran from August 3 to September 22 after the IIMs extended the original deadline. The exam is on November 29, 2026, in three computer-based sessions, and admit cards will be available from November 4. Official updates are published only on the CAT 2026 website.
Frequently asked questions
What share of IIM Indore’s PGP 2026-28 batch are women?
54.4%, with 265 women and 222 men in the 487-student batch. It is a majority and the highest share recorded by any of the IIMs in the comparison.
Is work experience required for admission to an IIM?
No. IIM Ahmedabad’s 2026-28 PGP batch is 77% experienced professionals, but IIM Indore’s batch is majority freshers. The CAT score, academic record, diversity points and the WAT-PI round all shape the final call.
When is CAT 2026, and when are admit cards released?
CAT 2026 is on November 29, 2026, in three sessions across about 170 cities. Admit cards are available from November 4 on the official CAT website.
Frequently asked questions
What share of IIM Indore's PGP 2026-28 batch are women?
54.4%, with 265 women and 222 men in the 487-student batch, a majority and the highest share recorded by any of the IIMs in the comparison.
Is work experience required for admission to an IIM?
No. IIM Ahmedabad's 2026-28 PGP batch is 77% experienced professionals, but IIM Indore's batch is majority freshers. The CAT score, academic record, diversity points and the WAT-PI round all shape the final call.
When is CAT 2026, and when are admit cards released?
CAT 2026 is on November 29, 2026, in three sessions across about 170 cities. Admit cards are available from November 4 on the official CAT website.
Sources: Careers360, The Economic Times, The Indian Express