National Institution Classification Framework (NIRF) is a test. Due to the lack of Indian names in world university rankings, the Human Resources Development Department launched NIRF on April 7, 2018.
NIRF MBA Rankings: IIM Ahmedabad Ranked #1, IIM Bangalore at #2
FacebookTwitterLinkedInUpdate on: August 9, 2026
The release of MHRD NIRF Management Ranking 2026 is delayed. Earlier the rankins were expected in the second week of June 2026, like the last year when NIRF Rankings 2026 were released on June 11, 2026. Ministry of HRD had asked for the NIRF data from the participating institutes for NIRF Rankings 2026 and the NIRF registration process was opened as early as on December 1, 2026 so that the rankings could be released in the quarter ending June 2026. Although the requisite data from the participating institutes was submitted in time, the Ministry of HRD could not release the NIRF Ranking 2026 in any category even in virtual mode, due to Covid pandemic situation. NIRF Rankings are released for the top ranked institutes and universities in ten categories of Ranking which includes the NIRF Management Ranking for B-schools. It is understood that around 4000 institutes have applied for NIRF Ranking 2026 in different categories.
Conducted and prepared by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking releases a list of top institutes, universities, in each category. The rankings used to be announced by the President of India but due to Covid-19 pandemic last year the rankings were released by the HRD MInister.
Last year NIRF Ranking 2026 was e-released on June 11, 2026 at 12 Noon by Hon’ble Minister of HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. About 3800 institutes had applied for the rankings registering a 20 percent increase over last year. For the first time ranking of Dental institutes was done in 2026. NIRF India Rankings 2026 were released for all streams including management institutes.
IIM Ahmedabad had emerged as the top Management Institute in NIRF Management Ranking 2026 as against IIM Bangalore which was at Rank #2. In 2026 IIM Bangalore occupied Rank-1 in NIRF MBA Ranking leaving behind other top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad and Calcutta. Other categories in which institutes were ranked, included Overall, universities, engineering, colleges, pharmacy, medical, architecture, law and Dental. The virtual release of NIRF India Rankings 2026 was done, as earlier the process was postponed in April by Ministry of HRD, Government of India due to the Corona Virus pandemic. The NIRF MBA Ranking 2026 were announced after assessing the Indian higher educational institutes on various parameters like teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception.
NIRF Management Ranking 2026: 6th Edition
NIRF Management Ranking 2026 is the sixth edition of Ministry of HRD National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). We will update the NIRF Ranking details 2026 immediately on its release. Below are available NIRF Ranking 2026.
NIRF Rankings 2026
The registration for the NIRF Rankings 2026 closed on September 18, 2026. MHRD completed data analysis and cross-verification. NIRF Rankings 2026 were delayed as MHRD had postponed its announcement till further notice due to corona virus pandemic. Earlier the Ranking was expected to be released in April 2026. NIRF Management Rankings 2026 were eagerly awaited as it could decide whether IIM Bangalore continued as No 1 B-school, or IIM Ahmedabad reclaims the title? This year as is well known IIM Ahmedabad has scored more than IIM Bangalore and has occupied Rank# 1.
Comparison of 2026 Vs 2026 NIRF Rankings
- Top IIMs viz. IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta and Lucknow retain their top 4 ranking places
- NITIE Mumbai has jumped upwards by 17 places from 29 last year to 12 in 2026
- IIM Ranchi has moved up by 10 places from 28 last year to 18 in 2026
- XIMB Bhubaneswar has moved up by 13 places in 2026 from 44 last year to 31 in 2026
- BIMTECH Greater Noida has moved up by 10 places from 57 last year to 47 in 2026
- IMT Nagpur has moved up by 10 places from 70 last year to 60 in 2026
- TAPMI Manipal has moved up by 6 places from 33 last year to 27 in 2026
- IRMA Anand has lost 21 places this year and is placed at 72 position in 2026 as against 51 in 2026
- NIT Tiruchippalli has gone down by 18 places from 17 to 35
Comparison of 2026 Vs 2026 NIRF Management Rankings
| Sr No | B-school | Ranking 2026 | Ranking 2026 | Ranking Gain/Loss |
| 1 | Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| 2 | Indian Institute of Management Bangalore | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| 3 | Indian Institute of Management Calcutta | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Indian Institute of Management Lucknow | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | VGSoM Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| 6 | Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode | 6 | 8 | +2 |
| 7 | Indian Institute of Management Indore | 7 | 5 | -2 |
| 8 | Department of Management Studies Indian Institute of Technology Delhi | 8 | 9 | +1 |
| 9 | Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur | 9 | 7 | -2 |
| 10 | Management Development Institute, Gurgaon | 10 | 12 | +2 |
| 11 | SJMSoM Indian Institute of Technology Bombay | 11 | 10 | -1 |
| 12 | Deptt of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee | 12 | 11 | -1 |
| 12 | National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai | 12 | 29 | +17 |
| 14 | DoMS Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 14 | 15 | +1 |
| 15 | Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli | 15 | 14 | -1 |
| 16 | IME Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur | 16 | 22 | +6 |
| 17 | Indian Institute of Management Udaipur | 17 | 13 | -4 |
| 18 | S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai | 18 | 16 | -2 |
| 19 | Indian Institute of Management Raipur | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| 20 | Indian Institute of Management Ranchi | 20 | 28 | +8 |
| 21 | Indian Institute of Management Rohtak | 21 | 23 | +2 |
| 22 | Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune | 22 | 20 | -2 |
| 23 | Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai | 23 | 18 | -5 |
| 24 | SVKM`s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai | 24 | 20 | -4 |
| 25 | ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, Hyderabad | 25 | 26 | +1 |
| 26 | Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi | 26 | 31 | +5 |
| 27 | T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal | 27 | 33 | +6 |
| 28 | International Management Institute, New Delhi | 28 | 27 | -1 |
| 29 | Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad | 29 | 32 | +3 |
| 30 | Indian Institute of Management, Shillong | 30 | 24 | -6 |
| 31 | Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar | 31 | 44 | +13 |
| 32 | Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar | 32 | 30 | -2 |
| 33 | Indian Institute of Management Kashipur | 33 | 25 | -8 |
| 34 | Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi | 34 | 34 | 0 |
| 35 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 35 | 17 | -18 |
| 36 | Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | 36 | 39 | +3 |
| 37 | Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad | 37 | 41 | +4 |
| 37 | BML Munjal University, Gurgaon | 37 | Not Ranked | — |
| 39 | Alliance University, Bangalore | 39 | 42 | +3 |
| 40 | Indian Institute of Management Nagpur | 40 | NA | |
| 41 | Amity University Noida | 41 | 49 | +8 |
| 42 | Panjab University, Chandigarh | 42 | 48 | +6 |
| 43 | FORE School of Management, New Delhi | 43 | 38 | -5 |
| 44 | Nirma University, Ahmedabad | 44 | 40 | -4 |
| 45 | Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh | 45 | 59 | +14 |
| 46 | PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore | 46 | 37 | -9 |
| 47 | Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida (Delhi NCR) | 47 | 57 | +10 |
| 48 | Goa Institute of Management, Goa | 48 | 50 | +2 |
| 49 | Lovely Professional University, Phagwara | 49 | 52 | +3 |
| 50 | Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai | 50 | 36 | -14 |
| 51 | Chandigarh University, Mohali | 51 | 64 | +13 |
| 52 | International Management Institute Kolkata | 52 | 45 | -7 |
| 53 | Institute for Financial Management and Research, Sri City Chittoor | 53 | 47 | -6 |
| 54 | Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala | 54 | 45 | -9 |
| 55 | Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore | 55 | 46 | -9 |
| 56 | K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mumbai | 56 | 54 | -2 |
| 57 | Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi | 57 | 62 | +5 |
| 58 | Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi | 58 | 61 | +3 |
| 59 | Anna University, Chennai | 59 | 43 | -16 |
| 60 | Institute of Management Technology Nagpur | 60 | 70 | +10 |
| 61 | Institute of Management Technology Hyderabad | 61 | 67 | +6 |
| 62 | Indian Institute of Forest Management Bhopal | 62 | 60 | -2 |
| 63 | International Management Institute Bhubaneswar | 63 | NA | — |
| 63 | Bharati Vidyapeeth’s Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Development, Pune | 63 | NA | — |
| 65 | IIHMR UNIVERSITY, Jaipur | 65 | 72 | +7 |
| 66 | University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Dehradun | 66 | 56 | -10 |
| 67 | Jagan Institute of Management Studies Delhi | 67 | 69 | +2 |
| 68 | Principal L N Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Mumbai | 68 | NA | |
| 69 | Jaipuria Institute of Management Noida | 69 | 63 | -6 |
| 70 | Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation University, Vaddeswaram | 70 | 58 | -12 |
| 71 | Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum | 71 | NA | |
| 72 | Institute of Rural Management Anand | 72 | 51 | -21 |
| 73 | Jaipuria Institute of Management Lucknow | 73 | 68 | -5 |
| 74 | Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University Gandhinagar | 74 | NA | |
| 75 | Chitkara University, Rajpura | 7 5 | 75 | 0 |
Although NIRF Ranking Management is again dominated by IIMs, the PGDM colleges like XLRI Jamshedpur, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Kharagpur have also been awarded high ranking positions as compared to many IIMs.
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NIRF Ranking 2026: Parameters & Methodology
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has been approved by the MHRD. This is the 5th year of MHRD NIRF ranking.
Following parameters have been used in MHRD NIRF Ranking 2026:
| Parameter | Sub Parameter | Weightage (Marks Awarded out of 500) |
| Teaching, Learning & Resources | Student Strength including doctoral students; Faculty-Student Ratio; Combined Metric for Faculty with PhD & Experience; Total Budget & its utilization | 100 Marks |
| Research & Professional Practice | Metric for Publications; Quality of Publications; IPR & Patents; Projects & Professional Practice & Executive Development Programmes | 100 Marks |
| Graduation Outcomes | Placement percentage, Higher studies, Enttrepreneurship; Metric for University exam; Median Salary; Graduating students admitted to top universities; Number of PhD students graduated | 100 Marks |
| Outreach and Inclusivity | Percentage of students from other states/countries (Regional diversity; Percentage of women; Economically & Socially challenged students; facilities for physically challenged students | 100 Marks |
| Perception | Peer Perception – Employers & research Investors; Peer Perception –Academics; Public Perception; Competitiveness | 100 Marks |
| Total Maximum Marks | – | 500 |
The Ranking methodology draws from the overall recommendations broad understanding arrived at by a Core Committee set up by MHRD, to identify the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions. The parameters with above weightage broadly cover “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcomes,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception”.
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MHRD NIRF Ranking Management: Top B-schools in Last Four Years
MHRD NIRF Rankings have witnessed many B-schools going up and down with their ranking positions during last four years. Apart from IIM Ahmedabad reclaiming its 1st position from IIM Bangalore, IIM Indore has slided to 7th position this year from 5th last year giving way to IIT Kharagpur. IIM Tiruchirappalli and IIM Udaipur have gone down to 15th and 17th position in NIRF Ranking 2026 from 14th and 13th positions respectively last year. In the NIRF Management Ranking 2026, all the top 4 positions have gone to IIMs. Following are the top 4 management institutes as per NIRF B school Rankings during last 4 years:
| B-School | NIRF Ranking 2026 | NIRF Ranking 2026 | NIRF Ranking 2018 | NIRF Ranking 2017 |
| IIM Ahmedabad | #1 | #2 | #1 | #1 |
| IIM Bangalore | #2 | #1 | #2 | #2 |
| IIM Calcutta | #3 | #3 | #3 | #3 |
| IIM Lucknow | #4 | #4 | #4 | #4 |