Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIM Shillong or IIM-S) is a public, fully autonomous management institute in the city of Shillong, Meghalaya. It was the seventh Indian Institute of Management to be established in India.
Founded in 2007, IIM Shillong offers postgraduate, doctoral, and executive programmes in management education, and Management Development Programmes (MDPs) spanning different streams of management. Admissions to the institute are based on scores obtained in the Common Admission Test (CAT) and further an extempore and personal interview rounds. In addition, from 2025, the institute also admits students to the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), a five-year course, through the IPMAT (IIM Indore) entrance examination.The institute also has a Centre for Development of North Eastern Region (CEDNER), constituted to offer programmes relevant to the local community and society of the state and the region.
History The proposal to start an Indian Institute of Management in the Northeast was unanimously taken in June 2004 by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development along with the Chief Ministers of the North Eastern states in the review meeting held at Shillong. Shillong was drafted as the permanent location for the institute after consultation between the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER) and the Chief Ministers of the states.
The foundation stone for the institute was laid by Shri. Arjun Singh, Union Minister of Human Resource Development, on 1 December 2007. The admittance of the first batch of students for the Post-Graduate Programme was formally inaugurated by Dr Donkupar Roy, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, on 4 July 2008.
The institute was set up at the Mayurbhanj Palace, the summer retreat of the Mayurbhanj Kings of Odisha. The Palace was renovated by the Meghalaya government with the construction of a permanent campus in development at Umsawli.
The first chairman of the Board of Governors was Shri. Rathindra Nath Dutta, and the first director, Prof Ashoke K. Dutta.
Institute Logo IIM Shillong's logo was designed by Anil Sinha and Ankita Gajjar from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
Campus
The campus has an auditorium for conducting seminars, conferences, culture programmes, students' events and other significant events of the institute.
Academics Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) This is a two-year, fully residential Master of Business Administration program with a curriculum comprising a mix of compulsory courses and electives, supplemented by specialized courses on industry sectors. Participants are offered subjects from the areas of economics, finance, human resources, information technology, marketing, operations, and general management. The programme begins with a two-week foundation course on sustainability which focuses on developing sustainable practices in business management. Sustainability modules are also incorporated into every subject offered.
Some of the unique courses offered at IIM Shillong include Northeast Studies, Doing Business in the Northeast, Decoding Organizational Pathologies, and Sports Management, to name a few. Participants in the second year are also encouraged to undertake courses of independent study (CIS). Participants of the programme also undergo a summer internship between April and June, as part of the course.
Post Graduate Program for Executives – (PGPEx) This is a twelve-month fully residential Executive Master of Business Administration (Executive MBA) program for executives that aims to provide the opportunity to learn and conduct trans-national business. This course is spread across two campuses – IIM Shillong and EADA Business School, Barcelona, Spain. In addition to classroom facilitation, the course structure also includes practical learning through internships and industry visits in both countries.
Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) The Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) at IIM Shillong is a five-year, fully residential course combining undergraduate and postgraduate management education, with admissions through the IPMAT (IIM Indore) entrance examination. The program integrates Indian philosophical traditions with contemporary management practices and learner-centered pedagogies aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It emphasizes holistic, ethical, and socially responsible leadership, blending core management subjects with interdisciplinary modules on Indigenous Knowledge Systems, social sciences, and sustainability. The curriculum combines theoretical instruction with practicums and experiential learning, aiming to develop reflective, responsible, and culturally grounded leaders. End of First YearCertificate in ManagementEnd of Second YearDiploma in ManagementEnd of Third YearUG Degree – Bachelor in Business Administration – BBAEnd of Fourth YearUG Degree – Bachelor in Business Administration – BBA (Honors)End of Fifth YearPG Degree – Masters in Business Administration MBA
Doctoral Programme (PhD) This is the doctoral level programme offered by IIM Shillong. The PhD is a four-year fully residential Doctor of Management programme fellowships awarded in the following areas: economics, finance, HR, information systems, marketing, and operations management. Admissions for this programme are based on scores obtained through CAT, GMAT, GATE, GRE, or the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) examination.
Management Development Programme (MDP) These are short duration programmes varying from two days to six months, for working executives from the industry, education, and government sectors, held both on- and off-campus. The MDPs furnish executives a chance to familiarize themselves with the latest techniques, tools, and skills spanning different streams of management from Education Management to Sustainable Development.
Centre for Development of North Eastern Region (CEDNER) Formerly known as the Accelerated Learning Centre (ALC), the CEDNER has been constituted to organize both short-term and long-term programmes relevant to the local community and society of the state and the region. Courses offered at the CEDNER respond to local needs, and make institute facilities available for training people from the region during various phases of their business and entrepreneurial activity.
Faculty Development Programme (FDP) The institute also offers programmes for faculty development at regular intervals to help familiarize with current and relevant industry trends and practices.
Course Pedagogy The pedagogy at IIM Shillong follows a case-based system. Participants are provided cases and supplement readings. Analysis and solutions are then discussed in groups with faculty facilitating and grading the dialogue. Participants are also encouraged to undertake projects falling under the purview of the subject and share their learnings with others.
Faculty
The institute has a current faculty strength of 28 permanent faculty and close to 40 visiting faculty. Faculty visiting IIM Shillong are usually renowned professors from institutes across the world.
The former President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, was a regular visiting faculty at the institute, offering courses for the second year students on a variety of subjects. Dr Kalam, on 27 July 2015, collapsed while delivering a lecture on 'Creating a Liveable Planet' at the institute. After being placed in an intensive care unit, Dr Kalam was confirmed dead owing to a sudden cardiac arrest.
International Collaborations IIM Shillong currently has a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nanyang Technological University for the PGPM. MoUs signed previously include those with Drexel University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Hamburg Media School, among others. The PGPEx has a MoU with Ocean University of China, Qingdao, P.R.C and (School of Management) Fudan University, Shanghai P.R.C
Admissions Admission to IIM Shillong is governed by the Common Admission Test (CAT), an annual exam administered by the IIMs for selection into various business schools across India. The selection to IIM Shillong is a multi-stage process that is defined by the admission policy. There are slight variations in the criteria depending on the course applied for.
In 2025, IIM Shillong admitted its first batch of students to the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), a five-year course that combines undergraduate and postgraduate management education. Admissions to the programme are based on the IPMAT (IIM Indore) entrance examination.
Library The library, named as the Exim Bank Knowledge Centre, has books, journals, magazines, and other information resources. The Knowledge Centre is also fully automated with the help of VTLS, maintaining different databases for books, reports, audio cassettes, video cassettes, CDs and journal articles.
Rankings
Outlook I Care has revealed the IIM Shillong Ranking 2021 and the institute is placed 11th among the country's top 50 management schools. According to the NIRF Management Ranking 2022, IIM Shillong is ranked 26th. IIM Shillong is ranked 16th among India's top 100 business schools in the India Today MDRA ranking 2020.
Student life
Student Activities IIM Shillong is a student-run institute with participants taking care of daily functioning of the institute outside academics and administration. This is with a view to provide the participants hands-on experience in everyday management, problem-solving, and event management.
Student committees handle everyday processes such as placements, hostel and IT requirements, student affairs, etc. Clubs are societies that are dedicated to interest in different domains of management and otherwise. They also play pivotal roles in determining electives offered under different domains.
Committees Alumni Committee – provide year-round interfacing between the alumni and institute, primarily over videoconferencing and the alumni portal. Also organize Melange, the annual alumni meet. Cultural Committee – all festive celebrations within the institute and the local community are organized by the Cultural Committee. Other events organized include SPICMACAY concerts and Waltzzz, the annual dance workshop. Hostel Committee – take care of hostel amenities pertaining to stay and food. The committee also organizes the intra-college sports fest, Rannbhoomi. IT Committee – provide IT related solutions to the participants, faculty, and staff. Placement Committee – coordinate Summer Internship and Final Placements for the participants. Public Relations Cell – handle all external communication with the media, corporate, and other institutes. The committee hosts multiple events throughout the year – The Podium, the corporate interaction series; Synergy, the corporate videoconferencing series; and TEDxIIMShillong, an independently organized TED event at IIM Shillong. The PR Cell is also responsible for online presence, institute information, admission mentoring, subscriptions, and merchandising. Sports Committee – responsible for the selection and management of sporting teams representing IIM Shillong. They also organize the Bamboo Premier League and Kopda Cup, auction-based intra-college football and cricket tournaments. Student Council – the apex student body. The Council handles all student affairs and interfaces between students and the administration. They also organize the annual Golf Cup; KhlurThma, the annual management fest; and Udaan, the annual business conclave. Symphony, the Literary Committee – publish the annual institute magazine, Symphony. Also arrange weekly movie screenings and group discussions.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Special Interest Groups are student groups that pursue allied interests. There are a number of SIGs, for various pursuits such as photography, trekking, cinema, gaming, etc.
Internships & Placements