It is true that a person’s caliber can in no way be judged from the Business School that they have graduated from. In practice, however, things work very differently.

The general assumption is that if a candidate has secured a top rank in one of the most challenging exams and studied one of the top curriculums in the country, then they are really good in their field.

IIM A, B, and C have been around for a very long time and its graduates have carved a niche for themselves in the corporate world. Most companies in India and many abroad have IIM A, B, and C graduates in top positions. The alumni spread the goodwill of these institutions in silicon valley and other parts of the world, leading to international repute. These institutions are ‘brands’. An IIM A, B, and C brand opens numerous opportunities for you.

Judging IIMs based on ROI solely is not wise. Most IIM graduates end up paying their loans in a period of 3 to 5 years. Also, keep in mind that salary does not remain constant, it keeps increasing each year. Even if you take a loan to fund your MBA, it will be worth it.

If you get the opportunity to study at IIM A, B, or C you should grab it at the earliest.

VMMC attracts a major crowd of NEET toppers. It is the most chosen college after MAMC. There are several reasons why many people choose VMMC over KGMU.

Mandatory rural service is the biggest disadvantage of KGMU. Those planning for a PG/superspeciality especially find this service period unnecessary and time-consuming. Moreover, VMMC is located in Delhi. This makes it more favorable. Though I personally feel Lucknow offers almost every facility. Internal PG reservation also works in the favor of VMMC. 

KGMU is ranked much higher than VMMC. The education at KGMU is much better too. Despite this, VMMC is preferred because of the above reasons.

Honestly speaking all the B Schools you mentioned are just glamorous brand names with no real value. The placement scenario is very pathetic here as the companies that visit are looking for students who can work at fewer salaries. Only the extremely meritorious students get good packages and that too is rare.

So I will suggest that if you have scored 95+ in CAT, then you are capable of more. So work hard and target a better B School next year. Remove these colleges from your list of options and attempt CAT again.

If you are not very sure about attempting CAT again then prepare yourself for a package as low as 5-6 LPA.

In terms of NIRF 2023 Management Rankings, IIM Bangalore ranked higher than IIM Calcutta. Even in the FT Global rankings 2023 for MBA, IIM Bangalore ranked 52, whereas IIM Calcutta ranked 76. 

The alumni of IIM Bangalore are more into research and academia.IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta were open to private-sector jobs since their establishment. IIM Bangalore, on the other hand, was established to produce public sector managers. It was opened for private sector jobs in the late 1990s. IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta had a headstart there which is why they have a greater number of notable alumni in the private sector. Even then, IIM Bangalore does have a good number of alumni in the private sector.

IIM Bangalore is an institution of global recognition and repute. It will offer you all the opportunities and necessary guidance to become successful in your career.