Are old IIT MBA programmes better than baby new IIMs for placements?

The short answer is: yes, in most cases, old IIT MBA programmes beat baby new IIMs on placement outcomes - but the gap is narrower than the IIT brand name might suggest, and the right answer depends on your functional interest.

Programme-Level Comparison

For context, older established IIMs sit well above both groups - IIM Lucknow at approximately Rs 32 LPA (2024 batch) and IIM Kozhikode at approximately Rs 30 LPA (2024 batch) with fees around Rs 22-24L range. Those beat all IIT MBA programmes on average placement numbers.

Why Old IIT MBAs Generally Win

The IIT brand does real work in industry. Recruiters who might not know IIM Sirmaur by name will absolutely recognise IIT Delhi or IIT Bombay. Beyond brand, a few structural advantages matter:

• Tech-adjacent recruiter relationships. Companies like Flipkart, Amazon, Accenture, and Deloitte actively visit old IIT campuses for product management, operations consulting, and analytics roles. Baby IIM campuses see fewer of these firms.
• SCM and operations depth. Tata, Reliance, and L&T have longstanding relationships with IIT programmes, particularly for supply chain and manufacturing-adjacent roles. This is a genuine placement pipeline that most baby IIMs cannot replicate yet.
• Research faculty quality. IIT MBA students often have access to faculty with stronger industry research networks, which feeds into live project opportunities and niche recruiter relationships.

Where the Old IIT Advantage Does Not Apply

Students often find that old IIT MBA programmes are not a natural fit for core finance, brand management, or HR-focused careers. The recruiter mix skews heavily toward operations, product, and tech.

If your target is investment banking, FMCG marketing, or HR specialisation, a baby IIM with a dedicated specialisation track may actually be a better fit - though the placement averages at baby IIMs remain low.

The honest framing is: old IIT MBA > baby IIM for operations, SCM, product management, and tech-adjacent consulting. For core finance or marketing, neither group competes with older IIMs like Lucknow, Kozhikode, or Indore.

The IIM Trichy Exception

Among the newer IIMs, IIM Trichy is a frequently cited outlier. Students and recent batches consistently describe its placements as approaching old-IIT levels, driven by strong alumni mentoring networks and its location advantage in South India's industrial corridor.

If you are comparing options and Trichy is on your list, treat it separately from the other baby IIMs.

Eligibility Filter to Check First

Not all old IIT MBA programmes are open to everyone. IIT Bombay SJMSOM and IIT Roorkee restrict admission to engineering graduates.

IIT Delhi DMS, IIT Kharagpur VGSoM, and IIT Madras DoMS admit non-engineers as well. If you are from a commerce, science, or arts background, this is a real filter before you build your shortlist.

You can compare eligibility across these programmes to see where you stand.

Functional Fit - Quick Summary

• Operations, SCM, supply chain: Old IIT MBA is the stronger choice.
• Product management, tech-adjacent consulting: Old IIT MBA, particularly SJMSOM and DMS.
• Core finance, investment banking: Neither group is competitive. Target older IIMs or FMS/JBIMS if scores permit.
• Marketing, brand management: Baby IIMs with marketing specialisation tracks, though placement averages are modest.
• HR: XLRI or older IIMs with HR programmes are the natural destination.

The placement gap between old IIT MBAs and baby IIMs is real and consistent across recent batches. The caveat is that "better placements" at an IIT MBA means better operations and tech outcomes - not necessarily better outcomes in every function.