Freshers at top IIMs face a real disadvantage during placements because consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) and investment banks prefer candidates with 1-2 years of relevant work experience. At IIM Ahmedabad (Rs 27.5L fees, Rs 35.
22 LPA avg), roughly 25-30% of the batch are freshers, and they typically get fewer day-zero shortlists than experienced peers. IIM Bangalore (Rs 26.2L fees, Rs 34.
88 LPA avg) and IIM Calcutta (Rs 27L fees, Rs 34.23 LPA avg) follow similar patterns. Freshers still get placed but often in general management rotational programs rather than MBB consulting or bulge bracket IB.
The thread's consensus was that going at 19-20 with zero work experience is actually suboptimal because you lose the network leverage and industry context that 2-year workex provides. If you are a fresher at IIM A, you need to hustle harder in case competitions, case prep groups, and live projects to compete for premium roles. Alternatively, work 18-24 months at a Tier 1 tech firm, bank, or consulting analyst role, then enter MBA at 23-24 with a sharper profile.
The exception is if you got into IIM A/B/C as a fresher from IIT/NIT with 9+ CGPA, where you will still do fine. For non-IIT freshers with weak acads, workex is non-negotiable. Check your eligibility at collvera.