IIM Indore is in the "maybe another CAT attempt" tier per the 99.9+ ranker - worth considering a drop year if you missed IIM A/B/C/FMS. At IIM Indore (Rs 16.
5L fees, Rs 25 LPA avg, 97%+ CAT cutoff), the placements are solid but significantly below god-tier. The ranker's opinion that IIM Indore is standalone in its tier reflects that it sits above Shillong/MDI but below Kozhikode/Mumbai. IIM I has strong HR programme and decent consulting placements; the 16.
5L fees give good ROI even at the Rs 25 LPA average. Drop year rationale: if you have 8.5+/8.
5+/8+ acads and confidence in 99.5+ percentile retake, drop year for IIM A/B/C/FMS could yield Rs 10+ LPA salary boost long term. Counter-argument: IIM I alumni reach senior leadership across industries; 2 years of MBA + 10 years work equals same destination as IIM A alumni for most career paths.
The math: Rs 16.5L fees + Rs 15L opportunity cost = Rs 31.5L invested for Rs 25 LPA average.
vs IIM A: Rs 27.5L + Rs 15L = Rs 42.5L for Rs 35.
22 LPA average. Delta is Rs 10 LPA = 3 year payback vs 2 year. Drop year adds another Rs 15-20L opportunity cost.
Target IIM I if admission is confirmed and you're 90% confident drop year won't yield significantly better. Take IIM I if your acads are below 8 in any section. Check your eligibility at collvera.