Tier-II cities like Lucknow, Pune and Coimbatore are driving up the numbers
MUMBAI: The race for the IIMs just got tougher. Applications for the Common Entrance Test (CAT) have soared by 26% this year which means each seat will have 170 contenders. A total of 1,700 seats are up for grabs in the six premier B-schools across the country.
Interestingly, though there has been an overall rise in the number of applicants, it’s Tier-II cities that have spurred the numbers.
A total of 2.9 lakh students will take the CAT this year as compared to 2.3 lakh last year. This year, there are an additional 200 seats too. Besides the IIMs, several other management institutes also use CAT scores for admission.
“We have got around 60,375 applications this year from Delhi and Lucknow centres. Though the applicants have risen by 19% in Delhi, in Lucknow [tier II city], applications have shot up by almost 90% in the past two years. One reason for this could be the increasing popularity of CAT,” says Saji Nair, chairperson (admissions) at IIM Lucknow.
“Many new B-schools have come up in the North and they have also started accepting CAT scores and this could also be a factor that’s driving up the numbers,” adds Nair.
As compared to the 19% in Delhi’s applicants and an 18% hike in Mumbai, the numbers are higher in cities like Noida (25%), Coimbatore (27%), and Gurgaon (21%).
Satish Deodhar, chairperson (Admissions), IIM-Ahmedabad, says applications in Pune have gone up tremendously.
“It has always been an education hub and the awareness about the opportunities after CAT is increasing, which was not there earlier,” he added.
Deodhar added that the rise in Ahmedabad centre (which also comprises Mumbai) is not as much as the Bangalore centre (which comprises Pune). The increase in Ahmedabad centre is only by 18%, whereas the Bangalore centre has seen a rise of 28%.
Some experts also feel that the perception about an MBA is changing for young people in tier II cities. “The increase is all-round. Even applications in Mumbai and Delhi are going up, but for people in tier II cities, an MBA is a passport to success. They were not aware of the avenues that an MBA degree offered earlier,” says Aks Srinivasan of TIME, a coaching institute.
Srinivasan says candidates are moving from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to metros like Mumbai and Delhi only to get trained for CAT. “We are also noticing the same shift in towns like Akola and Aurangabad in Maharashtra,” says Srinivasan.
While increasing awareness is one factor, the global market crash may also be playing a role in the interest in an MBA. “There’s been a rise every year. In 1997, there were just a few thousands appearing for the CAT, while the increase is manifold today. This year, students might be worried about the US meltdown and the fear might be forcing many candidates to acquire an MBA due to job uncertainty in the future,” says Shiva Kumar, director (academics), Career Launcher, an institute which grooms candidates for the CAT.
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