Mohali, Apr 07: As the Indian School of Business (ISB) marks 25 years since its founding, the institution celebrated the graduation of the 25th cohort of its flagship Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP). A total of 808 students from the PGP Class of 2026 received their degrees at ceremonies held at the School’s Hyderabad and Mohali campuses. The graduation programme at the Hyderabad campus was held on April 3, 2026.
The graduation ceremony today at the Mohali campus commenced with a ceremonial procession led by Professor Madan Pillutla, Dean, ISB, Mr Harish Manwani, Chairperson, ISB Executive Board, Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairperson, ISB Mohali Campus Advisory Board, along with the Chief Guest – Francesca Cornelli, Dean – Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and senior faculty members.
Launched in 2001, the ISB PGP was India’s first one-year, full-time residential management programme for experienced professionals. Built to develop leaders for India and the global economy, the programme continues to evolve with changing business needs through flexible, action-based learning. Across 25 PGP cohorts, it has graduated more than 14,000 professionals from diverse backgrounds and industries.
Francesca Cornelli, Dean of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, stated that the latest cohort of Indian School of Business graduates is entering the professional world at an incredibly transformational moment. With artificial intelligence reshaping industries and global economic systems evolving rapidly, she emphasised that expectations of business leadership have fundamentally changed. Leaders are no longer expected solely to deliver profits, but rather to navigate uncertainty, inspire confidence, and build bridges across stakeholders in an increasingly polarised world. Highlighting the enduring twenty-five-year partnership between Kellogg and ISB, Dean Cornelli noted that as India emerges as a central force in global innovation, ISB’s graduates possess a unique opportunity to shape the global future. She concluded by urging the graduates to utilise their education to connect diverse ideas and people, reminding them that true progress and lasting impact come from remaining curious, collaborating across boundaries, and leading with unyielding integrity.
Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairperson, ISB Mohali Campus Advisory Board, highlighted that the Indian School of Business has established global credibility by embodying an ethos of integrity over its twenty-five-year journey. Addressing the Silver Jubilee cohort, he emphasised that the current era of geopolitical and technological disruption means static knowledge quickly expires. He urged the graduates to continuously innovate and remain connected to broader societal needs. Drawing upon traditional philosophy, Mr. Mittal concluded by advising the alumni to navigate future adversities with patience and to always approach life with a profound sense of gratitude.
Professor Madan Pillutla, Dean, ISB, asked the 25th graduating cohort to separate signal from noise and speak truth to power, especially when it is uncomfortable. He urged graduates to use their education to systematically tackle complex problems, rather than deferring hard choices. Reflecting on the silver jubilee, Dean Pillutla stated that marking 25 successful years is not the same as being satisfied. He promised that ISB will continue to shape analytically rigorous leaders who do not just follow the world, but shape it.
Kritika Garg was awarded the ISB–Parmeshwar Godrej Award, recognising an exemplary woman student from the graduating class with a strong commitment to social causes.
Placement Highlights
The ISB PGP Class of 2026 received 1,117 job offers. Consulting, Technology, and BFSI sectors remained the primary drivers of hiring. Accenture led recruitment with over 100 offers, followed by recruiters including Mastercard and EY GDS, with each extending more than 40 offers. The School also saw strong hiring from consulting firms such as McKinsey & Company, BCG, Bain & Company, Deloitte, while the technology segment saw recruiters such as Amazon, Browserstack, Genpact, Google, IBM, InMobi, Razorpay, Uber, etc provide offers. The BFSI companies that provided offers to ISB’s Co26 included Ambit Private, Avendus Capital, Barclays, DC Advisory, DSP Asset Managers, Gaja Capital, Jefferies India, Kotak Mahindra Capital, Nomura, Xander Group, etc. while FMCG companies such as ITC, P&G, Tata Consumer Products, AB inBev, L’oreal, Landmark UAE provided offers. The companies in the Ecommerce segment that provided offers included Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Swiggy, Zomato (Eternal), etc.
This year, the school reported a widening of the recruiter base, with 25 first-time recruiters joining campus placements, including UBS, Reliance Foundation Hospital, NTT Data and Terradata, while international offers increased to 30 up from 26 offers in 2025. The PGP strength in enabling career mobility was reflected in the outcomes, with 67% of students moving to a new industry and 69% shifting to a new function.
The average salary for the Co2026 stands at ₹37.29 lakh per annum, reflecting an increase of approximately 11% from the last cohort. The annual average CTC of ISB’s 25th graduating cohort this year, after the placement season reflects an increase of 156% as compared to the cohort’s average pre-ISB CTC.
As the ceremonies concluded with the traditional hat toss, the graduates celebrated the culmination of a transformative journey. The PGP Class of 2026 now joins ISB’s global network of leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators shaping industries and institutions across India and the world.
Ranked 12th globally in the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026, ISB has grown into a globally recognised institution with more than 20,000 alumni across 60+ countries, with over 800 C-suite leaders, 1,200+ entrepreneurs, and 13 unicorns. The School’s strength is anchored in 70+ resident faculty and more than 890 peer-reviewed publications, while its wider education portfolio has trained more than 13,000 government officials.
25 years ago, the Indian School of Business was established by visionaries from academia and industry to develop leaders who can navigate complex global business and societal challenges. The School continues to focus combining rigorous research, strong teaching by global faculty across disciplines, and industry relevant curriculum.
