PGP eligibility and requirements
PGP
Eligibility and Requirements
- Early Advantage for Rising Talent
- Who Are We Looking For
- Admissions Process
- Application Stages
- Key Application Components
Early Advantage for Rising Talent
Final-year undergraduate/postgraduate students and professionals with less than 2 years of work experience may now apply directly to our PGP YL programme. Note that the previous deferred entry routes have been discontinued in favour of this streamlined approach for early career talent.
Who Are We Looking For
The Post-Graduate Programme in Management is designed for ambitious professionals ready to lead, manage and grow businesses globally. Our class of 800+ students represent incredible diversity in talent, experiences, perspectives and purpose. Yet, they are also defined by certain shared characteristics:
Analytical Thinking
We are looking for individuals who can identify the pressing problems that confront modern businesses and society, think through them critically, and design creative and holistic responses. Analytical thinking will be evident in your academic capacity, professional work, academic and professional achievements, career aspirations, and the impact that you seek to create at and beyond ISB.
Demonstrated Leadership Potential
We are looking for individuals who are empathetic, effective communicators, and can inspire and motivate others to contribute and create impact. Leadership potential will be evident in your professional work, interpersonal skills, and contributions outside your work or school.
Commitment to Growth
We are looking for individuals who are curious, seek to broaden their perspectives, learn from their failures, and are engaged in continuous learning and growth. Your commitment to growth will be evident in your response to setbacks, initiatives that you have taken, your professional growth, and your engagement with the community you inhabit.
Next Application Deadline
Round 1: September 14 2025
Admissions Process
The PGP admissions process evaluates applications through a comprehensive assessment of academic credentials and scores, professional work experience, essays that speak to analytical thinking, leadership potential and commitment to growth, and any other accomplishments that you seek to highlight. Our structured assessment examines each candidate's unique strengths and their alignment with the programme’s mission and values to bring together a cohort with diverse experiences and perspectives that help our classrooms and community thrive. Below, you will find a detailed explanation of the PGP application process, including key application components. We look forward to knowing more about you through your application.
Application Stages
The admission process comprises a structured and systematic evaluation that passes through the following stages. As you progress through the stages, you will receive email notifications from the Admissions Office. You can also track the progress of your application on the application portal.
| Stage 1: Application Submission | Assemble the key application components and submit your complete application along with all required supporting documentation online on the admissions portal before the application deadlines. The section on “Key Application Components” provides details on what you need to prepare to submit as part of your application. |
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Stage 2: Application Verification |
As a next step, we will verify the completeness and accuracy of your application within 20 days of submission. We will check whether all necessary supporting documents such as proof of identity, academic certificates and transcripts, professional documents, amongst others, have been submitted. We will also verify the contents of your application vis-à-vis the supporting documents. In case of any missing document or mismatch of information, we will communicate the same to you, and you will have 3 days’ time to address any insufficiency. Once the verification is complete, your application will be marked as ‘Verified’ in the application portal. Only verified applications proceed to further evaluation. |
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Stage 3: Interview Shortlist |
All ‘Verified’ applications undergo a structured review of academics, relevant test scores, professional experience, extracurricular activities, essays, awards and recognitions, and recommendations. We follow a holistic evaluation approach, wherein all aspects of your profile are given due weightage to arrive at a final profile score. This enables the candidates to play to their strengths and balance their profiles across various parameters. The holistic selection process ensures selection of a diverse cohort with a wide range of test scores. |
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Stage 4: Interview |
After your application has been verified, you may be invited to an interview. Interviews last around 30 minutes and are conducted by a panel comprising ISB faculty, alumni and senior staff. As part of your application, you can indicate your preferred interview location from a list typically including Tier-1 cities. You may also choose the option of Virtual interview. If shortlisted, you will receive an email notification 3-7 days prior to your scheduled interview. The Admissions Office decides your interview location, considering your preference and availability. |
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Stage 5: Admissions Committee Review |
Following interview feedback, applications undergo a comprehensive evaluation before presentation to the Admissions Committee, comprising faculty and alumni, who make the decision on the final offers. |
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Stage 6: Decision Notification |
Candidates are informed of the final decisions via email according to the published timeline for their respective application rounds. |
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Stage 7: Scholarship Decision |
Shortlisted applicants may be invited for scholarship interviews based on multiple criteria. Following these interviews, the Scholarship Committee conducts a thorough review, and the decision is communicated to the applicants. |
Your PGP online application comprises essential components designed to capture your distinctive background in a systematic manner. Below, we detail what you need to prepare to submit as part of your application.
Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised institution. Three-year undergraduate programmes are common in the Indian education system and are fully acceptable.
We require uploaded transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate academic institutions you have attended (full- or part-time). You may initially submit unofficial transcripts; however, we will request official documentation for verification purposes should you receive an offer of admission to ISB.
When evaluating your academic record, our Admissions Committee considers your complete profile, not just grades. We examine your institution, course selection, and performance trajectory. We understand diverse grading systems across diverse universities. While there is no minimum percentage or CGPA requirement, successful candidates typically demonstrate strong academic capabilities. Your undergraduate performance represents just one dimension of our holistic evaluation process.
Share your comprehensive work experience by listing all roles and employers. For multiple positions within the same company, you can group them together or separate them by teams and projects. For each role, provide your designation, employment type and sub-type, compensation, duration, industry, and function. Mark your current employment status if you are still working and include any side projects or part-time roles alongside your primary positions. Whether you've worked across different industries or advanced within one organization, this section captures the breadth and depth of your professional journey. Use your essays and interviews to provide additional context about experiences that shaped your career path.
Note: The PGP is designed for students who have full-time work experience of 24 months, and the Admissions Office looks for this as a requisite in candidates prior to enrolment.
This section enables you to list awards from any stage of your life, providing space to offer context on why you were selected. Select awards that carry personal significance rather than merely listing them—take time to reflect thoughtfully on why they matter to you and how they shaped your journey. This reflection helps us understand what motivates you beyond your professional life.
You can include achievements from college, work, and extracurricular activities pursued with passion to create impact—professional awards, academic recognition, extracurriculars, and patents awarded. We seek significant milestones and community/societal contributions that have influenced your development. For truly exceptional achievements like patents awarded, military medals, or national/international recognition, there's a dedicated checkbox requiring supporting documentation. Consider whether your selected awards provide insight into who you are outside work.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT, 10th Edition or Focus Edition) is a prerequisite for admission. There is no minimum GRE or GMAT score needed to apply, and we do not have a preference toward one test or the other. When submitting your application, you may provide the unofficial GRE or GMAT scores given on the day of the test, or your official score if you have received it.
Every applicant must have the testing agency send an official score report directly to ISB. A valid and verified test centre-based score, no older than five years from the application deadline, is needed to be admitted to the programme.
Be advised that to apply in the 2026-2027 cycle, GRE or GMAT scores must be dated between these dates:
Round 1: September 15, 2020 — September 14, 2025
Round 2: December 8, 2020 — December 7, 2025
Round 3: January 26, 2021 – January 25, 2026
Please note that the ISB code for the GMAT is N2D-J5-01 and the ISB code for the GRE is 7010 or 7892
Essays help us understand you beyond test scores and application narratives, revealing your values, goals, drivers, and contributions. These essays must complement your application to provide a complete picture, offering new information rather than rehashing existing details.
You will complete two mandatory essays and may submit one optional essay. The Leadership Essay (400 words) explores meaningful personal or professional experiences that shaped your journey, what they taught you about people and driving change, and how they influenced your leadership aspirations.
The Learning Approach Essay (400 words) addresses the impact you seek to create, your short- and long-term goals, and how ISB's unique resources will help you achieve them.
The Optional Essay (250 words) allows you to share intellectual pursuits, cultural insights, or distinctive experiences that shaped your worldview and could contribute to our learning community. Take time to reflect deeply and ensure your authentic voice emerges—your essay should be uniquely yours, not applicable to someone else.
Next Application Deadline Round 1:
September 14 2025