Admission Process

The Exec-PhD programme is a part-time PhD Program designed to equip scholars with the essential competencies for identifying research gaps within diverse management research domains and for conducting high-quality research. The Exec-PhD seeks candidates with exceptional academic credentials, intellectual curiosity, and the discipline needed to make significant scholarly contributions. The Exec-PhD programme is dedicated to nurturing individuals to excel in their specific research areas through high-quality publications.

The objectives of the Exec-PhD programme are:

• To encourage scholars to carry out research in the field of applied management issues, leading to publication in internationally reputed research journals and finding solutions to real-world management problems.
• To equip scholars with the necessary understanding and skills to identify research ideas to explore complex issues in the field of applied management.
• To develop expertise among prospective scholars for careers in management research and teaching, thereby creating impact on management theory and practice.

• Business Communication
• Economics
• Finance & Accounting
• Information Technology & Systems
• Marketing
• Operations Management and Decision Sciences
• Organizational Behavior & Human Resource Management
• Public Policy
• Strategy

Educational Qualification:

Candidates for the programme must have one of the following qualifications obtained from any of the universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India, or equivalent qualification from an institution approved by AICTE, or equivalent qualification from the recognized foreign institutions.

a. A Master's degree or equivalent in any discipline with at least 60% marks (OR)

b. Five years integrated Master’s Degree Programme in any discipline with at least 60% marks, obtained after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent (OR)

c. A professional qualification duly recognized by UGC/AICTE/AIU equivalent to Master’s degree (like CA, CMA, CS) with at least 60% marks or equivalent grade point average (OR)

d. 4 years / 8-semester Bachelor's degree (B.E./B.Tech. /B. Arch. etc.) with at least 60% marks or equivalent grade point average.

Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years of full-time work experience after graduation.

As per Government of India requirements, 27% of the seats are reserved for Other Backward Classes candidates belonging to the “Non-Creamy” layer (NC-OBC), 15% for Scheduled Caste (SC), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, 10% for students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) as statutorily defined and 5% for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (DAP).

As defined in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act 2016), “person with benchmark disability” means a person with not less than forty percent (40%) of a specified disability where specified disability has not been defined in measurable terms and includes a person with a disability where specified disability has been defined in measurable terms, as certified by the certifying authority. “Specified disability” means the disabilities as specified in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016. The categories of disability are:

• blindness and low vision,
• deaf and hard of hearing,
• locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy,
• autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness,
• multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d), and
• other ‘specified disabilities’ mentioned in ‘The Schedule’ of the RPwD Act 2016.

The candidates belonging to categories for which seats are reserved need to note and read carefully the eligibility requirements before applying. It should be noted that while it is the endeavor of IIM Kashipur that the candidates belonging to NC-OBC/SC/ST/EWS/DAP categories join the programme in proportions mandated by the law, they have to meet the eligibility criteria and a certain minimum level of performance in the selection process to be considered for final admission.

The thesis needs to be submitted (internal thesis defense) within 5 years from the date of the beginning of the programme, which can be extended by a maximum of one more year.

The candidates will be shortlisted (on the recommendation of the respective areas) based on the information provided in the application form. The following points provide details:

1. Test score requirement

The candidates satisfying the academic eligibility criteria as mentioned above should submit their application online. Eligibility also means candidates require a standard test score, from any one of the acceptable tests (not older than three years as on the last day of application submission) (except for the IIMB test score which should be of the same year) for the area(s) of specialization they are applying to, as shown below.

Table: Test scores

Table: Cutoff scores**

Note: ** These cut-off scores are subject to revision.

• Applicants opting for GMAT or GRE should upload a copy of their official GMAT scores along with the application. Applicants who have not received the official score card, should upload the TEST TAKER COPY along with the application, but submit the OFFICIAL SCORE CARD before the interviews.
• Applicants opting for GATE or UGC/CSIR-JRF/NET score should upload their valid SCORE CARD along with the application.
• Applicants opting to take the IIMB Test should choose this option in the application.

2. Based on the applications received, candidates satisfying the Academic eligibility criteria and acceptable standard test score, the shortlisting will be done by the respective Areas and candidates will be called for the Personal Interview (PI) which will be conducted at IIM Kashipur (online or offline mode) in April (tentatively). PI determines the academic preparation of the candidate for the specific area he/she has applied. An applicant can apply at most to two different areas of specialization.

3. IIM Kashipur also expects a consistent and minimum performance under different parameters of Personal Interview (PI), which will be decided by the Admissions Committee. Candidates not meeting the minimum performance in any of the PI parameters will not be considered for the next stage of the selection process.

4. Final selection will be based on the requirements of the academic area to which the candidate has applied and an area-wise offer list that will be prepared by the Areas only.

Only the candidates satisfying the requirements mentioned in the earlier stages will be considered for the final selection. Category-wise and Academic Area-wise merit lists will be generated based on the performance in the Personal Interviews and the provisional admission offers will be made.

All matters related to admission in the Exec-PhD programme at IIM Kashipur is governed by the Admissions Committee.

Total fee of the Exec-PhD Programme is Rs. 12,50,000 (Rs. Twelve Lakhs Fifty Thousand only). One-time acceptance fee of Rs. 50,000/-(Rs. Fifty Thousand only) (non-refundable) is required to be paid before commencement of the programme in the academic year into which the candidate is selected for admission.

The balance Rs. 12,00,000/- (Twelve Lakhs only) will be paid as mentioned below in the beginning of the respective years.

• First year: 4.5 Lakhs
• 2nd year: 4.5 Lakhs
• 3rd year: 1 Lakh
• 4th year: 1 Lakh
• 5th year: 1 Lakh

Additional Caution Deposit (refundable): Rs. 10,000/- one-time fee payable during registration.

*If the scholar submits the thesis before the beginning of 5th year, the remaining fee must be paid before the internal thesis defense.

*An additional fee will be charged for the sixth year if the scholar is granted an extension.

If a candidate is applying through the IIMB Test, the payment for the test has to be made separately to the IIMB following the link posted on the IIM Kashipur Exec-Ph.D. Admission page.

Candidates seeking admission to the programme are required to submit an online application on or before 28 February 2026. Hard copy of the application is not required.

For any technical query/problem during filling of an application form, please contact - admissions[dot]support[at]iimkashipur[dot]ac[dot]in.

For any query related to the application process, you may please contact –

Admissions Office: admissions[at]iimkashipur[dot]ac[dot]in.
+91- 7900444091 (Ext-324, 327, 335 and 502)