Outlook-ICARE Rankings 2026: Institutions - Gold Standard For

A total of 20 schools in India are gold standard and have made the cut for Outlook-ICARE Rankings for India's Best B-Schools 2026. Here's the complete list

Updated on: 22 October 2025 4:31 pm

S. NO.	INSTITUTION In Alphabetical Order	DISTINCTIVE STRENGTH / GOLD STANDARD DESCRIPTOR
1	INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) AHMEDABAD	Global benchmark for academic rigor case-based pedagogy and thought leadership; its Centre for Innovation Incubation & Entrepreneurship (CIIE) has shaped India’s start-up landscape.
2	INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) BANGALORE	IIM with cutting-edge research in leadership and policy; home to NSRCEL one of India’s top university incubators.
3	INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) CALCUTTA	India’s financial and analytics powerhouse; combines legacy excellence with innovation through its Finance Lab.
4	INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE (IIFT) NEW DELHI	India’s apex institution for international trade and business strategy; integrates policy research with practical trade management education.
5	INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREST MANAGEMENT (IIFM) BHOPAL	Only MoEFCC institute blending environment forestry and livelihoods with modern management.
6	IISM (INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SPORTS MANAGEMENT) MUMBAI	India’s first and most recognized sports management institute; Khelo India partner grooming professionals for sports business events and analytics.
7	IITTM (INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TOURISM AND TRAVEL MANAGEMENT MINISTRY OF TOURISM) GWALIOR	Ministry of Tourism’s apex institute delivering India’s most comprehensive MBA in Tourism Travel and Destination Management.
8	INDIAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (ISB) HYDERABAD	India’s premier global business school offering world-class one-year management programs with international faculty research excellence and deep corporate and policy linkages through centers such as the Bharti Institute of Public Policy and the Max Institute of Healthcare Management.
9	INSTITUTE OF RURAL MANAGEMENT ANAND ANAND	India’s pioneer in rural management education; built the leadership backbone of the cooperative and development sectors.
10	LM THAPAR SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT DERA BASSI (THAPAR INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY PATIALA)	A unique tech-driven management school bridging engineering excellence with business leadership; focuses on digital transformation sustainability and analytics-led management education with a global curriculum.
11	MUDRA INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATIONS (MICA) AHMEDABAD	India’s only management school focused on strategic marketing brand and creative communications.
12	NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION MANAGEMENT (MANAGE) HYDERABAD	National pioneer in agri-business management; shaping agri-value chain professionals since 1996.
13	NISM (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SECURITIES MARKETS SEBI) NAVI MUMBAI	Established by SEBI India’s financial regulator NISM is the country’s apex institution for capital markets education policy research and investor protection training.
14	PRIN. L. N. WELINGKAR INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH (WESCHOOL) MUMBAI	Recognized for innovation-driven learning and the introduction of Design Thinking in management education; fosters entrepreneurial and creative problem-solving skills through interdisciplinary projects and innovation labs.
15	RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL AVIATION UNIVERSITY (RGNAU) AMETHI	India’s only central university dedicated to aviation studies developing leadership for airline logistics and airport management sectors.
16	SP JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH (SPJIMR) MUMBAI	A pioneer in value-based leadership and experiential learning integrating social sensitivity and innovation into management education through its flagship programs like Development of Corporate Citizenship and Global Fast Track.
17	SRM FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SRMIST KATTANKULATHUR	Multidisciplinary university known for combining technology and management; offers industry-oriented programs emphasizing innovation entrepreneurship and global employability through strong corporate and international collaborations.
18	SIES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS STUDIES NAVI MUMBAI	Pioneering institution catering to the needs of the Pharmaceutical industry and offers education on industry specific subjects like Pharmaceutics Physiology GMP Pharma Marketing (including Product Management Brand Building New Project Launch and Sales Force Management) IPR Drug Regulation International Marketing
19	T. A. PAI MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (TAPMI) MANIPAL	Institution emphasizing data-driven decision-making finance and analytics; houses one of India’s few Bloomberg Finance Labs and integrates live projects with industry mentoring and research.
20	XLRI – XAVIER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT JAMSHEDPUR	One of India’s oldest and most respected management schools known for its emphasis on ethical leadership human values and people-centric management education; globally recognized for excellence in HR and organizational development.