Which course is better for HR, IMC Delhi or XIMB?

The School of Human Resource Management at XIM University originated from XIMB’s HR specialization program and has been shaping HR professionals since 1987. The students of the school are grounded in the vision and values of excellence and ethics set by XIM University. SHRM USA recognizes the School of Human Resource Management's curriculum as meeting worldwide standards. It is India’s top B-school in HR and has a large alumni network. The placements of the MBA - HRM program at the School of Human Resource Management achieved an average CTC (Cost to Company) of 16.64 LPA (Lakhs per annum) and the highest domestic salary of 32.21 LPA in various domains such as Talent Acquisition, HR Advisory, Learning and Development, HR Analytics, Industrial Relations, HR Business partnering, etc., for the batch of 2021-23.

Which college should I choose for a rural management course, KIIT or XIMB Bhubaneswar?

There is no doubt that students should choose XIMB. It truly has a strong brand of academics in Management Studies at both the national and international levels. XIMB Rural management students receive 100% placement every year, not only in banks and companies but also in many government agencies. The highest package offered was of 17 LPA and the average package offered is of 8 LPA. The Infrastructure and campus at XIMB create a diverse setting for students to study in. Over 25 years of rural management experience and direct exposure to fieldwork. All of this influences students' decisions to invest their money at XIMB. Criteria KIIT University Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) Ranking #44 in NIRF 2021 #31 in NIRF 2021 Student Intake (MBA) 600 360 Average CTC Offered (MBA) INR 6.5 LPA INR 15.42 LPA Top Recruiters Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Accenture, Cognizant, Deloitte, Capgemini Deloitte, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Steel, Vodafone, Amazon, Flipkart Notable Alumni Manoj Nayak, Satya Prakash Panda, Monica Das, Dutee Chand Naveen Jindal, B. Muthuraman, Ashok Soota, Anil Swarup On the basis of comparison table also XIMB is better when compared to KIIT.

What are the prospects for Urban Management and Governance at XIMB? How are the placements?

The answer is based on the interviews of first and second-year students of MBA - Urban Management & Governance. Course: MBA in Urban Management and Governance helps students develop the talent in the development and management of smart and sustainable city infrastructure which includes the following: Financing Contracting and partnership arrangements for transportation systems Housing and real estate Housing finance Water and waste management Sustainable urban development e-governance arrangements Urban environmental management Leisure and tourism Recruiting Sectors Many domains of both public and private sector offer roles to students from Urban Management and Governance (UMG) such as Consulting firms Infrastructure development companies Urban Development Authorities and various Government Departments Special Purpose Agencies created through Public-Private-Partnerships managing Smart Cities NGOs UN Organizations International Development Agencies Multilateral Agencies Recruiters The various companies and NGOs that have hired students of UMG are - Ernst and Young, Jones Lang LaSalle, GIZ, Spectrum Technologies, CRISIL, Janagraha and many more. Future prospects: Graduates of the MBA-UMG Program can pursue further study in Ph.D. programs in a number of disciplines like Urban Development Housing Transportation Public Policy Planning Governance Urban Finance Real Estate My personal advice would be to go for this course. Experience in this field will upscale your resume and make you appear unique among many others.

Which has the best program for rural management, XIMB, IRMA, or the Indian Institute of Rural Management at Jaipur?

IRMA seems to have it all - top faculty, great infrastructure, excellent campus, and extensive exposure. It is well known for its specialization in Rural Management and becomes the best choice when it comes to RM aspirants. Before I go on, let me clarify a much common misconception about the Rural Management and Development Sector. The assumptions that the pay in the Development sector is extremely low and IRMA provides no corporate exposure are outright false. I know a friend who gave up a scholarship at another B School for Rural Management at IRMA. He made this decision despite knowing it will be more hectic because of the 3 field components unlike 1 in the case of other B Schools. There is an additional social sector course like Rural Society and Polity for instance. The main purpose of these courses is to broaden your tour horizon as IRMA serves the majority of the Indian population living in villages, who have a different set of problems and require a different type of thinking to solve them. IRMA has 2 camps - pro-market and pro-development that respect each other. Such harmony leads to a better understanding of both pros and cons, and students can initiate a response to an emerging economy. This field required an emphatic and sensitive attitude with monetary benefits not being the primary goal. The earning capacity is not exactly poor and the placement figures reveal 100% opportunities. Additionally, IRMA’s Social Entrepreneurship Cell is a haven for future entrepreneurs. IRMA boasts of a rich alumni culture because they take pride in being an IRMAn which was possible after multiple efforts and hard work. The alumni connection ensures constant motivation and advice shared based on real-life experiences. Overall IRMA offers a roller coaster of experiences you won’t forget in your entire life.

How do the new HR programs of IIM Ranchi, NMIMS, and XIMB measure up to the established ones of XLRI, TISS, MDI and SCMHRD?

The simple answer to your question is no, the new HR programs of IIM Ranchi, NMIMS, or XIMB are not at par with the established ones XLRI, TISS, MDI, and SCMHRD. The established programs especially that of XLRI are the epitome of HR programs. They cannot be compared to the new ones at any given level or parameter. Faculty: The professors of XLRI are renowned throughout the industry for their competency. They specialize in almost every domain one can think of be it Law, Competency Modeling, Compensation, or Performance Management. Peers: It’s the cream students who get the opportunity to get into a prestigious college like XLRI. You can see tough competition between the finest students at college. Every individual has a valuable opinion and stands to contradict others. Their thinking pattern is broad and given a case study, they look at all angles from accounting to finance to laws while proposing the solution. The situation at TISS is also quite similar. Now one can say that the curriculum can be replicated and learned faculty can be sought to match the quality of the HR program at these institutes. But the truth is faculty and curriculum are the main but not the only factors that determine an institute's worth. Its own culture, ethics, and background have a lot to do with the programs it offers. So one cannot match XLRIs programs no matter how much they try.

Is XIMB HRM worth the 17 lakh fee? Will the XUB thing have any impact?

There is no such course as XIMB HRM. The HR School of XUB, XAHR, offers the HRM course. Pursuing this degree is certainly worth the money invested. Xavier School of Human Resource Management placements has an average CTC of INR 12.9 LPA. While the highest CTC goes up to INR 22.5 LPA. Many students get salary packages in INR 20 LPA slab. The XUB thing hasn’t made any major impacts. The faculty is same, the selection criteria are same, and so is the list of recruiting companies.

What is the expected NMAT cut-off for XIMB courses?

Since last few years, XIMB started receiving NMAT courses for admission to some of their flagship courses, i.e. HRM, RM, XSOS, UMG. There is no specific cutoff and the yearly numbers vary. But usually, the cutoff for these courses is in the range of 170-190. You should note that XIMB doesn’t consider NMAT scores for courses like Business Management or Global Management.

XIMB Ph.D Business Management: Fees 2026, Course Duration, Dates, Eligibility

Fee Component	Amount (Rs.)
Annual Program Fee	Not publicly disclosed (covered by scholarship or fee waiver)
Refundable Deposit (One-Time)	20,000
University Scholarship (for eligible scholars)	30,000 per month for 4 years from doctoral registration
Tuition Fee Waiver (for non-scholarship scholars)	Full tuition fee waiver

XIMB Ph.D. Admission 2026

Admissions to the Ph.D. Full-Time program at XIMB for the 2026 batch are now closed, with the application deadline having been February 28, 2026. The XRAT and interviews were scheduled for April 2026, with results expected in May 2026 and the program commencing in June/July 2026. For the 2027 batch, the application window is expected to open around November-December 2026. Candidates must apply online at applyphd.xim.edu.in and also appear for XRAT (unless exempted by UGC NET-JRF).

Ph.D. Admission Activity Dates

Activity	Date
Last Date for Online Application	February 28, 2026
XRAT (XIM Research Aptitude Test)	April 2026 (Tentative)
Research Presentation and Admission Interviews	April 2026 (Tentative)
Declaration of Admission Results	May 2026 (Tentative)
Issuance of Admission Letter	May 2026 (Tentative)
Program Commencement (Coursework Begins)	June/July 2026 (Tentative)

Note: No external entrance exam (CAT/XAT/GMAT) is required. XRAT is conducted by XIM University. UGC NET-JRF (Category 1) holders are exempted from XRAT.

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Master's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with at least 55% marks in aggregate from a recognized university (for XIMB's Xavier Institute of Management school).
Alternatively, candidates with a 4-year/8-semester Bachelor's degree (BE/BTech etc.) with a minimum CGPA of 7.5/10 or equivalent are also eligible (they undergo pre-doctoral coursework in Year 1).
SC/ST candidates get a 5% relaxation in the minimum marks requirement.
Candidates must submit a Statement of Purpose (SoP) along with the application.

Admission Process

Fill out the online application form at applyphd.xim.edu.in and pay the application fee.
Shortlisting is done based on academic records and Statement of Purpose (SoP).
Shortlisted candidates appear for XRAT (XIM Research Aptitude Test) - a 3-hour test covering writing ability, verbal ability and comprehension, reasoning, and quantitative aptitude (100 marks total). UGC NET-JRF (Category 1) holders are exempted.
Shortlisted candidates then appear for Research Presentation and Personal Interview.
Final selection is based on XRAT score, Research Presentation, and Personal Interview performance.
Admission offers are issued in May; scholars confirm admission and pay the refundable deposit.
Program commences in June/July with the Student Admission and Mentorship Program.

Scholarship/Support	Eligibility	Amount	Duration
University Scholarship	Merit-based; determined from admission results; must not be receiving any other financial support	Rs. 30,000 per month	4 years from doctoral registration
Full Tuition Fee Waiver	Scholars not qualifying for University scholarship	Full tuition fee waived	Entire program duration
On-Campus Accommodation	Scholarship recipients	Free residential accommodation on campus	Duration of scholarship
UGC JRF Fellowship	UGC NET-JRF (Category 1) qualified candidates	As per UGC norms (currently Rs. 37,000/month for first 2 years, Rs. 42,000/month thereafter)	As per UGC norms

XIMB Ph.D. FAQs

Ques. What is the difference between Category I (Domain Candidates) and Category II (Other Candidates) in the XIMB Ph.D. program?

Ans. Category I (Domain Candidates) are those who have the requisite domain-level qualification (e.g., MBA, M.Com, M.Sc. in relevant fields) received within the last 5 years. They directly proceed to doctoral coursework in Year 1. Category II (Other Candidates) are those who do not meet the domain qualification requirement, including candidates with a 4-year Bachelor's degree. They undergo domain-related master-level courses in Year 1 before proceeding to doctoral coursework in Year 2. The expected thesis submission timeline is also different: Category I scholars are expected to submit by the end of Year 4, while Category II scholars by the end of Year 5.

Ques. Is UGC NET mandatory for admission to the XIMB Ph.D. Full-Time program?

Ans. No, UGC NET is not mandatory. Candidates can appear for XRAT (XIM Research Aptitude Test) conducted by XIM University as part of the admission process. However, UGC NET-JRF (Category 1: JRF) holders are exempted from XRAT. UGC-NET (Category 2: Assistant Professor or Category 3: Admission to Ph.D.) holders may also appear for XRAT to become eligible for the University scholarship.

Ques. Can I pursue the Ph.D. while working? Is there a part-time option?

Ans. The program listed here is the Full-Time Ph.D., which requires scholars to be present on campus and is not compatible with concurrent employment. However, XIM University also offers a Part-Time Ph.D. program for working professionals, with an annual fee of Rs. 1,00,000 per year. Interested candidates should check the Part-Time Ph.D. admission page at xim.edu.in/admission/phd-part-time/ for details.

Ques. What are the research areas available under the Ph.D. in Business Management at XIMB?

Ans. The Ph.D. in Business Management at XIMB (Xavier Institute of Management school) covers six broad research areas: (1) Accounting and Finance, (2) Economics, (3) Strategy and General Management, (4) Information Systems, (5) Marketing, and (6) Operations Management and Decision Science. Each area has multiple sub-topics. The preferred area of research is indicated at the time of application but is formalized only by the end of the doctoral coursework.

Ques. What is the XRAT, and how should I prepare for it?

Ans. XRAT (XIM Research Aptitude Test) is a 3-hour test conducted by XIM University as part of the Ph.D. admission process. It assesses writing ability, verbal ability and comprehension, reasoning, and quantitative aptitude, with a total of 100 marks. The questions are a mix of subjective and objective types. Sectional cut-offs are applied, and candidates not meeting them are rejected. Sample questions and guidelines are available on the official website at xim.edu.in/admission. Candidates should focus on research writing, critical reading, logical reasoning, and basic quantitative skills.

Ques. What career opportunities are available after completing a Ph.D. in Business Management from XIMB?

Ans. A Ph.D. from XIMB (XIM University) opens doors to academic positions (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor) at IIMs, IITs, central universities, and reputed private B-schools. Alumni have also moved into research roles at think tanks, policy organizations, and corporate research divisions. The AACSB accreditation of XIMB adds international recognition to the degree, making it valuable for academic positions abroad as well. The institute actively supports scholars in publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at international conferences, which strengthens their academic profile.

XIMB Ph.D Business Management: Fees 2026, Course Duration, Dates, Eligibility

Table of Contents

XIMB Ph.D. Fees

Fee Components

XIMB Ph.D. Admission 2026

Ph.D. Admission Activity Dates

Eligibility Criteria

Admission Process

XIMB Ph.D. Scholarships 2026

Scholarship Details

XIMB Ph.D. FAQs

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