The institute expects to disclose the list of shortlisted candidates in the first week of March 2026. Personal interviews will be held in April 2026, with the list of selected candidates being revealed in the third week of April 2026. Finally, acceptance of the offer and payment of the predetermined fee will be required in the first week of May 2026. Only candidates who have been shortlisted/selected will receive an email.

Areas of Specialisation

The PhD program is provided in a variety of subjects, including

• Agri-Business Management

• Economic and Business Environment

• Business Sustainability

• Communication & Decision Sciences

• Finance & Accounting

• Human Resource Management

• Information Technology and Systems

• Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain Management

• Strategic Management

Financial Support

IIM Lucknow provides institutional financial support to full-time PhD candidates. Support includes-

• Monthly stipend- Rs 35000 or Rs 40000

• Contingency grant- Rs 50000.

• One-time computer purchase grant- Rs 50000

• Total travel grant- Rs 1.60 lakh.

• Domestic travel grant- Rs 1.60 lakh.

• Data collection grant- Rs 50000.

Rankings

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow is a leading management school.

• 57th place in the Financial Times (FT). 

• Global Business School Rankings 2025 (Top 100).

• Ranked #26th in the LinkedIn Global B-School Rankings of 2025 (Top 100).

• NIRF is the fifth best management institute in India.

Eligibility

The applicants must have one of the following qualifications.

• The candidates applying for the positions should have a Master's degree or equivalent in any subject with a minimum of 55% marks (50% for SC/ST candidates), 

• A Bachelor's degree in Engineering with a minimum of 75% marks (70% for SC/ST candidates)

• Professional qualifications such as CA, ICWA or CS with a minimum of 55% marks. Moreover, the candidates must have obtained a minimum of 55% in all public exams, right from the secondary level.

Entrance Exam Requirement

The shortlist for the interview will be done on the basis of the actual scores obtained in CAT, GATE, GRE, GMAT or JRF/SRF (UGC/CSIR/ICAR) examinations. Scores achieved only on or after January 1, 2024 will be considered valid.

Overseas applicants include NRIs and foreign nationals who will be evaluated on the basis of their GMAT or GRE scores issued within the last one year.

Application Fees and Age Limitation

Applicants must be under the age of 55 as of June 30th, 2026. The application cost for general category candidates is Rs. 1000, and for SC/ST category candidates it is Rs. 500, both payable online.

Program Duration and Facilities

The PhD is a full-time residential program. Candidates joining in the first year are expected to complete the program in four and a half years while those who join in the second year are expected to finish the program in three and a half years. For the first two years, students attend classroom courses, which is followed by research and thesis work. 

Accommodation on campus for married students with their immediate family is also provided at IIM Lucknow. 

All candidates are instructed to visit the official website of the IIM Lucknow for detailed guidelines and applications.