The Government of India, directed by the Ministry of Education launched the NIRF to rank higher education institutions on various parameters including teaching, learning resources, research, graduation rate, outreach, inclusion and peer view. These rankings provide a valid and transparent evaluation of institutions across the nation.

For students of management NIRF rankings are of extreme significance as they help them find the best business schools offering good education, quality professors, industry connections, internships and placement opportunities. A well-ranked management institute often indicates better infrastructure, learning environment and recruitment opportunities so that students can make wiser decisions while applying for an MBA or similar courses. Recruiters also refer to these rankings, which may impact job placements and networking sessions. Consequently NIRF rankings are a sound guide for students wanting to enhance their managerial careers.

Top Gainers: IIMs in NIRF 2025

Indian Institutes of Management based in Tiruchirapalli and Sambalpur have made dramatic rises and in rank positions in the NIRF 2025 from 2024. The below table identifies these institutions and their corresponding improvements:

Factors Contributing to Improved Rankings

A number of key variables have resulted in the enhanced performance of these IIMs.

Increased Research Output: IIM Lucknow have increased their research papers, patents and consultancy projects which has led to increased Research and Professional Practice rankings.

Improved placement rate: Improved placement rate and median salary have positively contributed to the graduation outcomes metric, which means graduates will have better job prospects.

Improved Industry Collaborations: Institutions have forged stronger industry connections, which have improved their internships, live projects and placement opportunities, increasing their Teaching, Learning and Resources scores.

Top Loser IIMs in NIRF Rankings 2025

A few IIMs had lower ranks in the NIRF 2025 management list compared to 2024. IIM Shillong and IIM Amritsar experienced the biggest declines dropping 14 and 17 spots respectively. 

Factors Behind NIRF 2025 Management Rankings Changes

The National Institutional Ranking Framework 2025 introduced some significant changes in the rankings of India's management institutes.

1. Addition of the Sustainable Development Goals Category

A new category based on Sustainable Development Goals was introduced in the NIRF 2025 rankings which is significant. The institutions were evaluated based on how well they were aligned with the SDGs including measures on environmental sustainability, social responsibility and governance. This effort stressed the importance of institutions' role towards broader societal goals which had an impact on their overall rankings.

2. Use of Negative Marking for Withdrawn Research Papers

In a bid to enhance the integrity and credibility of research studies the NIRF 2025 introduced a policy of negative marking for withdrawn studies. This action tried to deter the propagation of doubtful findings while ensuring academic excellence.

3. Emphasis on Data Driven Assessment

The NIRF 2025 rankings favored data driven assessment over subjective judgement. Institutions needed to provide credible statistics across a range of indicators such as teaching quality, research output, placements and infrastructure. This methodology aimed to make the ranking process transparent and just.

4. Greater focus on industry partnerships and placement

Those with high industry linkage and placement rates saw their positions improve. For instance, IIM Tiruchirapalli improved by 11 positions to the 16th rank due to efforts in the improvement of teaching, research, infrastructure and industry interface.

5. Influence of Infrastructure and Research Spending

Those institutions that had invested in the development of infrastructure and research initiatives reaped a substantial improvement in their ranks. 

IIM Ranking 2024 and 2025

NIRF 2025 rankings for IIMs show both consistency and a major change from 2024. The positions of IIMs in 2024 and 2025 are displayed in the table below:

Conclusion

The NIRF 2025 rankings reflect a more comprehensive and evidence based method of evaluating management institutions. The addition of new categories and policies and an emphasis on transparency and industry interaction have transformed India's environment for management education rankings. Institutions that had adjusted to these changes and proved competence on several parameters experienced their rankings improve.