The Top 20 management institutes in the country have been divided into two broad categories. Please note a numerical ranking often does not have a sound scientific basis. The parameters and, more importantly, the weightages given to these tend to be extremely subjective. The resultant rankings too, are thus subject to many fierce debates. In this case, we have used our extensive student database and experience in the field to categorise the top institutes.

Broadly, these categories are meant to aid the students in applying to institutes. Within a category, the institutes are of approximately the same quality. Of course, the categorisation is only indicative and students should make independent inquiries before taking a final decision about which institutes to apply to.

The TOP 10 institutes in the country are the so-called 'Ivy-League' institutes that every student dreams of getting an admission into. Many of these institutes are comparable with the best institutes in the world. Indeed, some of them regularly feature in the lists released by international business magazines.

These institutes invariably have a 100% placement record. Even the not-so-good students at these institutes manage to get very good jobs on account of the rub-off effect of the institute. The "A+" category of institutes are those that fall into the Top 20 category. They offer a high quality of education in terms of faculty quality and infrastructure facilities. These institutes usually have a 100% placement record. Only the poor performers at these institutes may have some difficulties regarding placements. Some of the top students at these institutes should be able to secure placements that are comparable to those offered at the Top 10 institutes. Most students should be more than happy to join these institutes if they are able to get admission. Top 10 (in alphabetical order) - India's Best Management Institutes 1.   Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi 2.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad 3.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore 4.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta 5.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore 6.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode 7.   Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow 8.   Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad (one-year course) 9.   Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai 10. Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur "A+" Category (in alphabetical order) 1.   Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi 2.   Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi 3.   Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon 4.   Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad (MICA) (for Marketing/Advertising) 5.   Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai 6.   National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai 7.   S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai 8.   SJM School of Management, IIT, Bombay 9.   Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune 10. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai