IIM Ahmedabad’s blended MBA in analytics and AI opens its second batch: round-1 applications close on 2 November

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has opened admissions to the second batch of its two-year Blended MBA in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, known on campus as BPGP: BA & AI. The institute announced the new batch at an event on its Ahmedabad campus on 14 October 2026. The programme is for working professionals and entrepreneurs who want an MBA without leaving their jobs. Classes are held live online, and participants also come to campus for modules in person.

Admission timeline, 2027-29 batch

Step	Round 1	Round 2
Application portal opens	5 September 2026	3 November 2026
Last date to submit the application with fee	2 November 2026	20 December 2026
Admit card (IIMA test takers only)	16 November 2026	29 December 2026
IIMA Admission Test	22 November 2026	10 January 2027
Interview shortlist	30 November 2026	18 January 2027
Interviews with IIMA faculty	5 to 13 December 2026	22 to 31 January 2027
Final selection	21 December 2026	10 February 2027

IIMA says these dates can change without notice, so check the programme page before each step.

Who can apply

• A bachelor’s degree, or CA, CS, ICWA or CMA, in any discipline, with at least 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA.
• Full-time work experience as on 31 March 2027: at least three years after a three-year degree, or at least two years after a four-year degree. Entrepreneurs qualify too.
• A CAT, GMAT or GRE score from a test taken on or after 1 January 2022. GMAT Classic and GMAT Focus Edition scores are both accepted.
• No score? You can take the IIMA Admission Test for BPGP: BA & AI instead: a 90-minute test in quantitative aptitude, analytical reasoning and verbal aptitude, held at centres across India.
• The Government of India’s reservation policy for EWS, NC-OBC, SC, ST and PwD candidates applies.

What it costs

• Application fee: ₹2,000 if you apply with a CAT, GMAT or GRE score, and ₹5,000 if you take the IIMA test.
• Total programme fee: ₹21,00,000, paid in stages. The first step is a non-refundable commitment fee of ₹1,00,000, followed by six instalments from 31 March 2027 to 30 November 2028.
• The fee does not cover travel and accommodation for the campus modules.
• IIMA lists education-loan products from Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, Punjab National Bank and IDFC First Bank on its admissions page.

What you study

• Six terms over two years. The first year is core courses. The second year adds electives and projects, including capstone and action-learning projects.
• The course mixes management subjects such as finance, marketing, operations and strategy with statistics, analytical modelling, machine learning and AI.
• There is a one-year exit option. Leave after the first year and you get a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Analytics and AI, and you can come back in a later year to finish the MBA.
• The programme replaces IIMA’s 16-month ePGD-ABA analytics diploma. The first batch of the MBA started in 2026.

What to do now: if you have the work experience and a recent CAT, GMAT or GRE score, the round-1 deadline of 2 November gives you about two and a half weeks. If you plan to take IIMA’s own test, choose that option in the application portal. Before you commit, work out the full cost, including campus travel and stays, and talk to your employer about time off for the campus modules.

CareerBox News Desk — reporting on the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad’s admissions pages for the Blended MBA in Business Analytics and AI (BPGP: BA & AI), 2027-29 batch, and the institute’s announcement of the second batch on 14 October 2026. Official portal: iima.ac.in/academics/MBA-BPGP-BA-AI. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.