December 2023, Gurgaon & Chennai: Great Lakes Institute of Management, one of India’s top-ranked business schools with campuses in Chennai and Gurgaon, is having its Cycle 2 application deadline on 2nd January, 2026.
Great Great Lakes offer a One-Year full-time Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM) for Professionals with 2+ years experience and a two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) for graduates with 0-3 years experience. Students can apply with their CAT/XAT/GMAT or NMAT (PGPM only) scores. Both Great Lakes campuses are in the NIRF rankings under management category and Great Lakes Chennai has the distinction of being the youngest and one of the only 11 b-schools in India to have the prestigious double crown of global accreditations with AACSB (US) and AMBA (UK) accreditations, apart from being in the Tier 1 category of the domestic NBA accreditation. Great Lakes is also ranked 3rd by Outlook India in top standalone institutions and 9th by Business Today in top private Indian b-schools.
Some of the highlights of the Great Lakes programs include:
- World Class Faculty: 25+ International visiting faculty from the likes of Kellogg, Stanford, Yale, etc. and 50+ renowned full-time faculty offer unparalleled learning and global perspectives.
- Innovative Curriculum: Great Lakes has been a pioneer in introducing Analytics, AI, and Machine Learning specializations in its MBA programs. In addition, specializations in Marketing, Finance, Operations, and Digital Strategy are also offered.
- Globally Benchmarked: Great Lakes is among the 10 top Indian B-Schools to be double crowned with the prestigious AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) accreditations. The institute also has collaborations with Top Global B-Schools and Universities like Bordeaux, SKEMA, EDHEC, IPAG, HHL Leipzig, Bologna, Pace University, University of Huddersfield, IÉSEG, and many more.
- Experiential Learning: Emphasis on experiential learning, which helps put into action the concepts learned in class through Karma-Yoga, the Leadership Experiential Action Program (LEAP), Empirical Studies, insights from distinguished thought leaders and student-driven initiatives.
- Diverse Peer Group: Great Lakes encourages diversity in class and its PGPM students have over 1000 years of collective work experience across industries and functions.
- Campus: The pristine campus of Great Lakes Chennai is Asia’s 1st LEED Platinum Rated campus. The Gurgaon campus is a state of the art facility and is located in the corporate hub of Delhi-NCR.
About the one year PGPM
The PGPM, offered at both the Chennai and Gurgaon campuses, is Great Lakes’ flagship one-year, full-time MBA program designed for professionals with 2+ years of experience seeking an accelerated career transition. Developed in consultation with industry leaders and CXOs, the PGPM 2.0 features a refreshed, industry-aligned curriculum with unique new specializations in Product Management, Consulting, and Data Science, alongside core disciplines such as Marketing, Finance, and Operations. Impact Skill Labs in Data Visualization, Storytelling, and Managerial Communication further enhance practical learning.
The program continues to deliver strong career outcomes. For the Class of 2025, the average CTC stood at ₹17.8 lakhs, reflecting a 2.7x increase over the average pre-MBA CTC.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum of 60% across 10th, 12th, and graduation
- Valid GMAT/CAT/XAT/NMAT scores (best score considered)
- Minimum 2 years of full-time work experience as of April 30, 2026
About the two year PGDM
The PGDM, offered at both the Chennai and Gurgaon campuses, is Great Lakes’ two-year, full-time MBA program designed for fresh graduates and early career professionals with less than three years of work experience who are looking to build a strong foundation in management. The program combines rigorous academic learning with extensive mentorship from a distinguished faculty body to shape early management trajectories.
A key feature of the PGDM is its corporate internship with top recruiters, which provides first-hand exposure to real business environments. Students secure internships with marquee organizations such as Bain, Deloitte, EY, Godrej, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and JP Morgan Chase & Co., enabling them to develop practical skills and industry-ready competencies from the outset of their careers. The PGDM Class of 2025 recorded an average CTC of ₹15 lakhs and highest CTC offered was ₹39.8 lakhs.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Valid GMAT/CAT/XAT scores (GMAT after Jan 1, 2023; CAT 2024/2025; XAT 2025/2026)
- Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 60% across 10th, 12th, and graduation
- Freshers and candidates with less than 36 months of work experience as of May 30, 2026
Great Lakes has 15,000+ alumni spread across 30+ countries, with several of them in leadership positions across top brands like Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Google, Meta, EY, Visa, PepsiCo, Accenture, etc. If you are ready to be one of them, start your application before 2nd January 2026.
About Great Lakes Institute of Management
Established in 2004, Great Lakes Institute of Management is one of India’s leading business schools, consistently recognized for its academic rigor, industry-aligned curriculum, and future-focused pedagogy. With campuses in Chennai and Gurgaon, Great Lakes offers globally benchmarked management programs that integrate innovations like AI, Analytics, Digital Strategy, etc., preparing professionals to lead effectively in today’s evolving global business environment.
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