The Indian School of Business (ISB) has been ranked as the best business school from India in the latest Financial Times (FT) Global MBA Rankings 2026. ISB moved up 15 places this year to feature at #12 globally as its flagship Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) was ranked best for the sixth consecutive year in India.
Performance Metrics
ISB’s momentum is driven by its performance in specific parameters. For example, the graduates from the institute were ranked #1 globally for Salary Percentage Increase – 248% to $201,712 – before and after the completion of programme. ISB was also ranked #6 globally for its Alumni Network, reflecting the depth, engagement, and global reach of its alumni community in advancing career and entrepreneurial outcomes.
Deepa Mani, deputy dean (academic programmes) at ISB said that the rankings reaffirms the institute’s mission to develop leaders who will shape India’s next phase of economic growth and global leadership. “Our ranking, alongside a number of Indian schools in the global top 100, is a testament to India’s rising global influence. It also underscores our industry-aligned curriculum which blends academic rigour with real-world relevance. We are proud of our 20,000-plus alumni across 65 countries who are strengthening India’s business landscape, while contributing to organisations and economies worldwide,” she said.
Rising Tide for Indian Management Education
Overall, all Indian b-schools have improved their rankings in the latest edition of the FT Global MBA rankings with nine domestic institutes featuring in the top 100 list, up by one from the last year. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore has witnessed the sharpest jump in rankings, climbing 23 places – from #57 in 2025 to #34 in 2026. This year also saw SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) making a debut at #74 spot.
This is the 27th edition of the FT Global MBA Rankings in which a total of 128 business schools took part in the process. The rankings have been derived from 21 parameters. The alumni responses comprise eight parameters that together contribute 56% of the ranking’s total weight. A further 12 parameters are calculated from school data and account for 34% of the weight. The remaining criterion, the research rank, counts for 10%. The top parameters that determine the rankings include weighted salary, salary increase, value for money, faculty with doctorates, international mobility and alumni network.
“Two business schools achieved gender parity among faculty: the University of Porto – FEP | PBS (Portugal) and Audencia (France). The rest had more male than female academics, with as few as 12% women at XLRI – Xavier School of Management in India,” FT said.
Globally, MIT Sloan School of Management (US) topped the rankings for the first time, beating strong contenders such as Insead, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and IESE Business School. The US represented the highest number of institutes (39) followed by the UK (13).