IIFT vs IIM: Which One to Choose?

IIFT vs IIM: IIMs offer many more courses than IIFTs across various levels. As for IIFTs, the International Business course is known to have been a better specialisation for IIFTs than IIMs.

IIFT stands for Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, one of the central civil service training institutes for Group 'A' staff members, where the Indian Trade Service is a fortified cadre.

IIM stands for Indian Institute of Management, which is an educational and research organisation specialising in business administration courses.

Table of Contents:

• Key Highlights
• Overview
• Campuses
• Eligibility Criteria
• Admission Process
• Entrance Exam
• Courses Offered
• Fee Structure

IIFT vs IIM: Key Highlights

Both the institutes are top management institutes, and MBA students can ultimately gain different benefits depending on what they intend to accomplish, depending upon their skill set and interests.

The key highlights of IIFT vs IIM are mentioned below:

IIFT vs. IIM Key Highlights

Particulars	IIFT	IIM
Full-Form	Indian Institute of Foreign Trade	Indian Institutes of Management
Minimum Eligibility	45 - 50 % in undergraduate course	50 % in undergraduate course
Admission Basis	Entrance-Exam
Entrance Exam	IIFT/GMAT	CAT
Total Campuses	4	20
Focus-Domain	International Business	Business Administration
Level of Courses Offered	Postgraduate, Research, Diploma, Certificate	Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Research, Diploma, Certificate

Also Check: IIM Vs IIT

IIFT vs IIM: Overview

IIFT was founded in 1963 as an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to promote skill development for the Indian external trade industry. IIFT has been recognized as an A-rated institution by the NAAC.

International Business Management and Strategy has become a significant focus of the IIFT over the years, as reflected in its research, training and education programs.

The IIMs are management education and research institutions, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and executive programs and some additional business courses. 

In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the IIMs offer doctoral and executive education. The IIMs are considered one of the best B-schools across the globe.

Also Check: IIM Courses After 12th

IIFT vs IIM: Campuses

Both IIFT and IIM institutes have campuses throughout the country. The following list illustrates the campuses of IIFT vs IIM:

IIFT Campuses

A total of three IIFT campuses are located across the country, and one is located in East Africa. These campuses are listed below:

• IIFT Delhi
• IIFT Kolkata
• IIFT Kakinada
• IIFT Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania)

IIM Campuses

20 IIM campuses are located in different parts of the country. Listed here are these campuses:

• IIM Calcutta
• IIM Ahmedabad
• IIM Lucknow
• IIM Kozhikode
• IIM Indore
• IIM Udaipur
• IIM Bangalore
• IIM Shillong 
• IIM Jammu
• IIM Tiruchirappalli 
• IIM Kashipur
• IIM Raipur 
• IIM Ranchi
• IIM Rohtak
• IIM Sambalpur
• IIM Visakhapatnam
• IIM Nagpur
• IIM Amritsar
• IIM Bodh Gaya
• IIM Sirmaur

Also Check: Why MBA from IIM is so special?

IIFT vs IIM: Eligibility Criteria

Admission to either of the institutes is subject to several minimum requirements. IIFT vs IIM eligibility requirements are as follows:

IIFT Eligibility Criteria

IIFTs require the following prerequisites for admission:

• Unreserved category candidates must graduate from a recognized university with a minimum of 50%. 
• A minimum of 45% is required for reserved categories, such as ST/SC/PWD.
• For foreign applicants, a valid GMAT is required.
• No upper limit is specified for Indian candidates for admission. 

IIM Eligibility Criteria

IIMs require the following prerequisites for admission:

• 50% aggregate in undergraduation scores or equivalent CGPA.
• Applicants in their final year of graduate school may also apply provided they have at least 50%.
• A valid score in the CAT examination.

Also Check: How to Get into an IIM?

IIFT vs IIM: Admission Process

Both institutes follow a particular admission procedure to ensure a smooth admission process. Listed below are the admission criteria for IIFT vs IIM: 

IIFT Admission Process

IIFT admission and selection consists of four steps:

1. The National Testing Agency will conduct a computer-based test for admission to Global MBA programs.
2. A Writing Ability Test is conducted to measure the candidate's writing abilities and subject knowledge.
3. For the round of Group Discussion, a shortlist of students based on their test scores is generated.
4. Personal Interviews will be conducted with a distinct focus on goals, achievements, knowledge and awareness.

In most cases, all abilities tests are given on the same day. However, for IIFT Delhi & IIFT Kolkata, a cumulative weighted score is taken into account depending on the examination rules of the particular year.

Also Check: How to Prepare for IIFT Exam in 3 Months?

IIM Admission Process

IIM admissions and selection are divided into four steps, which are listed below:

1. The CAT exam is required.
2. Those who qualify for the CAT cutoff are further called for group discussion and personal interviews.
3. Candidates' composite scores are determined by specific parameters such as grades in classes 10 and 12, graduation marks and PI scores, and academic and gender diversity. 
4. Final admission lists will be published following an assessment of the above factors.

Also Check: IIM or ISB

IIFT vs IIM: Entrance Exam

The entrance exams for admission to IIFT and IIM vary. For IIFT, the entrance exam is known by the institute's name, IIFT and is conducted by NTA, National Testing Agency.

Whereas, to enrol in an IIM, a CAT, Common Admission Test, is considered, conducted by TCS, Tata Consultancy Services.

Also Check: Last Minute Tips for IIFT

IIFT vs IIM: Courses Offered

Numerous courses are offered at IIFT and IIM institutes. However, these courses differ. The courses offered by IIFT vs IIM are mentioned below for better understanding:

Courses Offered at IIFT

The courses offered by IIFTs are listed below:

Courses Offered by IIFT

IIFT Campus	Program(s) offered
IIFT Delhi	MBA International Business
	MBA International Business (Weekend)
	Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Business
	Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Marketing
	Executive Post Graduate Diploma in Capital & Financial Markets
	Certificate Program in Export Management (On campus)
	Certificate Program in Capital and Financial Markets (On Campus)
	Certificate Program in Global Trade Logistics and Operations
	Ph.D. Program
	Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Business (through VSAT) in 91 cities across India
	Executive Post Graduate Diploma Program in International Business Strategy (thru NIIT Imperia Platform)
	Post Graduate Certificate Program in Business Management (thru Talentedge)
IIFT Kolkata	MBA International Business
	MBA International Business (Weekend)
	Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Business
	Certificate Program in Export Management (On campus)
	Hybrid Certificate Program in Export‐Import Management (CPEIM)
	Ph.D. Program at Delhi and Kolkata
IIFT Dar-es-Salaa	MBA International Business

Also Check: IIFT Registration 

Courses Offered at IIM

The courses offered by various IIMs are mentioned below:

Courses Offered by IIM

IIM Campus	Program(s) offered
IIM Ahmedabad	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPX) / Executive Post Graduate Program in Management (EPGP)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Armed Forces Program in Business Management (AFP)
	Post Graduate Program in Food and Agri-business Management (PGP- FABM)
	ePost Graduate Program (ePGP)
	Faculty Development Program (FDP)
IIM Bangalore	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPX) / Executive Post Graduate Program in Management (EPGP)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Post- Graduate Program in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM)
	Post- Graduate Program in Enterprise Management (PGPEM)
IIM Calcutta	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPEX)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	PGPEX-VLM (Post Graduate Program for Executives for Visionary Leadership in Manufacturing)
	Post Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics (PGDBA)
	CEMS MIM: Master’s in International Management
IIM Jammu	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
IIM Kozhikode	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Executive Post Graduate Program in Management (EPGP)
	Post Graduate Program in Business Leadership (PGP-BL)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Management Development Program
IIM Nagpur	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
IIM Ranchi	Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)
	Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGEXP)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Post- Graduate Program in Enterprise Management (PGPEM)
	Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management(PGDHRM)
	Certificate Program in General Management (CPGM)
IIM Sambalpur	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
IIM Sirmaur	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM)
IIM Udaipur	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPX)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	MDP for Women Entrepreneurs (MDPWE)
IIM Amritsar	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
IIM Bodh Gaya	Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)
IIM Indore	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Executive Post Graduate Program in Management (EPGP)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Integrated Program in Management (IPM)
	Post Graduate Program in Management Mumbai (PGP- Mumbai)
	Post Graduate Diploma Program in Management for Executives (Modular)-PGPMX- offered in Mumbai
	Fellow Program in Management (Industry)
	Post Graduate Program in Human Resource Management (PGP-HRM)
IIM Kashipur	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Executive Post Graduate Program in Management (EPGP)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Executive Fellow Program in Management (EFPM)
IIM Lucknow	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Executive Fellow Program in Management (EFPM)
	Post Graduate Program in Agri-business Management (PGP- ABM)
	Post- Graduate Program in Sustainable Management (PGP- SM)
	Post-Graduate Program in Management for Working Executives (WPM)
	Management for Executives (IPMX)
IIM Raipur	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Post Graduate Program in Management for Working Executive (PGPWE)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Executive Fellow Program in Management (EFPM)
IIM Shillong	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Post Graduate Program for Executives - Managing Business in India and China (PGPEx- MBIC)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
IIM Rohtak	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM)
	Executive Post Graduate Program in Management (EPGP)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
IIM Tiruchirappalli	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM)
	Fellow Program in Management (FPM)
	Post Graduate Program in Business Management (PGPBM)
IIM Visakhapatnam	Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
	Post Graduate Certificate Program in Business Management for Experienced Professionals

Also Check: IIM Admission Criteria

IIFT vs IIM: Fee Structure

The fee structure for IIFT and IIM varies significantly, as different courses require a different fee. The fee structure of IIFT vs IIM is mentioned below:

IIFT Fee Structure

Below is the average fee structure for different IIFTs:

IIFT Fee Details

IIFT Campus	Average Fees (INR)	Fee Details
IIFT Delhi	15 lakhs - 17.70 lakhs	IIFT Delhi Fee
IIFT Kolkata	6.80 lakhs - 7.60 lakhs	IIFT Kolkata Fee

Also Check: IIFT Selection Criteria

IIM Fee Structure

The average fee structure of all IIMs are mentioned below:

IIM Fee Details

IIM Campus	Average Fees (INR)	Fee Details
IIM Ahmedabad	28,00,000 - 32,00,000	IIM Ahmedabad Fee
IIM Bangalore	23,50,000 - 24,50,000	IIM Bangalore Fee
IIM Calcutta	25,00,000 - 27,00,000	IIM Calcutta Fee
IIM Kozhikode	17,50,000 - 20,50,000	IIM Kozhikode Fee
IIM Lucknow	14,05,000 - 19,25,000	IIM Lucknow Fee
IIM Udaipur	13,00,000 - 16,54,000	IIM Udaipur Fee
IIM Raipur	14,20,000 - 15,84,000	IIM Raipur Fee
IIM Visakhapatnam	11,00,000 - 15,04,000	IIM Visakhapatnam Fee
IIM Rohtak	14,00,000 - 15,20,000	IIM Rohtak Fee
IIM Sambalpur	10,50,000 - 13,00,000	IIM Sambalpur Fee
IIM Tiruchirappalli	11,80,000 - 14,00,000	IIM Tiruchirappalli Fee
IIM Ranchi	10,10,000 - 15,30,000	IIM Ranchi Fee
IIM Sirmaur	10,34,000 - 12,50,000	IIM Sirmaur Fee
IIM Bodh Gaya	10,50,000 - 15,55,000	IIM Bodh Gaya Fee
IIM Jammu	8,52,000 - 13,80,000	IIM Jammu Fee
IIM Amritsar	10,50,000 - 13,20,000	IIM Amritsar Fee
IIM Kashipur	12,00,000 - 15,42,000	IIM Kashipur Fee
IIM Shillong	14,37,500 - 14,60,000	IIM Shillong Fee
IIM Indore	16,00,000 - 21,17,000	IIM Indore Fee
IIM Nagpur	13,75,000 - 18,00,000	IIM Nagpur Fee

Also Check: Total Seats in IIM