Is FORE Delhi MBA worth the 27 lakh fees considering batch size increase and placement concerns compared to TAPMI?

The decision here involves real trade-offs, and we want to lay them out clearly rather than give you a false hierarchy.

The specific situation we're addressing: FORE Delhi (Core track) at 23L fees plus 4L hostel costs, weighed against TAPMI (both Core and AI&DS tracks) and GLIM Gurgaon, with a 43 waitlist position at BIM Trichy still in play. Here's what the picture looks like across each dimension.

On FORE vs. TAPMI Core

The balance of experienced opinion leans toward TAPMI Core over FORE Core, assuming you receive that conversion. That's the more commonly held view, and it's worth taking seriously. That said, we've also seen this pushback: some who argue for TAPMI Core are themselves on FORE's waitlist, which introduces a natural bias in how these comparisons get framed. Neither perspective should be dismissed — but weigh the source.

The placement concern at FORE is substantial

This is the most important data point in this decision. From what we've tracked through alumni and recent graduate conversations, approximately 30% of FORE's batch remained unplaced in final placements this year — that's roughly 200 students. The context matters here: FORE increased its batch size to 720, and that expansion appears to be straining placement outcomes meaningfully. If you're paying 27L all-in (23L fees + 4L hostel), a 30% unplaced rate in a 720-person batch is a risk you need to price in explicitly, not optimistically.

There's a secondary transparency concern: average SIP stipend data for FORE is not publicly available, which makes independent ROI assessment harder than it should be at this fee level.

On TAPMI AI&DS specifically

Most experienced voices we've encountered treat this as the riskier option among the TAPMI tracks. It's a newer program with a small cohort of approximately 30 students — and notably, 10 to 12 students have reportedly dropped out of that cohort already. A small and shrinking batch in a newer specialization creates real uncertainty around placement infrastructure and employer familiarity. FORE Core or TAPMI Core would both be safer bets than TAPMI AI&DS for most profiles.

On your preferred specialization (IT & Operations)

Operations is worth scrutinizing here. It's an older specialization, and the current market demand relative to newer tracks isn't particularly clear-cut. If IT & Operations is your primary reason for preferring FORE, that reasoning deserves a second look before it drives a 27L decision.

GLIM Gurgaon as an alternative frame

We've seen other students in identical conversion situations — holding both FORE Core and GLIM Gurgaon offers — lean toward GLIM specifically because of batch size and campus environment concerns. That's a meaningful data point. It suggests the value proposition at FORE, at this fee level and with this batch size, is genuinely questionable for a non-trivial share of aspirants doing careful analysis.

The practical reality

If you've already left your job and another CAT cycle is the only alternative, the calculus shifts. Sitting out a year has real costs — financial, psychological, and in terms of career momentum. In that context, joining immediately at either FORE or TAPMI Core is likely preferable to deferring. Geography (Delhi vs. Manipal vs. Gurgaon) and living costs are real factors but secondary to the placement and batch-size concerns outlined above.

The honest summary: TAPMI Core, if you get it, is the more defensible choice at this juncture. FORE at 27L is not an unreasonable path, but the batch expansion and the 30% unplaced figure are not small concerns — they deserve honest weight, not optimistic discounting.