How long are MBA summer internships at top IIMs and what is the typical stipend range?

MBA summer internships at top IIMs last 8 to 10 weeks, running from late April through mid-July after your first year. Stipends span a wide range, from ₹10,000 per month at NGOs and early-stage startups to ₹3.5 lakh per month at marquee consulting firms, making sector choice the single biggest lever on your internship earnings.

Duration and Timing

Most IIMs schedule the Summer Internship Program (SIP) between the third and fourth terms. IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta follow a strict 8-week window, typically starting in the first week of May and wrapping up by late June or early July. Some newer IIMs allow up to 10 weeks depending on the recruiter's project requirements. The internship is mandatory for graduation and, critically, it feeds the Pre-Placement Offer (PPO) pipeline. At IIM Bangalore, roughly 30-35% of the batch converts their internship into a full-time PPO each year.

Stipend Breakdown by Sector

The consulting and finance sectors dominate the top end by a considerable margin. Here is how stipends stack up across the most common tracks:

At IIM Bangalore, median internship stipends across the batch hover around ₹1 lakh per month, pulled up by the strong consulting and banking cohort. The FMCG and general management track pays less in raw stipend but often delivers stronger brand value for long-term career building.

What Drives the Stipend Gap

Sector is the primary driver, but geography and project scope matter too. London or New York-based finance internships (rare but awarded to a handful of students at IIM Bangalore each year) can pay ₹4-5 lakh per month after currency conversion.

Domestic operations or supply chain roles at manufacturing conglomerates tend to land in the ₹40,000-70,000 per month range, even from well-known firms. Your GPA, summer placement interview performance, and prior work experience all influence which pool you are competing in, but sector selection is non-negotiable as the first filter.

The PPO Angle

Do not treat the stipend as the only outcome worth optimizing. A PPO from McKinsey, BCG, or Goldman Sachs removes final placement pressure entirely and typically locks in packages of ₹35-50 LPA for consulting and ₹40-60 LPA for banking.

At IIM Bangalore, PPO holders from consulting firms often receive offers before the formal final placement process begins. If your goal is a specific firm, using the internship as an audition is a smarter play than chasing the highest possible stipend number from a second-preference company.

The lower end of the range (NGOs, impact startups) is legitimate for students with a genuine interest in that sector, but do not romanticize the trade-off. You are giving up significant stipend and PPO optionality at the same time.