India Approves IIM Guwahati with ₹555 Crore Funding in Big Win for Northeast

Parliament has greenlit the establishment of India’s 22nd Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati, Assam, with the passage of the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on Wednesday. The Rajya Sabha approved the bill through a voice vote, following its clearance in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, amid opposition protests over unrelated issues. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced a ₹555 crore investment over five years (2025-26 to 2029-30) to set up the institute, which will operate under IIM Ahmedabad’s mentorship and begin admitting students this academic year. The bill, now awaiting Presidential assent, marks a significant step in fulfilling Assam’s long-standing demand for a premier management institute.

The new IIM, designated an institution of national importance under the IIM Act of 2017, is part of a special development package for Assam, aimed at boosting education and economic growth in the Northeast. Pradhan highlighted that this will be the ninth IIM established under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government since 2014, contrasting with the 13 IIMs set up between 1961 and 2014. “IIM Guwahati will create a bigger scenario for the entire Northeast,” he stated, crediting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his advocacy. The institute, with a permanent campus planned in Palasbari, Kamrup district, will join IIM Shillong as the second IIM in the region, enhancing access to world-class management education for Northeastern students.

The bill’s passage sparked debates, with MPs like Niranjan Bishi (BJD) and M Thambidurai (AIADMK) raising concerns about vacant faculty posts and rising student suicides at IIMs and IITs, while Praful Patel (NCP) and K Laxman (BJP) praised the move for expanding educational opportunities. Assam MP Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP) emphasized the institute’s potential to drive regional development, urging priority admissions for Northeastern students.

Despite opposition walkouts over issues like Bihar’s electoral roll revisions, the government underscored the institute’s role in positioning India as a global education hub, with IIMs now attracting international interest, including a forthcoming IIM Dubai campus. The IIM Guwahati initiative, expected to be self-sustaining post-2030, is poised to foster startups and managerial talent, aligning with India’s ambition to become the world’s third-largest economy.

Also Read: IKEA’s Big India Bet: 10% Growth Surge and Bold Expansion Plans Revealed!

Also Read: Russia Dismisses US Sanctions on India Over Russian Crude as 'Double Standards'