GradSquare Admissions Guide · Updated July 2026

ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management Admission 2026: Eligibility, Selection Criteria, Cut-offs & Placements

This GradSquare guide covers ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management admission 2026 end to end — eligibility, the selection process, indicative cut-offs and the latest placement data for the PGDM-ABM at the ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad.

ICAR-NAARM, established in 1976 in Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, is a premier ICAR institute. Its flagship two-year, fully residential PGDM in Agri-Business Management (PGDM-ABM) has run since 2009, is AICTE-approved, NBA-accredited and AIU-recognised. Official details: naarm.org.in.

₹16.42 LHighest CTC, batch 2023–25

₹11.05 LAverage CTC

₹10.84 LMedian CTC

100%Final placements

Eligibility for ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management Admission 2026

Degree: A four-year Bachelor's degree in Agriculture or allied sciences from an ICAR/UGC-recognised university or institution.
Marks: Minimum aggregate as specified in the prospectus (typically around 50–60% or equivalent OGPA).
Entrance test: A valid CAT or CMAT score.
Final-year students: Eligible to apply, subject to completion.
Application: Online only, through the official NAARM admissions portal.

Fees

The PGDM-ABM fee is around ₹3.73 lakh for the full two-year residential programme — among the most affordable agribusiness PGDMs in India. Confirm the current figure from the official prospectus.

ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management Selection Criteria 2026

ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management admission is entrance-based and runs on these stages:

Stage 1 — Entrance shortlisting: Valid CAT or CMAT score is the entry filter.
Stage 2 — Analytical Writing Skills Test (AWST) & Extempore: Assesses reasoning and communication.
Stage 3 — Personal Interview: Final assessment weighing academics, aptitude for agribusiness and communication.

What tips the balance

Beyond the entrance score, NAARM factors in academic record and the AWST, extempore and interview performance. An agriculture or allied-sciences background is a hard eligibility requirement — the programme is built for candidates already rooted in the sector.

AWST, Extempore & Interview Preparation

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ICAR-NAARM ABM Cut-offs 2026 (Indicative)

Read this before the table

NAARM does not publish official closing cut-offs. Admissions sources indicate a moderate CAT/CMAT percentile band for shortlisting, with the balance decided by AWST, extempore, PI and academics. Treat the figures below as indicative shortlisting floors, not guaranteed calls.

Indicative minimum shortlisting percentile — PGDM-ABM, General

Exam	Indicative percentile
CAT	~70–80+
CMAT	~80–85+

Figures are indicative and vary by cycle and applicant pool; reserved categories get the usual relaxations. Always verify against the current admission notice.

CAT Preparation

GradSquare CAT coaching for ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management aspirants

ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management Placements

NAARM reported 100% final placements for the PGDM-ABM 15th batch (2023–25), with a strong roster of agribusiness, food, BFSI and agri-tech recruiters.

PGDM-ABM placements — batch 2023–25 (₹ lakh per annum)

Metric	Value
Highest CTC	16.42
Average CTC	11.05
Median CTC	10.84
Final placements	100%

Figures are from the NAARM PGDM-ABM 15th batch (2023–25) placement report. CTC values in LPA. Given the low fee, the fee-to-package ratio is among the strongest in Indian agribusiness education.

Recruiters who show up repeatedly

ACSEN Agriscience, BharatRohan, DCM Shriram, DigiGrain, Eggoz Nutrition, Federal Bank, Finhaat, HDFC Ergo, IDFC First Bharat, Indofil, Insight India Network, ITC, Kshema, LT Foods, Magicpin, Munara, Ninjacart, Rallis India (Tata), Reliance, SamAgri, Samunnati, Sanzyme Biologics, Sarvagram, SMFG India Credit, SML, TransGraph and Vegrow.

The Programme

A two-year, fully residential PGDM in Agri-Business Management across six trimesters, blending a management core — marketing, finance, operations, strategy — with agribusiness, supply chain, commodity markets, rural markets and agri-input distribution.

The curriculum includes a 6–8 week summer internship and a 4–5 week project in the fifth trimester, giving hands-on sector exposure. With a student-faculty ratio around 1:2 and a Technology Business Incubator on campus, NAARM offers close mentoring and an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Career Avenues After the Programme

Agri-inputs & agri-science: Sales, product and agronomy roles with ACSEN, Rallis India, Indofil, DCM Shriram.
Food & FMCG: Category, procurement and distribution roles with ITC, LT Foods, Eggoz Nutrition.
Agri-tech & e-commerce: Platform and operations roles with Ninjacart, DigiGrain, BharatRohan, Vegrow.
BFSI & agri-finance: Agri-lending and inclusion roles with Federal Bank, IDFC First Bharat, SMFG India Credit, Samunnati, SamAgri.
Insurance & advisory: HDFC Ergo, Kshema, TransGraph and allied agri-advisory firms.

Is ICAR-NAARM ABM Right for You?

ICAR-NAARM suits candidates with an agriculture or allied-sciences background who want a specialised, affordable agribusiness PGDM with strong ICAR backing and a close-knit, residential learning environment. If you want a broad generalist MBA, a general B-school may fit better; if agri-inputs, food, agri-tech or agri-finance is your target, NAARM offers an outstanding fee-to-placement ratio and a focused sector network.

NAARM is one of several institutes running a specialised agribusiness programme, and it is worth comparing against the IIMs, the Symbiosis schools and the agricultural universities before you settle on a shortlist.

ICAR-NAARM is one of eleven institutes in India running a specialised agribusiness programme. Our pillar guide ranks all of them by published placement package, from IIM Ahmedabad at ₹21.64 LPA down to the state agricultural universities, and sets out the entrance exam each one accepts, the indicative cut-offs, the fee-to-salary trade-off and which programmes are closed to non-agriculture graduates.

View more programs — MBA in Agri-Business Management →

Before applying, read the current official prospectus at naarm.org.in rather than any summary, including this one.

Start your ICAR-NAARM PGDM Agri-Business Management journey with CAT 2027. GradSquare mentors are top B-school alumni who coach you through CAT prep, profile-building and the final interview.

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Compiled by GradSquare, July 2026. Placement, eligibility and selection details are drawn from ICAR-NAARM's official reports and admission pages; verify current details against the official notice at naarm.org.in. Cut-off percentile bands are indicative. This page is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the institute.

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