MANAGE Admission Through CAT 2026: Eligibility, Selection Criteria, Cut-offs & Placements
This GradSquare guide covers MANAGE admission through CAT 2026 end to end — eligibility, the selection process, indicative CAT shortlisting percentiles and the latest placement data for the PGDM-ABM at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad.
MANAGE is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, established in 1987 on a 17-hectare Hyderabad campus. Its flagship two-year programme is the PGDM in Agri-Business Management (PGDM-ABM). Official details: manage.gov.in.
Eligibility for MANAGE Admission Through CAT 2026
- Degree: Bachelor's in Agricultural Sciences or an allied/related discipline.
- Marks: 50% aggregate; relaxed to 45% for SC, ST and OBC candidates.
- Entrance test: A valid CAT score is required for PGDM-ABM.
- Final-year students: Eligible to apply, subject to completion.
- Note: The sister programmes PGDM-AEM and PGDM-AWM run on separate, non-CAT tracks.
Fees
The PGDM-ABM fee is around ₹9.75 lakh for the two-year programme. Confirm the current figure and hostel charges from the official prospectus.
MANAGE Selection Criteria 2026
MANAGE admission is through CAT 2026 for PGDM-ABM, and shortlisting runs on these stages:
- Stage 1 — CAT shortlisting: Valid CAT percentile is the entry filter.
- Stage 2 — Group Discussion & essay/WAT: Aptitude for agriculture and management is assessed.
- Stage 3 — Personal Interview: The final call weighs academics, work experience and extracurricular record alongside interview performance.
What tips the balance
Beyond CAT, MANAGE explicitly factors in past academic performance, quality of work experience and extracurricular achievements. An agriculture or allied background is a hard eligibility requirement here, not a bonus — the programme is built for candidates already rooted in the sector.
MANAGE CAT Cut-offs 2026 (Indicative Shortlisting Percentiles)
Read this before the table
MANAGE does not publish official closing cut-offs. What is consistently reported is a minimum shortlisting band of around 85+ percentile for the General category, with the usual relaxations for reserved categories. Treat the figures below as indicative floors to be considered, not guaranteed calls.
| Category | Indicative CAT percentile |
|---|---|
| General | ~85+ |
| EWS | ~80+ |
| OBC (NC) | ~78+ |
| SC | ~65+ |
| ST | ~55+ |
The General figure is the widely reported 85+ threshold. Reserved-category bands marked ~ are indicative relaxations; exact thresholds vary by cycle and applicant pool. Verify against the current admission notice.
MANAGE Placements: Latest Data
MANAGE reported 100% final placements for the PGDM-ABM batch of 2024–26, with 50 companies participating and 27 first-time recruiters joining the drive.
| Batch | Average CTC | Median CTC | Highest CTC | Placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–24 | 12.38 | 12.00 | 21.00 | 100% |
| 2023–25 | 12.38 | 12.00 | 21.00 | 100% |
| 2024–26 | 12.03 | 12.00 | 24.29 | 100% |
Figures compiled from MANAGE placement releases and media reports. The 2024–26 batch saw the highest CTC rise to ₹24.29 LPA. BFSI and agri-inputs are consistently the largest hiring sectors.
Recruiters who show up repeatedly
Amul, Britannia, Heritage Foods, ITC, Drools, Allana, Grupo Bimbo, Emami Agrotech, Coromandel, Corteva, Dhanuka, BASF, Nuziveedu Seeds, IPL Biologicals, Kribhco, Indian Potash, NAFED, Coca-Cola–adjacent FMCG, Flipkart, Swiggy, Ninjacart, Jumbotail, BigBasket, Vegrow, Deloitte, CRISIL, Wipro, SMFG India Credit, Arya.ag, Cropin, StarAgri and DeHaat.
The Programme
A two-year, industry-aligned PGDM in Agri-Business Management with an intake in the region of 80–120. The curriculum blends a management core — marketing, finance, operations, strategy — with agribusiness, supply chain, commodity trading, rural markets and agri-input distribution.
Mandatory summer placements in the first year give hands-on sector exposure, with stipends typically ranging from about ₹20,000 to ₹80,000 for the internship period, and the campus draws recruiters across agri-inputs, food processing, e-commerce, BFSI and agri-tech.
Career Avenues After MANAGE
- Agri-inputs & chemicals: Sales, product management and agronomy roles with Coromandel, Corteva, Dhanuka, BASF, Nuziveedu Seeds.
- FMCG & food processing: Rural distribution, category and procurement roles with ITC, Britannia, Heritage Foods, Emami Agrotech.
- E-commerce & agri-retail: Category and supply-chain roles with Flipkart, Swiggy, Ninjacart, Jumbotail, BigBasket, Vegrow.
- BFSI & consulting: Agri-lending, ratings and advisory with SMFG India Credit, CRISIL, Deloitte, Wipro.
- Agri-tech & logistics: Platform and operations roles with Arya.ag, Cropin, StarAgri, DeHaat.
- Cooperatives & PSUs: Amul, NAFED, Kribhco, Indian Potash and allied bodies.
Is MANAGE Right for You?
MANAGE is a specialised agribusiness school and suits candidates with an agriculture or allied background who want to build a career in the agri and food ecosystem. If you want a broad generalist MBA, a general B-school will fit better; if agri-inputs, agri-tech, food processing or rural markets are your target, MANAGE offers strong sector placements at a modest fee.
MANAGE 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 commit to a shortlist.
MANAGE 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 manage.gov.in rather than any summary, including this one.
Start your MANAGE journey with CAT 2027. GradSquare mentors are top B-school alumni who coach you through CAT prep, profile-building and the final interview.
Join us for CAT 2027Compiled by GradSquare, July 2026. Placement and admission details are drawn from MANAGE releases and public reports; eligibility and selection details should be verified against the official admission notice at manage.gov.in. Percentile bands are indicative. This page is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the institute.
Join the CAT Program
Limited seats for upcoming batches
Our Students at IIMs and Top B-Schools
Join 3000+ students who achieved top percentiles
Join CAT 2026 Program
Limited seats for upcoming batches
GradSquare CAT Coaching Online
Tambaram
GradSquare
109A, 2nd Floor, Siva Shanmugham Road
Above Shanthi Super Market
Tambaram, Chennai
Tamil Nadu 600045
Phone: 9282-44-2221
Nungambakkam
GradSquare
Old No. 69 Basement, Karachi Bakery Building,
Round Table House, Subba Avenue
D 80, Nungambakkam High Road
Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600034
Phone: 730-505-3466
The Best CAT Coaching in India!
Very Useful blog and thanks for the informative one