City Students Shine, Aarav Secures AIR 2 In Integrated Programme In Management At IIM Indore

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Students from Indore have delivered an impressive performance in the final results of the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) admissions at the Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore), with Aarav Male securing All India Rank (AIR) 2. Six students from the city have earned admission to the institute's prestigious five-year management programme.

The final results were announced on Thursday following a two-stage selection process. The IPM Aptitude Test, held on May 4, saw participation from nearly 28,000 candidates across the country. Based on the written test, only 830 candidates were shortlisted for personal interviews conducted between June 22 and 25. A total of 150 students were selected for the programme after considering performance in both the written examination and the interview.

The six selected students from Indore are Aarav Male (AIR 2), Akmal Banglewala (AIR 33), Devansh Agrawal (AIR 42), Divya Lunawat (AIR 51), Atharv Hardia (OBC AIR 8) and Maan Goyal.

AIR 33 holder Akmal Banglewala said he prepared for the examination over the last two years, relying on conceptual clarity, faculty notes and consistent practice. He aspires to become an entrepreneur and establish his own business.

Devansh Agrawal, who secured AIR 42, said he first focused on building strong fundamentals before intensifying his preparation after the board examinations, studying six to seven hours daily and attempting more than 35 mock tests. He plans to pursue a career in financial consulting.

Divya Lunawat (AIR 51) credited her habit of reading newspapers for an hour every day with helping her perform well in the interview. She said questions on current affairs, government schemes and the G7 Summit featured prominently during the interaction.

Career expert Ajay Bansal explained that the IPM admission process consists of two stages. The written examination evaluates quantitative and verbal ability, while the personal interview assesses academic knowledge, personality, communication skills, confidence and general awareness. The final merit list is prepared by assigning 65% weightage to the written examination and 35% to the interview, making strong performance in both stages essential for selection.

‘Began preparing for aptitude test in Class 11’

Aarav Male said he began preparing for the IPMAT in Class 11, initially focusing on strengthening his fundamentals in mathematics, English and other subjects. During Class 12, he concentrated on mock tests, previous years' papers and time management alongside his board studies. Aarav hopes to build a career in finance, management consulting and investment banking. He noted that the interview assessed not only academic knowledge but also a candidate's ability to apply concepts to real-life situations.

Balanced board examinations with IPMAT preparation

Atharv Hardia, who secured AIR 8 in the OBC category, balanced his board examination preparation with IPMAT studies and appeared for 14 mock interviews before the final interaction. He said his strong performance in accountancy during the board examinations helped him answer subject-specific questions confidently in the interview.