Centre rules out IIM for Telangana, cites 604 management institutes already
Synopsis
The Centre has shut the door — for now — on Telangana's bid for an IIM, even as CM Revanth Reddy offered 200 acres and invoked NEP 2020. With 22 IIMs across 21 states and seven states still waiting, the government's 'regional balance' yardstick is doing a lot of heavy lifting — and not everyone is convinced it measures what it claims to.
Key Takeaways
The Centre told the Lok Sabha on 21 July 2025 it has no plans to approve an IIM for Telangana .
Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar cited 2,070 higher education institutions in the state, including 604 offering management courses.
Currently, 22 IIMs function across 21 states ; 7 states — including Telangana — have none.
Revanth Reddy had requested the IIM during a meeting with PM Modi last month, offering 200 acres of land .
The state already hosts IIT Hyderabad , NIT Warangal , EFLU , MANUU , and the Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University (est.
The Centre has categorically stated it has no plans to approve a new Indian Institute of Management (IIM) for Telangana, pointing to the state's already substantial higher education infrastructure. The clarification came on Monday, 21 July 2025, in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha.
What the Government Said
Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar told Congress MP Mallu Ravi that the government had received a formal request for sanctioning an IIM in Hyderabad. He explained that new institutions of national importance — including IIMs — are established only after factoring in regional balance and resource availability.
Majumdar noted that 22 IIMs are currently operational across 21 states. The states without an IIM include Telangana, Goa, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
Telangana's Existing Education Footprint
Citing the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24, the minister said Telangana is home to 2,070 higher education institutions, of which 604 offer management courses — comprising 20 universities, 570 colleges, and 14 standalone institutes.
He further highlighted that the state already hosts several premier central institutions: the University of Hyderabad, IIT Hyderabad, NIT Warangal, English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), and Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). The Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu was also established as recently as 2023.
Telangana's Push for an IIM
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had raised the IIM demand directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting last month. Reddy stated that the state government is prepared to allocate 200 acres of land for the proposed institute.
The Chief Minister argued that Telangana already hosts institutions such as IIT, IIIT, NALSAR, and TIFR, and that an IIM would further the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The Centre's reply in Parliament, however, signals that the request is unlikely to advance in the near term.
Broader Context
This is not the first time a state without an IIM has pressed the Centre for one. The government's stated criterion of regional balance has historically been the primary filter — yet seven states, including several from the Northeast, remain without an IIM despite longstanding demands. Notably, states like Goa and Telangana — both economically significant — continue to be excluded from the IIM map. Critics argue that the density of existing management institutions, while impressive in number, does not substitute for the brand equity and research output that an IIM brings.
Point of View
A faculty pipeline, and a brand that attracts global capital and talent. Telangana's absence from the IIM map is particularly striking given its status as a major technology and pharma hub. The 'regional balance' criterion, meanwhile, appears selectively applied: states with far smaller economic footprints have received IIMs, while Hyderabad — one of India's top-three knowledge economies — has not. The Centre owes a clearer, more transparent framework for IIM allocation rather than a count of existing colleges.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Centre refused to approve an IIM for Telangana?
The Centre stated that Telangana already has 2,070 higher education institutions, including 604 that offer management courses, making a new IIM unnecessary at this stage. The government also cited its policy of establishing IIMs based on regional balance and resource availability.
How many IIMs are there in India and which states lack one?
There are currently 22 IIMs functioning across 21 states. Seven states — Telangana, Goa, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim — do not have an IIM.
What did Telangana CM Revanth Reddy request from PM Modi?
CM A. Revanth Reddy requested the establishment of an IIM in Hyderabad during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month. He offered 200 acres of state land for the institute and argued it would advance the goals of the National Education Policy 2020.
Which central institutions does Telangana already have?
Telangana hosts IIT Hyderabad, NIT Warangal, the University of Hyderabad, EFLU, MANUU, and the Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu, which was established in 2023.
What is the government's basis for setting up new IIMs?
According to MoS Education Sukanta Majumdar, the Government of India establishes new institutions of national importance — including IIMs — after considering regional balance and resource availability, not on the basis of individual state requests alone.
