Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

The N.S. Ramaswamy Pre-doctoral Fellowship (NSR Pre-doc) at IIM Bangalore is a one-year, full-time, fully-funded apprenticeship programme launched in 2018, designed to help aspiring researchers successfully apply to doctoral programmes in management and allied disciplines. Named after Prof. N.S. Ramaswamy, the founder of IIM Bangalore, the programme is a unique initiative aimed at increasing the social diversity of management academia in India by supporting candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. Fellows are mentored by internationally acclaimed IIMB faculty, complete doctoral or MBA-level coursework, and develop research proposals in one of 10 disciplinary areas including Finance, Economics, Marketing, Strategy, and Public Policy. The programme is fully funded with no fees payable; instead, fellows receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 30,000 plus a house rent allowance of Rs. 15,000 per month, along with a laptop grant and contingency support. The 2026-27 batch (9th cohort) is the current admission cycle, with 12 students enrolled in the 2026-27 (9th) batch. As of 2026, 51 NSR Pre-doc Fellows have secured admission to doctoral programmes globally, making it one of the most impactful pre-doctoral programmes in India.

Admissions for the 2026-27 batch (NSR Pre-doc 2026) are currently closed. The application window was open from November 19, 2025 to February 6, 2026. Interviews were scheduled for March 16-18, 2026 (online), with offers released on March 27, 2026, and registration set for May 4, 2026. For the next cycle (2027-28), the application window is expected to open around November 2026, based on the pattern of previous years.

Key Points

The programme was launched in 2018 and is now in its 9th cohort (2026-27), with 12 fellows enrolled in the 9th batch (2026-27).
It is one of the very few fully-funded pre-doctoral fellowships at a premier management institution in India, with 100% financial support including stipend, HRA, laptop grant, and conference support.
The programme has a strong focus on social inclusion: preference is given to SC/ST/NC-OBC, religious minorities, PwD, women/transgender applicants, and those from vernacular/rural/government school backgrounds.
As of July 2026, 51 NSR Pre-doc Fellows have been admitted to PhD programmes globally, including IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, Cornell University, NUS Singapore, University of Rochester, and King's College London.
The first NSR Pre-doc Fellow to complete a PhD is Muhammed Sadiq T (2018-19 batch), who earned his doctorate from IIT Madras in Information Systems in 2026.
Each fellow is assigned a dedicated IIMB faculty mentor and must work a minimum of 40 hours per week under their supervision.
Candidates can apply to a maximum of two disciplinary areas of specialisation.
The programme issues a Certificate of Completion upon successful fulfilment of all requirements.

Official Link:

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
Placements
FAQs

IIMB NSR Pre-doc Fees

The NSR Pre-doc Fellowship at IIM Bangalore is entirely free for selected fellows - there are no tuition fees, hostel fees, or any other charges. In fact, the programme provides comprehensive financial support to enable fellows to focus entirely on research. The monthly stipend of Rs. 30,000 combined with a house rent allowance of Rs. 15,000 provides a total monthly support of Rs. 45,000, in addition to one-time grants for laptops and contingency expenses.

Fee and Financial Support Components

Fee / Financial Support Component	Amount
Tuition Fees	Nil (Full tuition waiver)
Monthly Stipend	Rs. 30,000 per month
House Rent Allowance (HRA)	Rs. 15,000 per month
Total Monthly Support	Rs. 45,000 per month
One-time Contingency Grant	Rs. 25,000 per academic year
Laptop Grant (one-time)	Rs. 25,000
Conference Support	Fixed support for attending 1 national conference as observer + 1 as presenter
Cubicle Space	Provided by the Institute
Total Fees Payable by Fellow	Nil

The application fee is Rs. 500 (non-refundable), which is the only amount payable by the applicant.
All financial support is subject to satisfactory performance and attendance.
The contingency grant can be used for academic purposes approved by the faculty mentor and the NSR Pre-doc faculty committee.
Conference support requires prior approval of the faculty mentor.

IIMB NSR Pre-doc Admission 2026

Admissions to the NSR Pre-doc Fellowship are conducted annually by IIM Bangalore through a two-stage process: application evaluation followed by a personal interview. The programme is highly selective, with only around 10-12 fellows admitted per batch. The 2026-27 admission cycle has been completed; the details below reflect the most recent cycle. For the 2027-28 cycle, the application window is expected to open in November 2026.

Important Dates

Event	Date
Application window opens	November 19, 2025
Application deadline	February 6, 2026 (5:00 PM IST)
Interviews (Online)	March 16-18, 2026
Offers released	March 27, 2026
Offer acceptance last date	April 3, 2026
Programme registration / commencement	May 4, 2026
Programme end	April 2027

Entrance and Selection Process Details

Component	Details
Written Test	No written entrance test; selection is based on application evaluation and personal interview
Personal Interview	Online; evaluates research aptitude, academic background, motivation, and fit with chosen area
Application Fee	Rs. 500 (non-refundable)

Note: No external entrance exam (CAT, GMAT, GRE, etc.) is required for the NSR Pre-doc Fellowship.

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Must hold a Master's degree (after a bachelor's degree), or a 5-year Integrated Master's degree, or a 2-year PG Diploma, or a professional qualification (CA/ICWA/CS), or a 4-year/8-semester Bachelor's degree (with at least 6.5 CGPA), or a 5-year Integrated Bachelor's degree (with at least 60% marks).
Minimum 55% marks in Bachelor's and Master's degrees (50% for SC/ST/PwD applicants); candidates holding or currently pursuing a doctoral degree are not eligible.
Preference is given to applicants from SC/ST/NC-OBC, religious minorities, PwD, women/transgender, and those with vernacular/rural/government school backgrounds.
Candidates in the final year of their qualifying programme may apply provisionally; final marks must be submitted by September 30 of the admission year.

Admission Process

Apply online at campus.iimb.ac.in with the non-refundable application fee of Rs. 500.
Candidates can apply to a maximum of two disciplinary areas of specialisation.
Applications are evaluated based on academic record, research aptitude, statement of purpose, and alignment with the programme's diversity goals.
Shortlisted candidates are called for an online personal interview.
Final selection is based on the combined evaluation of the application and interview performance.
Selected fellows are assigned a faculty mentor from their chosen area before the programme commences.

IIMB NSR Pre-doc Scholarships 2026

The NSR Pre-doc Fellowship itself constitutes the scholarship - it is a fully-funded programme with no fees and comprehensive financial support. The fellowship is funded by IIM Bangalore and is named in honour of Prof. N.S. Ramaswamy, the institute's founder. There are no separate external scholarships required or typically available for this programme, as the institute's funding comprehensively covers all academic and living expenses during the one-year fellowship.

Financial Support Details

Financial Support	Provider	Amount	Remarks
Monthly Stipend	IIM Bangalore	Rs. 30,000 per month	Paid to all selected fellows
House Rent Allowance	IIM Bangalore	Rs. 15,000 per month	As per prevailing institute norms
Contingency Grant	IIM Bangalore	Rs. 25,000 per year	For academic purposes; requires mentor approval
Laptop Grant	IIM Bangalore	Rs. 25,000 (one-time)	Toward purchase of a laptop
Tuition Waiver	IIM Bangalore	Full waiver	For all coursework during the programme
Conference Support	IIM Bangalore	Fixed amount	1 conference as observer + 1 as presenter

All financial support is subject to satisfactory performance and attendance throughout the fellowship.
No separate scholarship application is required; all selected fellows automatically receive the above support.
The application fee of Rs. 500 is the only amount payable and is non-refundable.

IIMB NSR Pre-doc Placement 2026

The NSR Pre-doc is not a placement-linked programme; its primary objective is to prepare fellows for admission to doctoral programmes at top institutions in India and abroad. The programme has a strong track record: as of 2026, 51 out of the fellows across all batches have secured admission to PhD programmes globally. The first fellow to complete a PhD is Muhammed Sadiq T (2018-19 batch), who earned his doctorate from IIT Madras in Information Systems in July 2026. Past fellows have been admitted to PhD programmes at institutions including IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Udaipur, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, Cornell University, NUS Singapore, University of Rochester, University of Pittsburgh, King's College London, and Virginia Tech.

PhD Admission Outcomes

PhD Admission Outcomes (Cumulative, as of 2026)	Details
Total Fellows admitted to PhD programmes globally	51+
Indian institutions	IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Udaipur, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay
International institutions	Cornell University, NUS Singapore, University of Rochester, University of Pittsburgh, King's College London, Virginia Tech
First PhD graduate	Muhammed Sadiq T (2018-19 batch), IIT Madras, Information Systems, 2026

Note: The NSR Pre-doc does not offer traditional campus placements. The programme's success metric is PhD admissions at top institutions.

IIMB NSR Pre-doc FAQs

Ques. Is the NSR Pre-doc Fellowship the same as a PhD programme at IIM Bangalore?

Ans. No. The NSR Pre-doc is a one-year preparatory fellowship, not a PhD programme. It is designed to help fellows build the research skills, academic profile, and research proposal needed to successfully apply to PhD programmes. After completing the fellowship, fellows apply independently to doctoral programmes at IIM Bangalore or other institutions. There is no automatic admission to the IIMB PhD programme upon completion of the NSR Pre-doc.

Ques. Can I apply for the NSR Pre-doc if I have only a bachelor's degree?

Ans. Yes, but with conditions. Candidates with a 4-year/8-semester bachelor's degree with at least 6.5 CGPA (6.0 for SC/ST/PwD), or a 5-year integrated bachelor's degree with at least 60% marks, are eligible. A standard 3-year bachelor's degree alone is not sufficient; you would need a master's degree or equivalent qualification.

Ques. What is the selection process like? Is there a written test?

Ans. There is no written entrance test for the NSR Pre-doc. Selection is based on two stages: first, evaluation of the application (academic record, statement of purpose, research interest, and diversity criteria), and second, an online personal interview for shortlisted candidates. The interview assesses research aptitude, motivation, and fit with the chosen disciplinary area.

Ques. How many seats are available in each batch, and how competitive is the selection?

Ans. Each batch typically admits around 10-12 fellows across all 10 disciplinary areas. The 2026-27 (9th) batch had 12 fellows enrolled. The programme is highly selective given the comprehensive financial support and the prestige of the IIMB brand. Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds (SC/ST/OBC, women, rural/vernacular school background) are given preference in shortlisting.

Ques. What happens after the one-year fellowship? Do fellows get placed at IIM Bangalore's PhD programme?

Ans. There is no guaranteed placement into IIMB's PhD programme. After completing the fellowship, fellows apply to doctoral programmes of their choice. However, the programme significantly strengthens their PhD applications. As of 2026, 51 fellows have been admitted to PhD programmes globally, including at IIM Bangalore, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, Cornell, NUS Singapore, and other top institutions.

Ques. Can I work part-time or continue my current job while doing the NSR Pre-doc?

Ans. No. The NSR Pre-doc is a full-time programme requiring a minimum of 40 hours per week under the supervision of the faculty mentor. Candidates who are currently employed must resign from their jobs before the programme start date. The programme runs from May to April (12 months) and requires full-time commitment on the IIMB campus in Bengaluru.