Team5 · September 18, 2026 
Introduction
CMAT 2026 was conducted on January 25, 2026. Results were declared on February 17, 2026. Over 1,300 AICTE-approved colleges accept CMAT scores across India. Most aspirants who search for CMAT colleges see the same list: JBIMS, KJ Somaiya, Great Lakes, Welingkar. Finance, Marketing, General Management. The same domains, the same colleges, every year.
Operations management is the backbone of India’s fastest-growing sectors: e-commerce logistics, pharmaceutical supply chains, automotive manufacturing, FMCG distribution, and renewable energy infrastructure. India’s goods and services trade has crossed USD 800 billion annually, and companies at every point of that value chain are hiring MBA graduates who understand how products move, where costs hide, and how systems fail under pressure.
Several CMAT-accepting colleges have built genuine Operations and Supply Chain management programs. They are worth knowing before you lock in your preferences and walk into your GD-PI rounds.
Why Operations and Supply Chain via CMAT Makes Strategic Sense
Operations specialisation at CMAT-pathway colleges serves a specific placement logic.
CAT-pathway operations programs, like IIM Mumbai’s MBA in Operations and Supply Chain, target the most quantitatively demanding management roles at premium salaries. That pathway requires CAT scores above 97 to 98 percentile. CMAT’s operations programs target the same growing employer base at a more accessible score threshold, with fees often significantly lower. (CAT 2026)
The manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain sectors do not exclusively recruit from IIMs. Tata Motors, Mahindra, Bosch, Amazon Logistics, and large FMCG companies recruit operations managers from a broader institutional base. They visit campuses because they need volume and consistency in hiring, not just the top percentile from the most selective programs.
For aspirants who scored 80 to 95 percentile on CMAT 2026 and want a domain-specific placement outcome rather than a generic management role, Operations is one of the most practical and underexplored specialisation choices available.
Top CMAT Colleges for Operations and Supply Chain: The List
PUMBA Pune (Department of Management Sciences, SPPU)
PUMBA is the most accessible top-government institution for Operations MBA through CMAT. Located at Savitribai Phule Pune University, it is a government-funded institution with total fees of Rs 1.30 lakh for the full two-year program. Official website (PUMBA)
Operations Management is a core specialisation at PUMBA alongside Finance, Marketing, HR, and Systems. The Pune location is the program’s primary Operations advantage: Pune’s automotive manufacturing belt, with Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz Research, and Volkswagen Group operations nearby, creates a recruiter base for Operations graduates that Mumbai institutions frequently cannot replicate.
CMAT cutoff for PUMBA: approximately 95-plus percentile. Average placement: approximately Rs 12 LPA. Top Operations recruiters at PUMBA include automotive companies, FMCG majors, and IT services firms with large Pune operations. Total cost of attendance including Pune accommodation: Rs 4 to 6 lakh.
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai
KJ Somaiya is ranked 65th in the NIRF 2025 Management category and accepts CMAT alongside CAT, XAT, GMAT, and NMAT. It offers an MBA with an Operations specialisation within its School of Business Management.
The CMAT cutoff for KJ Somaiya is approximately 85 to 90 percentile. Total MBA fees: Rs 23.32 lakh. The 2025 average placement was Rs 12.69 LPA with 204 companies participating in placement drives. BFSI was the dominant sector at 35% of placements, but Operations and Supply Chain roles also featured prominently through FMCG, automotive, and logistics recruiters including ITC, Asian Paints, and Deloitte.
KJ Somaiya’s Mumbai location adds FMCG and consumer goods recruiter access that Pune-based institutions see less frequently. For Operations aspirants targeting supply chain roles at FMCG companies with headquarters in Mumbai, this is a genuine city advantage.
BIMTECH Greater Noida
Birla Institute of Management Technology is ranked 51st in the NIRF 2025 Management category and is one of the strongest CMAT-accepting institutions in the Delhi-NCR region for Operations management.
BIMTECH offers a PGDM with Operations Management as a specialisation and a dedicated PGDM in Retail Management that covers supply chain, inventory management, and logistics. CMAT cutoff: approximately 80 to 85 percentile. Total fees: approximately Rs 16 to 18 lakh. Average placement 2025: Rs 11.70 LPA, up from Rs 10.5 LPA in 2023. Highest package in 2025: Rs 22 LPA.Official Report (BIMTECH)
Top Operations recruiters at BIMTECH include Deloitte, S&P Global, Amazon, and several manufacturing and retail companies with NCR operations. The International Business track at BIMTECH also draws export-oriented operations recruiters, a distinct segment not easily accessible from other institutions at this CMAT score band. [BIMTECH Official]
SIMSREE Mumbai
Sydenham Institute of Management Studies is a government autonomous institute with total MMS fees of Rs 1.38 lakh and an Operations and Systems specialisation within its MMS program.
CMAT cutoff for SIMSREE: approximately 95 to 97 percentile, making it the most competitive government option alongside PUMBA in this list. Average placement 2025: Rs 15.10 LPA. Highest package 2025: Rs 22.50 LPA. The Operations specialisation at SIMSREE is smaller in batch size than Finance but benefits from SIMSREE’s strong Mumbai corporate recruiter network, which includes logistics, e-commerce, and FMCG companies. [MAH CET Official]
UPES Dehradun (School of Business)
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies is ranked 36th in NIRF 2025 (Overall) and offers one of the most distinctive Operations and Supply Chain programs accessible via CMAT: an MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. CMAT cutoff: approximately 75 to 85 percentile.
MBA fees: approximately Rs 12.38 to Rs 14.64 lakh. The average salary is showing significant improvement over the academic years, placing graduates at companies including HPCL, BPCL, Reliance, and logistics companies serving the energy sector. [UPES Official]
Welingkar Institute of Management (WeSchool), Mumbai
WeSchool is ranked 75th in the NIRF 2025 Management category and is one of the most creative CMAT-accepting institutions for aspirants interested in Operations through a non-traditional lens.
Welingkar’s programs include Operations Management alongside its broader PGDM portfolio. CMAT cutoff: approximately 75 to 95 percentile depending on the specific program. Total fees: Rs 2.32 to Rs 3.50 lakh for PGDM programs under MAH CET government-aided fee regulation. Average placement 2025: Rs 11.68 LPA. Highest package 2025: Rs 40 LPA.
Welingkar’s Operations program benefits from the institution’s strong entrepreneurship culture and cross-functional curriculum design. Supply chain students at WeSchool often engage with live operations problems through industry collaboration projects, which differentiates the learning experience from purely lecture-based programs. [Welingkar Official]
IMT Ghaziabad
IMT Ghaziabad is ranked 30th in NIRF 2025 Management and accepts CMAT alongside CAT and XAT. It is one of the highest-ranked CMAT-accepting institutions in North India with a genuine Operations and Supply Chain program track.
CMAT cutoff for IMT Ghaziabad: approximately 90 to 95 percentile. Total fees: approximately Rs 16 to 18 lakh. Average placement 2025: Rs 16.25 LPA. Highest package 2025: Rs 41.55 LPA. The NCR location gives IMT access to manufacturing, FMCG, and logistics companies across the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Noida industrial corridor. [IMT Official]
For Personalized Guidance
Quick Reference Table
| College | NIRF Rank | CMAT Cutoff | Total Fees | Avg Package | Operations Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUMBA Pune | SPPU University | 95-plus % | Rs 2.40 lakh | Rs 12 LPA | Automotive, Manufacturing |
| SIMSREE Mumbai | Not separately ranked | 95 to 97% | Rs 1.38 lakh | Rs 15.24 LPA | FMCG, E-commerce |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 30th | 90 to 95% | Rs 23 lakh | Rs 16.25 LPA | FMCG, Retail, NCR Mfg |
| BIMTECH Noida | 51st | 80 to 85% | Rs 13 to 14 lakh | Rs 11.70 LPA | Retail, IB, Manufacturing |
| KJ Somaiya Mumbai | 65th | 85 to 90% | Rs 22.32 to Rs 23 lakh | Rs 12.69 LPA | FMCG, Automotive |
| Welingkar Mumbai | 75th | 75 to 95% | Rs 14 lakh | Rs 11.68 LPA | Cross-functional Ops |
| UPES Dehradun | 36th Overall | 75 to 85% | Rs 19 to 22 lakh | Improving | Energy, Logistics |
CMAT 2026 Context: Where Operations Aspirants Stand
The CMAT 2026 exam was conducted January 25, 2026, in Computer-Based Test mode across 120-plus cities. The difficulty level remained easy to moderate, rewarding accuracy and basic clarity across all five sections. The result was declared February 17, 2026.
Over 1,300 AICTE-approved colleges accept CMAT 2026 scores. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship section, unique to CMAT, is particularly relevant for aspirants targeting Operations roles in startups and e-commerce logistics companies, where entrepreneurial thinking and process innovation are valued alongside technical supply chain knowledge.
For Operations aspirants with CMAT scores in the 85 to 95 percentile range, the most strategically efficient college list from this guide is IMT Ghaziabad as the primary target, BIMTECH as the strong backup, and PUMBA as the highest-ROI option if the percentile clears the threshold. For aspirants in the 75 to 85 percentile range, UPES Dehradun and Welingkar provide the strongest domain-specific outcomes relative to the CMAT score required.
How Career Plan B Helps
Choosing an Operations and Supply Chain MBA from CMAT-accepting colleges requires clarity about which sector of operations you want to enter and which institution’s recruiter base genuinely connects to that sector.
Career Plan B’s Personalized Career Counselling helps CMAT aspirants identify which Operations MBA program aligns with their score, career target, and financial reality.
Psycheintel Career Assessment Tests surface your quantitative reasoning and systems thinking aptitudes, both essential for operations management success.
Admission and Academic Profile Guidance supports your CMAT application and GD-PI preparation simultaneously, while Career Roadmapping gives you a structured path from CMAT score to your first operations management role.
Get In Touch With Us
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which is the best CMAT college for Operations and Supply Chain?
IMT Ghaziabad (NIRF 30th, avg Rs 16.25 LPA, CMAT 90 to 95 percentile) leads; PUMBA Pune (govt fees Rs 1.30 lakh, avg Rs 12 LPA) is the strongest ROI option.
Q2. When was CMAT 2026 conducted and when was the result declared?
CMAT 2026 was held on January 25, 2026, with results declared on February 17, 2026, by NTA.
Q3. Does PUMBA specifically offer an Operations MBA via CMAT?
Yes. PUMBA offers MMS with an Operations Management specialisation, accessible through CMAT and MAH CET scores at approximately 95-plus percentile.
Q4. Is UPES good for Supply Chain Management?
Yes. UPES offers a dedicated MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management specifically oriented toward the energy, oil-gas, and infrastructure sectors.
Q5. What CMAT percentile is needed for IMT Ghaziabad?
Approximately 90 to 95 percentile for IMT Ghaziabad, which accepts CMAT alongside CAT and XAT for its PGDM programs.
Conclusion
Operations and Supply Chain is India’s most underrepresented MBA specialisation at the CMAT level. Most CMAT guides lead with Finance and Marketing, because those are the most popular choices.
But India’s manufacturing output crossed Rs 25 lakh crore in 2024-25. E-commerce logistics is growing at 20-plus percent annually. The pharmaceutical sector needs supply chain managers who understand both procurement and regulatory compliance. These are not niche markets. They are large, growing, and consistently underserved by the management talent pipeline at the Tier-2 college level.
The colleges on this list are filling that gap. PUMBA’s automotive-sector recruiter base, BIMTECH’s retail supply chain connections, UPES’s energy logistics specialisation, and IMT Ghaziabad’s NCR manufacturing network collectively cover the full Operations career landscape accessible via CMAT.
Know which sector of operations interests you. Match it to the college whose recruiter base actually serves that sector. Use your CMAT 2026 score to access the right institution. Then prepare for a GD-PI that demonstrates genuine domain knowledge, not generic management interest.
