GMAT boom in India; 16,000 takers last year

New Delhi: From less than 6,000 in 2001, the number of Indians opting for GMAT increased to over 16,000 last year.

Out of the two lakh people taking GMAT every year across the world, about five per cent are from India.

Experts say, the number of GMAT takers in India is growing at 20 per cent per annum already.

“It's one of the five most popular exams in the world. It's also the fastest growing. Just three years ago, less than 10,000 students took the GMAT exam in India, so it's not only an ideal market, it's the fastest growing. And, we think, it could also be an indicator, where growth could be, in other countries in Asia,” said co-founder of Veritas Prep, Chad Troutwine.

Experts say, the number of GMAT takers from India will continue to grow at 20-25 per cent per annum for the next 3-5 years.

The increasing interest from Indians to study abroad, is cited to be the main reason for this growth. But that's not all.

"Three-four of the IIMs have launched a one-year executive program, which used GMAT score as their entry criteria. ISB is probably the biggest GMAT user, within the Indian market,” said Managing Director of Career Launcher, Nikhil Mahajan.

With this increasing interest not only from students, but from educational institutions as well, GMAT, it seems, has taken off in India.

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