MBA Internships Surge at India’s Top B-Schools as Placement Strategy Evolves

Staff Writer: Sweata Maiti

Last Updated: October 27, 2025, 03:21:00 PM IST

India’s premier management institutions are now seeing a marked rise in internship-based hiring for MBA students, as companies favor longer-term assessment over conventional final-placement offers. Nearly all leading B-schools report that major recruiters are increasingly converting summer internships into full-time roles. 

Recruiters like Deutsche Bank India and L&T now treat internships as a key entry-point to MBA talent, using the period to evaluate students on real-world fit, work environment compatibility, and performance. Deutsche Bank India reportedly hires around 200 MBA interns annually, visiting campuses such as IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore and XLRI. 

From a student-perspective, this trend means the summer internship is no longer just a short assignment, it increasingly determines the final job offer. As one placement-cell official at IIM Ahmedabad put it: “Summer internship serves as a great vehicle for firms to see how the candidate fits their requirements.” 

Industry insiders attribute this shift to the changing nature of talent assessment: firms argue that investing time in an intern lets them assess capabilities like problem-solving, adaptability, culture fit and communication—factors harder to gauge in a one-day placement interview. 

For B-schools, this evolution underlines the value of maintaining strong corporate linkages, providing meaningful internship opportunities, and preparing students for the transition from internships to full-time roles.

As the MBA hiring landscape adapts, students are advised to treat internships not as interim steps but as critical milestones in securing their career trajectory.