Did Navya Naveli Nanda get into IIM-Ahmedabad through a quota? IIM professor answers

An IIM-Ahmedabad professor took to X on Monday to set the record straight on Navya Naveli Nanda’s admission to IIMA’s online MBA.

Navya Naveli Nanda, the granddaughter of superstar Amitabh Bachchan, has joined the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad for an online MBA. Nanda, 26, announced her admission to the premier management institute in an Instagram post Sunday night, calling it a dream come true.

Her post, however, was soon inundated with uncharitable comments about how her course is not “a real MBA.” Hundreds of people confessed they were surprised that a star kid got through a highly selective Indian institute for higher studies, and many more pointed out that Navya Nanda’s Blended Post Graduate Programme (BPGP) is different from IIM Ahmedabad’s flagship MBA programme.

Some even wondered whether the 26-year-old had gotten through the institute on a quota.

IIM Ahmedabad professor defends Navya Nanda
An IIM Ahmedabad professor took to X on Monday to set the record straight on Nanda’s admission. Promila Agarwal, an associate professor at IIM-A, responded to an X user who asked whether Nanda had gotten through on NRI or management quota.

Agarwal dismissed this allegation by saying IIM-A does not have a quota for any programme, and that Nanda cleared the cut off and interview like every other candidate. She also said the 26-year-old had a “solid CV.”

“Don’t insult IIMA by assuming that we have any quota for any program, cut off & interview for this one,” she wrote.

Agarwal later defended Navya Nanda against trolls.

“The acceptance rate for this program is low, like others. Even if people want to discount her interview & CV. She, dammit, cleared the cut-off,” the IIM professor wrote. “For a long time, India has been debating why elite families move out of India for higher education. Why don’t they study in Indian colleges? One lady makes it to IIMA for an online MBA & everyone is worked up,” Agarwal added.