IIM Lucknow Summer Placements 2026-28: 100% Placement, Stipend Numbers and What They Mean for CAT Aspirants
IIM Lucknow has wrapped up summer placements for its 2026-28 batch, and the numbers are strong. Here is what happened, how to read stipend figures the right way, and what it means if you are preparing for CAT now.
The Short Answer
IIM Lucknow achieved 100% summer placement for its 2026-28 batch, with over 600 offers for 578 students. The median stipend is ₹1.75 lakh a month and the highest domestic stipend is ₹3.5 lakh a month. Consulting, finance, marketing, product management, operations and retail and e-commerce were among the sectors hiring.
IIM Lucknow Summer Placements 2026-28 at a Glance
Who Recruited
The recruiter list mixes long-standing names with newer ones.
- Regular recruiters: Accenture, Amazon, Bain & Company, BCG, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Google, HUL, McKinsey & Company and Visa.
- Newer names this year: Bayer, Coca-Cola, Flipkart, Groww, IBM and Swiggy.
The mix of consulting firms, banks, big tech and consumer brands shows how wide the demand is. A student with the right profile can find a way into almost any function.
How to Read the Stipend Numbers
The highest number gets the headlines, but it is not the one that matters most to you.
For aspirants, the median is the most useful of the three. At ₹1.75 lakh a month, half the batch earned at least that much. Also remember that a summer internship stipend is not a final placement salary. It is paid for a short internship at the end of your first year.
How This Compares With the 2024-26 Batch
The median rose by ₹25,000 a month, while the highest domestic stipend came down. The batch looks stronger in the middle than at the top, which is good news for the typical student. Two data points are not a trend, but they do show a healthy, broad-based hiring year.
What It Means If You Are Preparing for CAT
- Skills show up even at the internship stage. Consulting, finance, product and operations were all hiring. If you want an internship in one of them, start building evidence now. Our guide to skills beyond the MBA degree explains what recruiters look for.
- Internships are part of the hiring pipeline. Employers use the summer internship to assess you before a final offer, so treat it as the first round of your placement.
- A good percentile is only the first step. Getting a call and converting it takes profile and interview preparation. Read our post on the mistakes to avoid in the last six weeks before CAT 2026 for what to do now.
- Understand the selection process. See our post on IIM Calcutta's MBA selection criteria for 2027 to see how an IIM builds its shortlist.
- Compare before you decide. Our comparison of the top six IIMs puts IIM Lucknow next to the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest stipend in IIM Lucknow summer placements 2026-28? ₹3.5 lakh per month for a domestic offer.
What is the median stipend? ₹1.75 lakh per month.
Did IIM Lucknow achieve 100% summer placement? Yes. All 578 students were placed, with over 600 offers.
Which sectors recruited? Consulting, finance, marketing, product management, operations, and retail and e-commerce.
Is a summer internship stipend the same as a final salary? No. The stipend is for a short internship in your first year, and final placement packages are a separate set of figures.
Does a high percentile guarantee an IIM Lucknow call? No. Shortlisting also looks at your profile and interview performance, and the weights differ between IIMs.
Final Word
IIM Lucknow's 2026-28 summer placements show strong demand across sectors and a higher median stipend than the 2024-26 batch. For aspirants, the lesson is simple: look at the median, not the highest number, and build your skills and evidence early. A strong CAT percentile opens the door, and a strong profile gets you through it.
Kavya Kumar
Founder of GRADSCALE, which he architected and built from scratch — the daily drill engine, PYQ access, analytics and leaderboards behind the platform's daily execution system.
