In a unique and first-of-its-kind initiative, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM B) launched the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) course in Digital Business & Entrepreneurship (DBE). What makes the program unique and special is that it is entirely online, and students can quit the program after 1, 2, and 3 years with a certificate, diploma, and BBA degree in DBE, respectively.
IIM-B has announced that it will also accept CUET-GAT scores to grant admissions to the DBE program.
Students may consider it a primary degree in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship or a subsidiary degree alongside college or a job. Follow this article to learn brief program details, like the course structure, program highlights & benefits, key dates, fees, etc.
The IIM Bangalore BBA in Digital Business Entrepreneurship (DBE) program is particularly beneficial for students who exhibit the following characteristics and aspirations:
|
Program Highlights |
|
|
Program Duration |
1 to 6 years |
|
Student Intake |
1000 |
|
Degree(s) Offered |
Certificate/Diploma/Degree |
|
Total Program Fee |
Approximately INR 4.5 lakhs for the 3-year |
|
Entrance Test |
IIMB DBE Entrance Test / CUET GAT Score |
|
Entrance Test Questions |
60 |
|
Entrance Test Duration |
90 minutes |
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Program Mode |
Asynchronous (Recorded Videos) Mode |
|
Exit Options |
Following the guidelines of the NEP 2020, students will have exit options available at the end of their first and second years. |
Students can exit the 3-year course twice. After 1 year, they get a certificate, after 2 years, a diploma, and upon completion, a degree.
A one-of-a-kind curriculum that perfectly blends the advancements in digital technology with entrepreneurial innovations in the digital space
Focused on providing flexibility, IIM Bangalore's BBA allows the accessibility of recorded lectures, assignments, and course material-anywhere, anytime.
Aims at providing real-world benefits, the curriculum structure incorporates simulations and real-world projects, not just theoretical lessons.
IIM Bangalore's seasoned academics and professionals with years of experience in entrepreneurship & digital business will administer the program.
Aligning with the ever-evolving digital space, the program aspires to engage its students in a learning process that can last beyond the course.
The following dates are based on the previous year's trends. Actual 2027 dates will be announced on dbe.iimb.ac.in.
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Particular |
Dates |
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Application Window |
Mid-April - Late June 2027 |
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IIMB DBE Entrance Test |
Late July 2027 |
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IIMB DBE Entrance Test Result |
First/second week of August 2027 |
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Offer acceptance - Last date* |
To be Announced |
|
Withdrawal - Last date* |
To be Announced |
|
Fee payment window for the first term |
To be Announced |
Entering the IIM Bangalore Online BBA is subject to meeting some criteria. First and foremost, the criteria involve meeting the eligibility criteria for this course. Candidates can qualify for admission through one of three pathways: the IIMB DBE Entrance Test, CUET (UG) General Test Section III scores, or JEE Main scores. Candidates submitting multiple scores are evaluated on their best score.
The IIMB DBE Entrance exam will be conducted online, with 60 questions spread across 4 diverse sections, and must be solved in under 90 minutes. IIM Bangalore has provided a set of sample questions on its official website to give students an idea of the questions in the exam.
Sample Paper - PDF DownloadSimilarly, IIM Bangalore has also given guidelines for the broader syllabus of the exam, and you can look at them by going through the section below.
In general terms, the IIM B DBE Entrance Test is expected to test a candidate on the following 4 subjects and criteria:
There is no sectional cut-off in this exam.
Currently, the program is open only to Indian Nationals, and the basic eligibility for applying to the program is mentioned in the table below:
|
Class |
Eligibility Requirement |
|
10th or Equivalent |
Pass Certificate of any recognized Class 10 Board |
|
12th or Equivalent |
A minimum of 60 % marks or equivalent Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in recognized board exams for general category & NC-OBC & EWS category candidates |
|
55% marks or equivalent CGPA for SC, ST & PwD (>=40% disability) candidates. |
The IIM Bangalore BDE program cut-offs are as follows based on the previous year trends:
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Category |
Overall Cutoff (Combined Score) |
|
General |
>=50% |
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NC-OBC |
>=45% |
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EWS |
>=45% |
|
SC |
>=40% |
|
ST |
>=40% |
|
PwD |
>=40% |
|
Category |
Fee |
|
General/NC-OBC/EWS |
Rs. 3000/- |
|
SC / ST / PwD |
Rs. 1500/- |
The application fee has to be paid at the time of application and is non-refundable. Please note that mere fulfillment of the minimum eligibility criteria will not guarantee admission to the BBA (DBE) program.
Below are the cities in which this entrance test is going to be conducted:
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Patna |
Ranchi |
Bhubaneshwar |
Guwahati |
Kolkata |
|
Delhi |
Kanpur |
Lucknow |
Dehradun |
Jaipur |
|
Kota |
Srinagar |
Mohali |
Vijayawada |
Vishakhapatnam |
|
Belgaun |
Bengaluru |
Mangalore |
Hyderabad |
Ernakulam |
|
Kollam |
Puducherry |
Chennai-South |
Coimbatore |
Madurai |
|
Ahmedabad |
Mumbai |
Nagpur |
Pune |
Raipur |
|
Bhopal |
Indore |
|
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The first batch of IIM Bangalore BBA began in September 2024, and the programme has since admitted a new batch each year. According to their official website, IIM Bangalore has released a fee structure for the 3-year programme.
|
Year |
Course |
Fee |
|
Year 1 |
Certificate in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship |
INR 1,25,000 (Payable as Rs. 41,660/20,830 (SC/ST and PwD) per term) |
|
Year 2 |
Diploma in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship |
INR 1,50,000 (Payable as Rs. 50,000/25,000 (SC/ST and PwD) per term) per term) |
|
Year 3 |
BBA Degree in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship |
INR 1,75,000 (Payable as Rs. 58,330/29,165 (SC/ST and PwD) per term) |
As previously mentioned, students can leave the program in each of the years, so the fee is processed thrice and separately for every year.
The curriculum is skillfully designed to find the perfect combination of entrepreneurial spirit, astute business management abilities, and state-of-the-art digital technology.
The idea is to provide students with the required tools to succeed in the competitive business world.
The table below gives a broad overview of the course breakdown over the three years.
|
Year |
BBA (DBE) Programme Structure |
Course |
Credits |
|
Year-1 |
Certificate in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship |
22 |
45 |
|
Year-2 |
Diploma in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship |
17 |
45 |
|
Year-3 |
Degree in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship |
17 |
45 |
As per the official website, the Foundational Level comprises Statistics, Basics of Entrepreneurship, and English courses.
|
Foundations of Business Communication-1 |
Business Statistics for Entrepreneurs |
Accounting Statements & Business Performance |
Documentation & Presentation |
Creativity Mindset for Innovation & |
|
Exploration into Entrepreneurship |
Website Development (Low Code/No Code) |
Spreadsheets |
Marketing Fundamentals |
Indian Knowledge Systems |
|
Principles of Microeconomics |
Advanced Statistics for Business |
Social Media for Business |
Persuasive Communication |
Environment and Sustainability |
|
Venturing on a budget: Rs. 250 Venture |
Building Blocks of Entrepreneurship |
Management Accounting |
Evolution of Business and Market |
Exploring society and social structures |
|
Foundations of Business Communication-II |
Entrepreneurial Mindset |
|
|
|
The student is given two options after completing the 1st year: to take an exit from the program or continue to pursue a diploma.
If the student chooses to continue with the program, he/she will be taught the subjects/areas mentioned below to achieve a diploma.
|
Digital Marketing-1 |
Staffing and Managing People |
Operations Management |
UI/UX Design |
Macroeconomics |
|
Generating Entrepreneurial Resources |
Design Thinking |
Product Management |
Growth Hacking |
Family Business |
|
Business Research Methods |
Mobile Application Development |
Appreciating Indian Cultures |
|
|
|
Strategy |
Nature of Languages |
SCM |
|
|
The student is given two options after completing the 2nd year: to take an exit from the program or continue to pursue a degree.
|
Organization Development |
Do Your Venture - 2 |
Digital Business Models |
Design Tools |
Social Entrepreneurship |
|
Exponential Technologies |
Big Data Analytics |
Corporate Finance |
Design Tools 2 |
Sales and Distribution Management |
|
Managing Digital Assets |
Commercial Environment of Business |
Ethics |
Customer Relationship Management |
Critical Thinking |
|
Project |
Elective |
|
|
|
Note:
Yes, students will get an alumni tag for the prestigious IIM Bangalore after completing this program.
No, the 60-question test does not have any sectional cut-off.
IIM Bangalore’s Online BBA is a one-of-a-kind program designed to cater to a wide audience. Whether you are a student looking for specialization in digital business and entrepreneurship or a working professional looking for a leap in your career, this program sets you on the right path to succeed in the digital world.
Following the guidelines of the NEP 2020, students will have exit options available at the end of their first and second years too with certification and a diploma degree respectively.
Unlike the IPM course, IIM Bangalore’s Online BBA program is not a dual-degree program and has no upper age limit for its student intake. IPM is also not an online course, but IIM Bangalore’s BBA-BDE is.