SPJIMR Recognised as Level 5 ‘Pioneering’ School in 2026 Positive Impact Rating
On 29 June 2026, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) announced that it has been awarded the highest Level 5 “Pioneering” distinction in the seventh edition of the Positive Impact Rating (PIR) unveiled at the PIR Global Summit 2026. This marks the institute’s sixth consecutive year at the top tier, reinforcing its standing among the world’s leading business schools for societal impact.
The 2026 PIR evaluated 87 business schools from 32 countries – the largest cohort in the rating’s seven‑year history – using 19,789 valid student responses worldwide together with an expanded faculty survey. Level 5 status is reserved for institutions that achieve scores between 8.8 and 10 across all impact dimensions.
The rating framework assesses schools across seven dimensions – Governance, Culture, Programmes, Learning Methods, Student Support, Institution as a Role Model, and Public Engagement – which are grouped into four broad areas: Energizing, Educating, Engaging, and the newly introduced Enabling (research impact and external change). SPJIMR outperformed global benchmarks in every student‑assessed category. Students rated the institute 9.9 overall, well above the global average of 8.0, placing it in the highest possible band. The school recorded scores of 9.9 in both Energize and Educate and 9.8 in Engage, compared with global averages of 8.2, 7.9 and 7.9 respectively. Within the Educate area, SPJIMR achieved 9.9 for both Programmes and Learning Methods and 9.8 for Student Support, surpassing global averages by 1.8‑2.2 points and also exceeding Asia‑wide averages across comparable categories.
Open‑ended feedback from the PIR Start/Stop survey highlighted student priorities that align closely with SPJIMR’s long‑standing emphasis on sustainability‑focused initiatives, social impact, and hands‑on experiential learning. Hands‑on learning emerged as the most frequently cited priority globally, underscoring the relevance of SPJIMR’s immersive educational model.
Student assessments also showed strong alignment with international accreditation standards. Ratings across EQUIS Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability (ERS) criteria – covering governance, programmes, student development, community outreach and institutional culture – were at or above global faculty benchmarks. Across the seven Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), student scores averaged 8.0, matching the global faculty average of 8.1.
Commenting on the achievement, Chandrika Parmar, Associate Professor of Economics and Policy and Director of Development of Corporate Citizenship at SPJIMR, said the Level 5 “Pioneering” status reflects the values that guide the institute’s education, emphasizing responsible leadership, self‑awareness and empathy. Dean Varun Nagaraj added that the recognition validates SPJIMR’s focus on embedding sustainability, experiential learning and responsible leadership throughout its curriculum and institutional practice.
The 2026 PIR theme, “Closing the Implementation Gap”, underscores a growing global expectation that business schools move beyond intent to embed sustainability, experiential learning and responsible leadership in every aspect of education and operations.
SPJIMR, recognised in the Financial Times MiM rankings as the world’s #35 business school and among the top three in India, also holds the international “Triple Crown” of EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accreditations and is ranked by Business Today among the country’s top five business schools.