You don't have much of a problem if your interests are in the sciences or literature and you don't have a preference for business or management. Clearly, Ashoka is the superior choice. In a similar vein, IIMI is the better choice if business/management or their related fields are of interest to you. Although neither is firmly established, Ashoka offers a more liberal arts university environment while IIMI offers a more business school environment due to the inherent structures of the programs and institutes. Because it is a liberal arts course, the IPM course is fairly nuanced. The Ashoka courses are no exception, particularly those in economics and finance.
IPM's undergraduate program has no concept of "major" or specialization, just like the MBAs at IIMs. Math, statistics, economics, social sciences, and communication are all required subjects. In the end, Ashoka is a liberal arts college and IIMI is a business school. Even the most widely studied subject, economics, will be taught and learned very differently in each location. Again, you'll have to decide which you like best.
It's conceivable that Ashoka has the resources to send you to Ph.D. programs. Given the substantial alumni presence in business, IPM might be better able to place you in professional settings. Having said that, they are not mutually exclusive; you can pursue a Ph.D. after IIMI or an MBA after Ashoka.
Studying at IIM Indore made me realize that Ashoka University, considered a good private institution, might not be the best. IIM Indore is a much better institution. It provides better infrastructure and educational facilities than Ashoka. Their IPM programme is a very career-driven course.
You can look at the reasons as to why IPM offered in IIM Indore is not a bad option -
Placements
Categories |
Ashoka University |
IIM Indore |
Course Fees |
21.35 lakh |
26 lakh |
Placement Percentage |
80% |
100% |
Highest CTC |
23 LPA |
50 LPA |
Average CTC |
6-7 LPA |
22.92 LPA |
Quality of tutoring
Seriousness
Ashoka University is also good but being a private university there are certain prejudices that it holds. You can choose Ashoka University if you feel that their programme is better.
But IIM Indore has its own advantages. My batchmate who studied in EMLYON business school in France for a term as a French government scholar, found that the programme offered in IIM Indore is equally good and very much similar.