The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has been approved by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the establishment of an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati, Assam. The bill amends the Indian Institutes of Management Act of 2017, adding IIM Guwahati to the list of Institutes of National Importance. This will be the second IIM in the North-eastern region, following IIM Shillong.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the bill, emphasizing that establishing IIM Guwahati has been a long-awaited demand of North-East students. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the responsibility to set it up for the overall development of the region. Pradhan also mentioned that the IIMs have become a brand, with demand even in foreign countries, noting that IIM Dubai Campus will be opening next month.

The Indian government will provide a corpus fund of ₹555 crore to IIM Guwahati over five years, from 2025-26 to 2029-30. After this period, the institute is expected to be self-sufficient, generating revenue through its own internal accruals. The funds will be allocated from the Consolidated Fund of India.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the passage of the bill as a "historic day" for the state. He noted that with an IIT, AIIMS, and now an IIM, Assam is on the verge of becoming a major education hub in Eastern India. Sarma added that IIM Ahmedabad will mentor the new institute, and classes will begin this year at a temporary campus, with the permanent campus being set up at Palasbari near Guwahati in Kamrup district.

The establishment of IIM Guwahati is part of the Centre's Special Development Package (SDP), which aims for the overall development of Assam, following a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between the Government of India, the Assam government, and representatives of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). The bill highlights Assam's population of over three crore, a large student base of more than 5.5 lakh in higher education, and its strategic role in the region's overall development as reasons for establishing an IIM in the state. The establishment of IIM Guwahati is expected to boost education and create significant opportunities for students in the North Eastern Region to develop managerial skills.

Currently, the IIM Act recognizes 21 IIMs as Institutes of National Importance. IIM Guwahati will be the 22nd IIM to be added to this list. The IIM Act was initially passed in 2017 and was amended in 2023 to include the National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, Mumbai, which was renamed IIM Mumbai.