Indore (Madhya Pradesh) The results of Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025, a gateway to IIMs and roughly 150 elite B-schools, were declared on Wednesday, bringing cheer to Indore aspirants.
City student Deval Maheshwari emerged as the top scorer with an outstanding 99.99 percentile, securing the first position in Indore. A large number of candidates from the city also crossed the 99 percentile mark, raising hopes of calls from premier IIMs.
According to CAT expert Ajay Bansal, IIMs will shortlist candidates based on their percentile scores, followed by past academic performance, written ability tests, group discussions, and personal interviews. “Each IIM has its own selection criteria, but candidates scoring above 96 percentile can expect calls from newer IIMs, while those above 99 percentile have strong chances of receiving calls from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta,” he said.
This year, the number of candidates scoring 95 percentile and above has increased compared to previous years. Experts estimate that over 100 students from Indore may receive IIM calls.
Early dream, accelerated success
Deval Maheshwari, who scored 132.1 marks to achieve the 99.99 percentile, is currently pursuing Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) at IIM Indore. He said he began preparing for IPM right after Class 10 by opting for mathematics and had taken CUET as a backup. “Studying at an IIM was a dream that came true with IPM. Due to a hectic schedule, I could not prepare separately for CAT and focused mainly on mock tests in the last 21 days,” Deval said. He now hopes to pursue his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta or Lucknow.
Preparation for CAT after becoming a CA
Aryan Khetpal, who completed his BCom and CA from Indore, has secured a 99.46 percentile in CAT. He had been preparing for CAT since August 2025. “Becoming a CA was my top priority. When I reached the final stage, I felt that I should also try for higher studies. I worked extremely hard for CAT as well, and that is how I was able to achieve this score. With this percentile, I am fully hopeful of getting calls from good IIMs,” he said.
Strong performances by other aspirants
Another city student, Bhavya Modi, scored 99.33 percentile. Currently enrolled in IPM at IIM Rohtak, Bhavya said balancing academics and CAT preparation was challenging. “I relied on online coaching and peer practice, as many batchmates were also appearing for CAT,” he said, expressing confidence in receiving calls from top five IIMs.
Aparna Panwar, who scored 99.22 percentile, is pursuing a BBA from IIPS, DAVV. She credited consistent support from her department and coaching institute. “After classes, I stayed back at the coaching centre for revision. With this score, I am confident of getting interview calls from good IIMs,” she said.
Cracking CAT in the first attempt, Sanidhya Gupta scored 99.16 percentile with just five months of preparation. A BBA graduate from Christ University, Delhi, Sanidhya left his job at an environmental consultancy startup to focus on CAT. “I realised that a postgraduate degree was essential for long-term growth. After MBA, I want to build a career in consulting,” he said, hoping for admission to the top IIMs.
Indore’s top CAT performers 2025
Deval Maheshwari – 99.99
Aryan Khetpal – 99.46
Bhavya Modi – 99.33
Aparna Panwar – 99.22
Sanidhya Gupta – 99.16
Anshika Anand – 99.14
Mohak Bansal – 98.65
Amrit Singh Ajmani – 98.16
Manan Pasari – 98.11
Isha Dhamu – 98.05