Can I break into MBB or Tier-2 consulting after BTech in India (non-IIT/NIT), and what roadmap should I follow?

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m from India, currently in my 3rd year of BTech in Computer Science and Business Systems at VIT(graduating in 2027). I’m aiming for a career in consulting and had a few questions:

1) Is it realistically possible to break into MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) directly after undergrad in India, coming from a non-IIT/NIT background?

2) If not, what are my realistic chances with Tier-2 consulting firms right after graduation?

3) My long-term plan is to gain experience in consulting, pursue an MBA (ideally sponsored by my firm), and eventually transition into entrepreneurship.

I would love advice on the roadmap I should follow over the next 1–2 years to:

• Build the necessary skills.

• Get an internship by Mid-2026

• Maximize my chances of breaking into MBB (directly or via Tier-2 → MBA → MBB),

• Build a strong case for MBA sponsorship,

• Develop the right foundations for a future startup.

Any guidance or personal experiences would be very helpful. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi,

you basically already have a roadmap and you will likely get the one or other GenAI generated answer here on your roadmap... but to answer some of your questions directly:

1) Is it realistically possible to break into MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) directly after undergrad in India, coming from a non-IIT/NIT background?
Possible but not likely. However, still worth trying if you have top 5-10% grades, strong experience, etc. You could position yourself for the AI units (e.g., BCG X)

2) If not, what are my realistic chances with Tier-2 consulting firms right after graduation?
A bit better but still a tendency towards traditional background. But your number of firms increase so odds of landing one offer across all apps goes up too

3) My long-term plan is to gain experience in consulting, pursue an MBA (ideally sponsored by my firm), and eventually transition into entrepreneurship.
Great plan and very common path for people to take

Best,
Lukas