Top 10 Reasons Why CIMA is in Demand in India - 2025

By IIC Lakshya

14 Aug 2025

Top 10 Reasons Why CIMA is in Demand in India

1. What are the Top 10 Reasons for CIMA to be in Demand?

Global Recognition and Mobility
Alignment with the CGMA Credential
Increased Interest in Strategic Finance Positions
CIMA Qualifications Have No Industry Boundaries
Increased Focus on Analytics and Digital Finance
Competitive Pay
Learner and Examining Flexibility
Eligibility Criteria
Expansion of Shared Service Centres
CIMA Professional Prospects

In the constantly changing landscape of finance and business, experts need to have strong accounting capabilities as well as strategic planning skills. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is now one of the foremost global qualifications available to pursue for someone looking to begin their career in management accounting, business strategy, and decision-making. In India, opportunities for CIMA professionals are booming in 2025 due to changing industry dynamics, global prospects, and the shift toward data analytics.

What are the Top 10 Reasons For CIMA to be in Demand?

The growing demand for CIMA in India surely reflects the evolving business requirements. projected considerations of CIMA with the prospects of globalized commerce, digitalized accounting, and the need for strategic leaders, make the qualification stand out among many as the most secure.

The qualification and the career it suggests are open to students as well as professionals. Pursuing a CIMA becomes a ticket to earn, one could call it a truly international career.

1. Global Recognition and Mobility

CIMA is recognized and accepted in more than 180 countries, enabling professionals to obtain jobs not just in India but all over the world. As India's economy gets more and more integrated into the global market, employers are looking for professionals with qualifications that are internationally recognized.

2. Alignment with the CGMA Credential

After completing CIMA, professionals are awarded the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), which is jointly awarded with AICPA. This powerful credential, issued globally, assures employers that the holder is competent in finance and strategic management and thus is valued everywhere.

3. Increased Interest in Strategic Finance Positions

Indian companies have shifted from hiring merely for an accountant to hiring for a position that truly adds value to the company. They want finance professionals who can help the company grow. CIMA-trained professionals are extremely valuable because they know how to integrate insight with decisions.

4. CIMA Qualifications Have No Industry Boundaries

Career opportunities, e.g., in one of the fastest-growing sectors like FMCG, technology, consulting, e-commerce, manufacturing, and even BFSI, are available to CIMA holders. Unlike other qualifications, which are limited to a certain industry, the versatility of CIMA ensures that professionals are not limited to a single industry.

5. Increased Focus on Analytics and Digital Finance

Skills like data and finance analytics, automation, and AI in decision-making are a must in any corporate position in the modern age. The 2025 CIMA syllabus has a focus on these emerging corporate trends.

6. Competitive Pay

CIMA is greatly increasing the demand for strategic management accountants. This is especially the case for multi-national and the bigger accounting firms, and as a result, CIMA-qualified professionals are earning more than traditional accounting roles.

7. Learner and Examining Flexibility

Working professionals and students have the luxury of attempting CIMA’s finance papers at their own pace, thanks to the year-round, computer-based exams. Because of this, CIMA is a popular choice for upskilling without needing a career break.

8. Eligibility Criteria: Graduates in Commerce and Finance Attainment

Graduates with B.Com, BBA, MBA, and Inter CA are well-positioned to receive numerous CIMA exemptions, which strategically enable them to streamline their path and concentrate on the higher-level papers.

9. The Existence of Shared Services Centers is Expanding in India

The country serves as a center of business process outsourcing and shared services for multinationals, as well as for financial planning and analysis. For the roles of business and management accountants, these companies prefer CIMA-certified professionals.

10. Accounting as a Career - A CIMA holder's professional prospects

For CIMA as well as other designations, CIMA’s curriculum is continuously upgraded to ensure business relevance and a professional’s adaptability to the workplace. Graduates are trained in strategic management, and their skills include problem-solving and a focus on long-term adaptability.

Did You Know?

The CIMA Salary Survey 2022 highlighted that CIMA members located in India with 30-40% more year-on-year salaries compared ausing 30-40% more compared to their peers holding similar years of experience in non-CIMA finance roles.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is CIMA better than CA in India?

Both qualifications are highly regarded. However, CIMA is more focused on management accounting and strategic positions, while CA centers on statutory audit and taxation.