The Department of Management Studies is a result of the evolutionary process of growth of an idea floated in 1963. What was then a seed, gradually came to life and in 1974, IIT Delhi set up an internal committee to scrutinize the functioning of the management area in the institute. In 1975, an expert committee was setup to formally examine the possibility of launching this area in a more sustained fashion. The result was an M.Tech programme in "Management Systems" in the School for System Studies, (subsequently renamed School for Systems and Management Studies). The year 1978 saw the setting up of the Management Core Group and the core inputs to a full time Management Education at IIT(D) were reconfirmed by an Advisory Committee constituted by the representatives of the Academia and the industry. Since then, there has been no looking back. The School for Systems and Management Studies became the Centre for Systems and Management Studies. This was subsequently renamed as the Centre for Management Studies.

In 1993 the Department was brought into existence by amendment to IIT (D) statutes. Clearly, the Department responds to a felt need of the Indian Industry and derives satisfaction from its heavy field orientation in all its curriculum activity. In response to the feedback from the students, alumni and industry, the Department of Management Studies launched MBA programmes in 1997. The department currently runs a two year full time MBA programme (General and with focus on Telecommunication Systems Management) and a three year part time MBA programme (with focus on Technology Management). MBA program in IIT Delhi is designed keeping in mind the changes in business environment and the need of the industry. Our academic program is comparable to the best that are available in the world class business schools for creating managers to face the new challenges of the ever changing market environment. The entire course aims at creating holistic managers trained by a very eminent faculty, which is also supported by the experienced professionals as external faculty from India and abroad. The students are admitted through a rigorous screening process that includes CAT score, group discussion and interview. IITD MBAs are known to do well.