Is AI quietly killing consulting?

A few weeks ago, I was speaking to an MBA aspirant who told me—"I’m not sure if I should aim for consulting anymore… Won’t AI just replace all those slide decks and data crunching?"

It’s a fair fear. AI can write reports, build dashboards, even simulate strategies.But here’s the plot twist—consulting isn’t dying… it’s morphing.

📉 The Myth:"Consulting jobs are vanishing because AI can do the analysis."

📈 The Reality:From IIM-A to JBIMS to IIM-Nagpur, consulting remains one of the most sought-after and well-paying domains in placements:

• IIM Bangalore: Avg package ₹35.3 LPA – consulting is still a top recruiter.

• IIM Calcutta: ₹35.07 LPA average – McKinsey, BCG, Bain still on campus.

• JBIMS: Highest ₹87.12 LPA – strategy & consulting roles dominate the top offers.

• IIM Nagpur: 100% placement, avg ₹18.07 LPA – consulting featured prominently.

  
  

Even newer IIMs are seeing consulting firms queue up.

Here’s the real shift:

Consultants are no longer just “PowerPoint factories.”They’re becoming AI interpreters—people who can turn complex algorithms into boardroom strategies, who can explain why an AI model is recommending a path, and guide leadership through it.

In other words… consulting is evolving faster than the curriculum at most B-schools.

If you’re in an MBA program right now, or about to apply, ask yourself:

• Does your B-school train you to speak both AI and business fluently?

• Are you building skills in digital transformation + human leadership?

• Are you networking with consulting firms that are already AI-first?

  
  

Because The firms are hiring now, but the consultants they want in 2 years will look very different from the ones they hired in 2020.

AI isn’t killing consulting.It’s creating a new breed of consultant—part strategist, part technologist, part change-maker.If you don’t start building that mix now, someone else will… and they’ll take your seat in that final placement interview.