India’s management education has come a long way—from a handful of institutes in the 1960s to more than 3,500 today. Our B-schools have fuelled India Inc., created global CEOs, and elevated managerial talent across sectors. Yet one frontier remains underdeveloped: internationalisation.
Despite excellence in pedagogy, infrastructure, and placements, India’s top institutes attract only a handful of foreign students. While global peers such as Harvard, Wharton, and INSEAD get 35–95% international students, even the best Indian schools hover around 2–3%. Some programmes call themselves “Global MBAs” or hold the Triple Crown accreditations (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA) but still lag global standards.
This reflects gaps in policy, perception, and positioning. India needs to position its campuses as global destinations.
Global Classrooms
Leading international B-schools achieve diversity in both students and faculty. For instance, INSEAD and London Business School have about 88% international faculty. Such diversity enriches curricula, research, and the global credibility that attracts applicants.
Even if large-scale foreign hiring takes time, Indian B-schools can begin by inviting visiting professors for specialised modules and collaborate on research.
The real question is no longer whether students abroad are interested in India—they are—but whether our system can convert that interest into enrolment.
This comes at a time when global MBA applications rose 12% in 2024, reversing three years of decline, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council. Asia emerged as the fastest-growing region, and India recorded double-digit growth.
Yet, foreign enrolments remain negligible, revealing a sharp conversion gap between intent and outcome at Indian B-schools.
Where the Gaps Lie
Unlike the US, the UK or Canada, India lacks a clear post-study work visa for foreign graduates, a decisive factor for Western aspirants.
Harvard and INSEAD are global shorthand for excellence, built through alumni reach, international research, and employer confidence. Indian institutions are catching up: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, Indian School of Business, and IIM Calcutta along with few others regularly feature in global rankings, but sustained recognition demands stronger branding and consistency.
Accreditations such as AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA function as global “trust marks.” Out of 3,500 B-schools in India, fewer than three dozen hold any of these—a gap that directly affects credibility.
Foreign students judge programmes by placement outcomes. Western schools maintain structured internship-to-job pipelines; Indian schools largely focus on domestic employers, limiting global visibility.
Admissions linked to the CAT are unfamiliar abroad. Though many Indian schools now accept GMAT/GRE scores, their timelines and communication remain opaque. Western schools, in contrast, market aggressively through global fairs and personalised outreach.
Research capability drives reputation. Harvard reports annual revenues exceeding $1 billion; INSEAD’s annual revenue is €324 million. Indian B-schools operate on far smaller research budgets. Expanding corporate and foundation grants, endowments, and research chairs is essential for academic heft and global rankings.
The transformation has begun. With IIM Ahmedabad leading the charge abroad with opening of its Dubai campus, IIM Kozhikode and others internationalising admissions by creating supernumerary seats, and a few B-schools running dual-degree and international immersion programmes and extending overseas partnerships, the contours of a global Indian management-education ecosystem are emerging. Collectively, these steps mark the beginning of India’s integration into the global management education network.
Road Ahead
To convert interest into actual inflows, India must act on both policy and institutional fronts. It must introduce a two- to three-year visa for graduates of accredited programmes to enable employment here. It must also accelerate international hiring and visiting appointments; use accreditations as quality signals.
Other avenues that can be explored are expansion of 1+1 dual-degree models and guaranteed exchanges or internships with reputed global schools. Besides, a government-industry-backed India Global MBA Fellowship can be launched to attract top international students.
Establishing a Global Career Services Consortium connecting leading Indian schools with recruiters in London, New York, Dubai, and Singapore, will be of immense help. And, there must be unified branding. A global “Study Management in India” campaign to highlight affordability, English-medium delivery, and exposure to a fast-growing economy will boost enrolments.
With determined execution, India’s top B-schools could raise their foreign student ratio from under 2-3% to 10–15% within five years. This would transform classrooms, build international alumni networks, and enhance India’s global standing.
Views are personal.
