More Indians flock foreign B-schools

An article in Economic Times

Some snippets:
B-schools in Europe and US have reported huge increases in the number of Indian applicants.
University of Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business (No 1 on Wall Street Journal's B-school rankings) has seen a 100% increase in Indian applications over the last year.
It's the same story at University of Virginia's Darden School of Business (up 57%, compared to a 6% drop last year), University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler School of Business (a rise of 23%), University of Berkeley's Haas School of Business (up 35%, compared to a 29% drop last year) and SMU Cox School of Business (up 47% as against a 4% rise last year).

The profile of Indian applicants is also seen as robust. "In general, Indians possess outstanding academic qualification and strong work experience many in the IT sectors," says Doris Sohmen-Pao, director of the INSEAD MBA programme.

The biggest reason for the rise in Indian application numbers seems to be the growth in the Indian economy. "Because of India's rapid economic growth, there is a huge need for talented leaders who have the knowledge, skills and attributes for global management," says David Simpson, senior admissions manager (MBA programme), LBS.

Adds Janet Shaner, director, MBA marketing, IMD, Switzerland, "As India participates more extensively in the global marketplace, Indians are recognising the value of gaining experience in Europe in particular and internationally in general."

It has also been seen that many mid-career executives in the IT sector tend to look at reskilling, hence, the need to return to school.