The proportion of MBA aspirants in India preferring to study at business schools within the country surged to 28 per cent in 2021 from 18 per cent before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, according to the findings of a survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association of leading graduate business schools shared. Matt Hazenbush, director of research analysis and communications, GMAC shared with Economic Times that the survey attributed the shift to both the pandemic-induced restrictions and the increasing popularity of Indian business schools.
GMAC surveyed more than 6,500 individuals worldwide and 1,598 individuals in India who expressed interest in graduate business education in 2021. "While uncertainty around travel restrictions and health concerns related to the pandemic likely account for some of this, the reputation of Indian business schools is rising internationally," he said.
Education experts said it is not just a post-pandemic phenomenon but also reflective of increasing job opportunities for management graduates in India and the high-value local roles available now.
GMAC data showed that domestic candidates in India are especially focused on affordability, with 58 per cent citing it as a reason for their destination choice. However, despite slipping marginally in students' preference to 33.8 per cent in 2021 from 36.5 per cent in 2019, the US still remained the top international study destination. The top five study destinations for Indian business degree aspirants were the US, India, Canada, UK and France.
Data showed that domestic candidates viewed the professional value of a graduate business degree as highly as they did prior to the pandemic. Globally, more than 80 per cent of candidates agreed that a graduate business degree helps one stand out at work -consistent with the pre-pandemic levels. The full-time MBA programme continued to be the most popular option, with one out of four candidates preferring the two-year full-time format and another one in five preferring the one-year full time format.