Chinese media explains MBAs are not India's strength but weakness

India's hordes of business graduates — many of whom have reached the top at American multinationals such as Sunder Pichai at Google and Satya Nadella at Microsoft — are of no use to the country if it does not create its own multinationals, unlike China.

"Observers who are interested in comparing the growth prospects of China and India often cite the large pool of MBA talent as one of India's major strengths, but the jobs these graduates do ironically reflects the weakness of the economy," says an article in state-run Chinese news outlet Global Times.

It says it is disturbing to think that so many high-level technical and management staff are working and creating great value for foreign companies.


And that's not how India would be able to match or overtake China in economic growth. India needs its own multinationals driven by talented Indian managers. "To accelerate its economic growth, India needs its own high-quality companies, and to have its own top-tier multinationals, India needs to cultivate a more open environment for entrepreneurship," it says.

The article argues that foreign investment in India too faces a similar challenge despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's many reforms. "But if India cannot provide a good environment for its own businesses to develop, how can it ensure a good environment for foreign investors?" says the article.

Comparing India with China, the article argues China rose because when it was opening up, many people in the country went into business, contributing to the prosperity of the market economy and laying the foundation for the later economic takeoff.