Indian MBAs made in China

An Indian executive from a Chinese B-school is still a rare product. But going to China and not the United States for an MBA is perhaps becoming the next big career move as the recession shifts the world focus to China and India.

In 2004, there were only two Indian students in Beijing. This year’s batch at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) will have almost a dozen Indians.

The 15-year-old China B-school, established by the Chinese government and the European Commission, is the country’s first to offer a full-time MBA in English, and topped Asia’s B-schools for the last six years in the Financial Times’ annual global surveys.

Rama Velamuri, associate professor of entrepreneurship, said, "We’re seeing growing applications from India. Fundamentally, you can get the same MBA in a top global school. But we offer additional insights in the  Chinese context."

The degree costs more than India’s best B-schools but half the cost of studying in the United States.

Hindustan Times reports that offers for overseas students were reportedly lower this year. Indian students find it difficult to arrange bank loans in China, but that the investment has long-term benefit.