Many Indian MBA aspirants are rethinking their plans to study in the United States and instead choosing top B-schools within the country. A recent LinkedIn post claims this shift is due to ongoing immigration issues in the US and rising anti-Indian sentiment. The post has sparked a wide range of reactions online, with many questioning if this is a temporary trend or a real change in mindset.
The post was shared on the professional networking platform LinkedIn by user Aviral Bhatnagar. It cites a professor from IIM Ahmedabad and reads: "Spoke to one of my IIM A professors who is also a chairperson. He was upbeat about students this year, saying that many US MBA aspirants are choosing to study in India due to immigration chaos. Fascinating that the on-ground impact is almost immediate, talent is staying back."
The post suggests that because of confusion and strict rules around US immigration, many students who would have gone abroad for an MBA are now staying back and applying to Indian institutes. It points to an immediate impact being seen at ground level in top institutes like IIMs.
However, a counterpoint has emerged. Another LinkedIn user, Akshay Chaturvedi, shared a widely circulated post denying the claim. He wrote: “Those who want to go to the US are delaying by a year, are ok to wait (different from Canada-bound, who changed destination to diff parts of Europe, where they could find similar price point and aligned ROI).”
While NDTV cannot verify the authenticity of the conversation cited in post, it has sparked a debate online.
Comments on the post reflect a wide range of opinions
One user wrote: "The concept of brain drain is often viewed negatively in India, but it's actually a natural outcome of global economic forces... Trying to block this movement wouldn't create more jobs at home; it could lead to higher unemployment and underutilisation of skills."
Another user said: "Talent is staying back? Too early to say that. There are chances that the same group of students would migrate overseas for their jobs after graduation. This is a temporary constraint."
A third comment noted: "It's fascinating how these immigration challenges are turning into unexpected opportunities for india's business schools and creating this natural talent pipeline that benefits everyone locally."
A fourth user pointed out: "Talent that's being forced to stay back due to geopolitical reasons only, is not going to stay back the moment things on that front change... the factors which forced leakage of talent from India are still the same."
A fifth user added: "I think it's a temporary phenomenon... the only way we can take advantage is if we can sustain this trend and expand capacities in IITs, IIMs, AIIMS etc. Otherwise, it will only add competition in our already intense competitive landscape."