Training ground of global bosses

Recent addition to Time magazine has an interesting article on what factors account for the rise and rise of India-trained business minds, be it Vikram Pandit of CitiGroup, Ajay Banga or MasterCard, Indira Nooyi of PepsiCo, Nikesh Arora of Google or Ajit Jain of Berkshire Hathway.

Competitive and complex, India has evolved from a poorly run, centrally controlled economy into the perfect playground in which to grow a 21st century CEO. Indians think in English and we are used to multinational in our country. Indians are very adaptive and are supremely confident. The subcontinent has been global from centuries, having endured and absorbed waves of foreign colonizers, from the Mughals to Britishers. So, an Indian executive is raised in a multiethnic, multifaith and multilingual society, one nearly as diverse as the modern global market place. This kind of upbringing plays a huge role in shaping a global mindset.

India’s economic liberalization which began in 1991 was another blessing for this generation of executives. It gave them exposure to a young and fast-growing consumer market. The global competition due to globalization unleashed greater level of competition not only with international players but also with very competitive home grown players. This prepared the young executives to face the global competition and come out with the winning combination.

One of Indian manager’s great advantage is their native disadvantage: they have learned their skills in a country with huge aspirations but often faulty infrastructure. This Indian managers suit tough times, accustomed as they are to making complex systems work, even with finite resources. For Indians navigating uncertainties is an art, not a source of complaint. We have the training to deal with complexities. Growing up in a country where resources are often tight forces you to blow through the constraints and find the answer.

Indian executives tend to pay more attention to the bottom of the pyramid, or the lower-middle class as most part of the country lives around that income bracket. For any emerging market this market segment adds lot of value to the business. And understanding of that business area prepares the Indian executive for a global job really well.

Overall, the current competitive business environment in India is preparing young executives to take up more challenging top management jobs across the globe. This is a very good trend.