THE BIG B-SCHOOL SHAKE-UP

Management education is undergoing a profound change in the face of massive disruptions, including the adoption of Al. Indian B-schools need to reinvent themselves

- GEORGE SKARIA

THE UNCERTAINTIES affecting businesses, right from Covid-19 in 2020 to growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), geopolitical conflicts and now US President Donald Trump's disruptive tariff regime, have seeded chaos into the global economy.

These changes are redefining the flow of global trade and investments and political and economic relationships between countries. The new H1-B visa rules in the US, for instance, have had an immediate impact on India's global software companies. This, combined with the use of AI, has forced some to drastically downsize their headcount.

These disruptions are expected to have a lasting impact on companies, ranging from new leadership competencies required to business model innovation. Then there are factors such as the government's clarion call for Swadeshi and Viksit Bharat. Besides, corporations will need employees who can lead them towards a green future.

Rahul Mishra, Professor of Strategy and International Business at the IILM Institute for Higher Education, says, “Understanding the fundamental forces shaping geopolitics and geoeconomics will be a core skill for future managers. Climate change and managing the carbon footprint will increasingly impact decision-making in businesses. Therefore, we require a new cadre of business leadership that is audacious enough to tackle uncertainty and chart out a new path for the future.”

Clearly, it is a pivotal moment for Indian B-schools. All these changes will alter management education and thereby the character and structure of B-schools. How?

THE BIG PICTURE

There are a few macro trends that will redefine the future of B-schools in India. To be a successful B-school in the new world order, substantial investments and energy are needed in building AI and robotics labs, making faculty proficient in teaching through an AI lens and preparing students to be competent in an AI-related job market.