NEW WORLD, CHALLENGES

In the transition from control to creativity, from profit to purpose, management education has become a mirror of the human condition-constantly evolving, questioning and striving to make sense of a world in motion

- BY ABHINAV SINGH

Management education in India has transformed from a limited set of programmes in commerce and administration to a dynamic, globally competitive ecosystem producing leaders and entrepreneurs.

XLRI Jamshedpur, India's oldest management school, was established in 1949 at a time the country was seeking to build managerial capacity to drive economic development. The first IIMs followed in the 1960s with support from MIT and Harvard. Liberalisation brought another major shift, as global markets opened and demand for skilled managers grew exponentially.

The idea of business leadership has evolved across generations, and b-schools have evolved with it. What began as a discipline centred on control, efficiency and functional mastery has now transformed into a philosophy of creativity, adaptability and systems thinking.

Earlier generations learned to manage scale, maintain efficiency and optimise within known systems. Curricula focused on various facets of business and organisational theory. Case studies, primarily from western corporations, taught students to navigate existing systems, not reinvent them. Success was defined as mastering established frameworks. Ethics and sustainability were often electives, if addressed at all.

The archetypal MBA was about predictability. Hierarchies were stable, markets slower and competitive advantage came from planning. The classroom was designed for debate, not experimentation. The ultimate aspiration was the corporate climb—a linear journey defined by loyalty and competence.