The Tough Get Going

It is my absolute honour and privilege to lead a brand that I have always admired and have now worked for, for more than a decade. I take charge with deep gratitude to former editors who have nurtured and honed Business Today for all these years. Especially my predecessor and dear colleague for many years, Prosenjit Datta, who led the magazine through five very fruitful years.

The world is changing. So is Business Today. In the coming weeks and months, as we put together our refreshingly new "Digital First" philosophy into action, we have already kicked off some of the most innovative and exciting offerings on our fast-growing web platform BusinessToday.in. It will be ably complemented by the magazine in a new avataar that is best suited for the new era. Let me stop there for the moment ...until next time.

Just as we strive harder to innovate, India's business schools are innovating, too. BT's Special Issue on India's Best B-schools makes its way in one of the toughest economic environments in decades. Arguably, B-schools also had to bear the brunt. According to AICTE, the universe of MBA institutes in the country has shrunk more than 15 per cent in the past five years from 3,587 to 3,038. Intake has fallen 19 per cent to 3.71 lakh per annum.

But when times are tough, the tough get going. And quality becomes one of the biggest differentiators. Global accreditations that are earned through rigorous, multi-year vetting is one way to stand out from the crowd. India now has 10 B-schools that have the most rigorous AACSB accreditation from Florida in the US; 13 institutes that have received AMBA from London and four with Belgium's EQUIS accreditation.

When institutes were faced with lower intake in the lucrative manage-ment development programmes, they innovated to create customised MDPs. Read that on Custom Made. There are new electives and new courses on offer for the next generation of business graduates (Ahead Of The Curve). Also, read The Glaring Class Divide between the older and the newer IIMs and how B-schools are bridging the crucial gender gap - bit by bit. Alumni haven't quite forgotten to hold the hands of their alma mater in these tough times. They are contributing generously.

Not to forget the biggest and the most definitive ranking of India's Best B-schools across five broad parameters (and 20 sub-parameters) - Learning Experience, Living Experience, Placement Performance, Selection Process, and Future Orientation. Complete with RoI, Zonal rankings, Metro rankings and, for the first time, the Top 100 Private schools.

In these challenging times, B-schools may well take lessons on longevity from the World Economic Forum that is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. In an exclusive interview at the India Economic Summit in New Delhi, WEF Founder and Chairman Klaus Schwab explains why he believes China's loss may not necessarily be India's gain. Why India must follow its own course. And - somewhat counter-intuitively - why he believes the world will go into a deep slowdown - but not recession. Those pearls of wisdom are on 'India Should Not Rely On Catching Companies Moving Out Of China.'

Here's promising you an enchanting ride into the world of business and economy with depth and perspective - issue after issue.