Consulting is on the top of mind of most MBA students in India, according to a survey of nearly 1,000 students from the country’s top 10 B-schools.

While 79.2 per cent of those surveyed have a positive opinion of consulting and would like to take up consulting as a career, another 52 per cent of the respondents are of the opinion that consulting companies provide global engagement opportunities.

Tata Consultancy Services in collaboration with the Association of Management Consulting Firms (AMCF) conducted the survey of MBA students from some of the country’s top B-schools.

AMCF is an organisation of the management consulting industry, providing knowledge exchange and professional standards for the community of consulting firms worldwide.

The survey noted that Indian B-School students are more likely to choose consulting if an internship is offered by consulting companies. Some 54.37 per cent respondents looking at consulting as a career, said they were interested in strategy consulting.

While 41.3 per cent of the students with prior experience in IT or consulting said they are more interested in consulting, 28 per cent of students view consulting as a potential long-term career and 30 per cent view it as a stepping stone to leadership positions in an industry outside consulting.

Commenting on the survey, J. Rajagopal, EVP and Head of TCS’ Global Consulting Practice said, “The insights from this study will be invaluable in helping the consulting profession increase its appeal to high-caliber MBA students in India, an important source of global talent.”

John F. Furth, AMCF President and CEO, highlighted one of the differences between perceptions in the two countries. “We spend a lot of time in the U.S. thinking about ways to make consulting more interesting to women as a profession so it’s heartening to see that according to the results of the survey, Indian women view it as a very attractive career option too,” he said.

amritanair.ghaswalla@thehindu.co.in

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