'We see India as a strategic growth market for GMAT'

Q&A: David A Wilson, President and CEO, GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which owns and administers the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), plans to set up its third office in India after the US and UK. The decision comes close on the heels of the Union Cabinet approving the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill, which is expected to tick-off futher demand for GMAT. On a visit to India, David A Wilson, President and CEO, GMAC talks to Chitra Unnithan on why India is a growing market for GMAT. Edited excerpts:

What’s your thinking behind opening an office in India?
India is a vibrant and exciting market for graduate management education. It brings together a culture that embraces education, a knowledge-based economy, entrepreneurial spirit and a youthful population with 50 per cent of its population under the age of 25. These are ideal conditions for the GMAT and for management education. The establishment of our office will permit us to provide far greater personal service and attention to GMAT aspirants and business schools alike. We have 17 test centres currently in India, representing an investment of about $3 million. However, we have not decided where to open the office at this point. It may be in Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore. We are still waiting for permission from the regulatory authorities.

How do you rate the quality of management education in India?
India is home to some of the best graduate business schools in the world and I can only see a positive and exciting future. The world is recognising the high quality of Indian institutions. For example, the Indian School of Business (ISB) is ranked in the current FT top 100 business school rankings. The quality of schools and business education is one reason GMAC is establishing a presence in India. We see India as a strategic growth market for GMAT.

There has been a rise in the number of Indian MBA programmes using GMAT...
The GMAT has long been the global standard for admission to graduate schools of business. It is a standardised exam used by more than 4,700 MBA and other graduate management education programmes in almost 2,000 business schools around the world as part of the admissions process. Tests taken by citizens of India were up 7 per cent in testing year 2009, to 30,633, capping a 128 per cent increase during the past five years. As demand for MBA and other graduate management degrees has increased, so has the demand for GMAT. Many aspirants to the best programmes around the world including the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other fine Indian programmes will take the GMAT as they also contemplate applying to programs elsewhere in the world.

What are GMAC’s expectations from the Foreign Education Bill?
This is a decision to be made by the appropriate legislative bodies in India after their deliberative processes. If enacted as we understand the Bill, there will be a number of B-schools coming to India that already mandate the GMAT.