The new war for professional talent is hotting up and will see huge opportunities for westerners looking for jobs in India and China, an expert said.

Speaking to industry leaders, students and alumni at a session at the Dubai Centre celebrating London Business School’s five years of commitment to education in the region,  Nirmalya Kumar,  Professor of Marketing, highlighted the shift from Indians and Chinese looking to the west for jobs and the reverse happening at a rapid rate.

“When you go to the emerging markets it’s about growth, it’s about ambition and setting up businesses and factories,” said Prof Kumar, who recently launched his book ‘India Inside’ and is the co-director of the school’s Aditya Birla India Centre.

Multinational companies are ramping up in new markets on a scale that is incredible and presents opportunities for westerners looking for jobs in India and China, he said.

“We have to move our people from the West to the East and we have to make it easier. We have to pressure China and India to be as open to Western people as Westerners have been to Indian and Chinese immigrants.”

Professor Kumar believes this change will set corporate agendas over the next decade, adding “the Indian government needs to be encouraged to make it easier for Europeans and Americans to get visas to work in India.”

His presentation on ‘The Emergence of Growth Economies and Corporate Giants’ also touched on India’s ability to transition from services whilst changing perceptions that the country is not innovative enough.

He provided a compelling argument in order to refute this common perception, saying that during his research he has discovered that despite substantial innovation taking place in India, much of it has been “invisible.”

Professor Kumar touched on four types of innovations originating from India that remain invisible, including: Business-to-Business Products for Global Markets; Offshoring of Research and Development Services; Process Innovation and Management Innovation.

Professor Kumar’s hour-long session marked the fifth anniversary celebrations for London Business School, which delivers an Executive MBA and world-class executive education programmes in the region.

The Executive MBA programme is designed for managers and executives who already have substantial professional experience behind them. The cohort represents a range of exceptional, experienced people who can both contribute to and benefit from the programme. – TradeArabia News Service