I found Ashutosh Tiwari's 'On the job' (Strictly Business, #198) on MBAs getting exploited in Nepal thought provoking. I know of two individuals who are currently working in supposedly prestigious institutions in Kathmandu. One has an MBA from a London business school and the other has his from a Top Ten MBA school in the US. Both have 3-5 years of experience in Kathmandu. Their MBA skills are of literally no use in the Nepali context. I don't see how pure MBA skills can be utilised without the existence of market-led and policy driven economics. Before we can see the day when MBAs can lead the Nepali business scene, Nepal has to have well defined economic policies with all market variables defined and under a controllable realm. For example, how can an MBA predict the market or manage demand and supply when bandas paralyse the nation for more than a quarter of a year and inflation is probably the highest in the world? Without precise and clear national economic policies and consistent political institutions, MBA skills will not be of much use in Nepal.

DB Mahat
Baltimore, USA