Should an Indian founder or entrepreneur pursue a US MBA at USC or UCLA, or build their own firm in India?

For a young Indian founder whose long-term goal is to build and own a firm operating in India's deal-making ecosystem, building in India is the stronger path. The network built through a US MBA is a US network, useful if the plan is to operate in the US market, but less directly valuable if the goal is to raise capital from Indian family offices, advise Indian companies, or operate in India's private markets. Going to the US for an MBA costs significant time and money, and the primary return is access to the US professional network and the credential itself.

• India's economy offers structural advantages for founders who know the market from the inside: deal complexity, regulatory environment, and relationship dynamics that are learned by operating in India, not by studying abroad.
• The stronger use of a US credential comes when you already have a well-established base in India and want to access global capital or partnerships, at that point the network matters and you are bringing Indian market expertise that has value to US counterparts.
• For a 23-year-old at the beginning of building something, the years spent in India compounding a local network and track record are likely more valuable than the years spent in a US MBA program building a network that is geographically misaligned with where the business will operate.