Introduction
After working on consulting projects for five years at McKinsey & Company and then managing a business unit for more than two years at Microsoft in Southeast Asia, I realized that I wanted to study the broader theoretical trends shaping business in emerging markets. I wanted an engagement that was not only analytical but also focused on real world issues. And, I was looking for some flexibility in day-to-day working. After many conversations with academics in Singapore where I was living at that time, and with Professor Tarun Khanna at HBS, I decided to apply to HBS.
My Research Interests
My research agenda is focused on studying the sweeping changes driving business in emerging markets, specifically how multinational firms, emerging market firms, and individuals are shaping innovation in such markets.
My current research explores the drivers of innovation coming out of multinational R&D centers in China and India. (An example of such innovation is the hand-held ultrasound device developed by GE in India.) I am also exploring how emerging market state owned entities and emerging market firms are using innovation as a lever for transforming themselves. Finally, I'm studying the phenomenon of return migration… how engineers and scientists who return from the U.S. to emerging markets affect local innovation.
The Strategy Program
The HBS strategy program was ideal for me. I had the flexibility of choosing courses from the PhD economics sequence at the Harvard and MIT Economics departments and also had the leverage to open up field work in Fortune 500 companies. The HBS strategy faculty is made up of world class economists who study real issues—and that was the combination I was looking for.
The HBS Experience
The three most important things at HBS for me were the tremendous faculty accessible at Harvard and MIT, the generous research funding, and the amazing support from my advisors, particularly Professor Tarun Khanna who was a pillar of intellectual support.
After HBS
I am joining the faculty at Wharton. I will most likely be teaching the core MBA course focused on global strategy and will be continuing with my research on innovation and emerging markets.
Advice for prospective HBS doctoral students
Take advantage of the flexibility that HBS offers. Enroll in courses that really interest you and work with faculty on a problem that motivates you. Doctoral students at HBS are never told what to study—it's up to you to chart your own path.
