People of Indian origin have excelled in the role of executives, while those of Chinese origin have outshone others as visionaries. In recent decades, Indian professionals have reached the pinnacle of leadership in multinational corporations. From Microsoft to Google and IBM, these "administrators" symbolize India's rising profile in global corporations' boardrooms.
Chinese visionaries, on the other hand, have created Alibaba, Huawei, BYD, Byte-Dance (TikTok), and Tencent (WeChat). From high-speed railway and other technological infrastructure, and from quark to quantum physics, Chinese visionaries have reached many a milestone at home.
This raises a puzzling question: Why have the Indian managers flourished abroad, but not at home, and why do visionaries achieve far greater success at home than abroad?
This contrast is not just about where success is achieved but the form it takes. That India excels in producing global managers could be traced back to its colonial past where "viceroys" served the sovereigns of Great Britain. Visionaries foster institutional entrepreneurs and build structures from the ground up.
The rise of Indian executives in multinational corporations is often attributed to their talent and education. But underlying this is a civilizational script shaped by colonial governance. India's administrative class, once trained to serve imperial institutions, passed on a legacy of institutional conformity, managerial competence and comfort with hierarchical structures. Many Indian professionals today mirror these qualities, excelling in environments that reward precision, discipline and alignment with shareholder interests.
