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He came. He conquered. He left.
That's the mantra India's HRD Minister Kapil Sibal relived last night at the Indian Consulate in NY where he was invited as the first speaker in the newly-launched "Distinguished Speaker Series." He was heralded by distinguished educators and India's top academic order in town for a meet and greet.
For those in the know, Sibal was mentored out of a thriving law practice in India by a leading Judge - and his path was since minted in gold when he toiled for years as a Wall Street lawyer- only to throw in the towel and head back to the dusty power corridors of Delhi. "I didn't want to end up sitting here asking questions of how to fix India," he said to roaring applause in the banquet hall.
Sibal hasn't wasted a New York minute since. He's revolutionizing Indian education at all levels and on this recent trip his entourage included heads of JNU, IIT, IIM and private institutions such as Thapar University in Patiala et al.
Sibal wants more American universities to enter India and says a host of leading US institutions, such Duke University, have already put a foot in the door and want in. Wish Harvard and Columbia were listening as they seem to be on the fence dilly-dallying.
But Sibal's not waiting for the American shoes to drop. He's busy setting up at least 14 higher ed universities within India with local entities. And if someone wants to enter India, his advice:
"Off the shelf technologies may work in the US
but won't work in India"
"Be prepared to reinvest your profits
back into the Indian education system"
Now that's a Wall Street negotiator India can be proud of!
If you still want to open a college in India,
here's how you can reach Sibal.
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