Entry plan into MBB India after a Masters in AU

Question

Hi all,

I'm an Indian student finishing a Master of Business Analytics from a top-50 QS uni in Australia (GPA:6.9/7). My background spans strategic insights at a large public sector unit in Australia, finance research in India, and co-founding a food venture in India. I'm also hopeful of securing a boutique consulting internship in Australia soon.

I plan to return to India and specifically target MBB. Since most entry routes lean heavily on IIM/ISB, I'm considering internships first to strengthen positioning.

Question: How is an overseas master's degree like mine generally perceived in the Indian consulting market, and what's the smartest way to break in?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi Vinay,

In the Indian consulting market, the strongest on-campus pipelines into MBB are still IIMs and ISB. That said, an overseas master’s—especially with a strong GPA and relevant experience—is respected, but it doesn’t give you the same automatic funnel. The challenge is visibility and network rather than credibility.

What this means for you:

Perception of your degree
Your Master of Business Analytics from a top-50 QS uni will be valued, especially for data-heavy or strategy/analytics-focused roles. However, MBB India may not treat it as a direct “core school” for recruiting, so you’ll need to compensate with networking and a strong story

Entry strategy

Internship in consulting (Australia or India): Even at a boutique, this will help you pivot your CV into consulting and prove client/project experience.
Networking: Critical in India since you won’t have the IIM/ISB on-campus advantage. Target Indian MBB alumni from your Australian university, as well as Indian consultants who studied abroad.
Off-cycle/experienced hire route: Apply as an “experienced professional” rather than through the fresh graduate funnel. Your blend of analytics, public sector insights, and entrepreneurship can be positioned as differentiated experience.
Tier-2 firms and Big Four strategy arms: Consider joining firms like EY-Parthenon, Kearney, Roland Berger, or Strategy& in India. These serve as strong springboards to MBB after 1–2 years.

Smartest way to break in

Leverage your analytics + strategy story: “I combine a deep technical toolkit with strategy experience and entrepreneurship.”
Secure a boutique or Tier-2 consulting internship/job first—it gives you practical credibility and makes MBB lateral hiring more realistic.
Build a 12–18 month timeline: start with Tier-2 or boutique, apply/network into MBB as experienced hire, and use your overseas degree as a differentiator.

Bottom line: MBB India hires heavily from IIM/ISB, but with your profile, the experienced hire path (via boutique/Tier-2 + networking) is the smartest entry plan.

Happy to help you prep – feel free to reach out.

Best,
Evelina

Answer 2

Hi Vinay :)

An overseas master’s like yours is generally respected, especially with such a strong GPA, but in India the traditional funnels (IIM, ISB) dominate MBB recruiting. That means you’ll likely need to build credibility through relevant internships and strong networking. A boutique consulting internship in Australia will be a big plus and you can use that experience as a bridge when applying in India.

The smartest route is to get consulting experience first (boutique or even Tier-2 firms), highlight your diverse background (analytics, strategy, entrepreneurship), and network actively with MBB India consultants. Showing clear leadership and impact in your projects will help offset the fact that you’re not from IIM/ISB. Many people do break in this way, but you’ll need to be proactive.

best,
Alessa :)