Practical MBAs Are Overhyped, Lack Real-World Value: £6.7B Entrepreneur Siddharth Shankar

Siddharth Shankar, Tails Group's £6.7 billion turnover serial entrepreneur and recent nine-figure exit, has criticized the increasing popularity of "practical MBA" programs as a trend-based movement with little applicability in the real world. In an interview with the Karostartup podcast, Shankar cautioned young business professionals and would-be entrepreneurs to subject the expanding boot camp, accelerator, and experiential course ecosystem to critical scrutiny.

"Everybody's hopping on this bandwagon of functional MBAs," Shankar said. "But where is the true value in the corporate world?" Shankar, who founded his startup career after MBA in 2017, attributes his conventional academic background for giving him strategic thinking, financial knowledge, and worldwide business exposure that enabled him to create a 285-brand portfolio reaching over 150,000 worldwide customers.

Countering the promotional-laden hype of short-term, experiential business programs, he said, "The numbers will catch up. These programs sound good but do not often create the depth of analysis required for lasting business success."

He emphasized that although experiential learning has its value, it cannot supplant traditional business education. "Intellect and practical application must be married with theoretical knowledge. That's the winning combination," he said.

Shankar's comments arrive at a time when India's entrepreneurial environment is more and more embracing fast-tracked entrepreneurial programs, usually at the cost of conventional academia. His experience acts as a counterpoint, reasserting the long-term worth of formal business education.

Currently the Global COO of Komerz, Shankar still invests in startups and guides young entrepreneurs. His experience serves as a timely reminder to students and education policymakers alike: as the competition for innovation heats up, academic quality must not be sacrificed.