From the Mellons to the Gates and Bezoses to Musks, the greatest entrepreneurs in history have repeatedly proven that a college degree is never the most important aspect of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have been the poster boys of this. But in truth, while the names mentioned above represent a tiny substratum of highly successful entrepreneurs, the large majority of successful entrepreneurs in the world right now boast stellar academic qualifications.

Sundar Pichai took his (BTech) from IIT Kharagpur, MS from Stanford University, and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. Jack Ma graduated from Hangzhou Dianzi University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English and became a lecturer there in English and international trade. Warren Buffet has a degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska, a Master of Science degree in Economics from Colombia Business School, and he also attended the New York Institute of Finance. So, never for a second mistake that a degree is unimportant in business. Not only is a degree paramount, but you also need to constantly improve your knowledge through systematic education to be at the edge of things.

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) continues to do a great job in imparting business education with a global perspective. IIFT was established in 1963 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to contribute to skill building for India's external trade sector. We dedicate this special issue to the prestigious alumni of IIFT.