That this year’s Thinkers 50 voted Insead Professors W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne of the Blue Ocean Strategy fame as the second most influential duo after innovation guru Clayton Christensen means that their framework continues to have profound influence. Originally meant for organizations, a few nations have adopted this strategy and appear to be reaping its benefits.

About 55 initiatives involving more than 80 Malaysian government agencies applied the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) concept so far. The country’s 2013/2014 Economic Report, released in December 2013, stated that NBOS introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2009 to advocate ‘thinking out of the box’ was able to implement projects and programs and address issues confronting the economy. Malaysia plans to become an advanced nation by 2020 using this strategy – high-impact, low cost, and rapidly-executed. The report said: “The success of NBOS is helping spur rapid and sustained growth in Malaysia as well as creating an inclusive and secure society.” The Malaysia Blue Ocean Strategy Institute (MBOSI), advisory firm, is mandated to come up with creative solutions and policies for the national government.
India casual to BOS

Just like in most other areas like poverty alleviation, infrastructure development or even foreign policy, India doesn’t seem to believe in a coherent strategy to plan for the future and is seldom outcome oriented. A BOS Research Centre was established with T.A.Pai Management Institute (TAMPI) in Manipal, Karnataka, for formal teaching and learning of the concept as part of the curriculum at the undergraduate and post graduate studies. Several Indian organizations such as the Tatas and Aditya Birla have adopted this strategy to enter global markets.

Based on a study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than a hundred years and thirty industries, W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne BOS shows that tomorrow’s leading companies will succeed not by battling competitors by systematically creating “blue oceans” of uncontested market space ripe for growth rather than fighting with each other. The book helps its practitioners chart a bold new path to winning the future.