Abraham Aby from Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, has earned his place among the 50 Most Employable MBA Graduates from the Class of 2026. His story is one of intellectual curiosity, cross-disciplinary synthesis, and a deliberate pivot from engineering to product management. He is a generalist who connects ideas, people, and technology. Scroll down to discover how Abraham’s unique journey has prepared him to lead in an adaptable world.
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The Ascent: From Engineer to Product Generalist
Abraham’s journey is one of intentional exploration. With a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Palakkad and two years as an SDE at LTIMindtree, his path seemed set in pure tech. However, his undergraduate experiences, including launching a SaaS startup and leading the Alumni Cell, sparked a deeper interest in management. This led him to XLRI, where he interned as a Product Manager at FinIQ, solidifying his passion for tech-product roles.
When asked for his proudest achievement, Abraham points not to IIT or XLRI, but to a 10th standard story writing competition. An English teacher had challenged him to be more multidimensional, moving beyond academics. Winning that competition and reaching the state finals awoke a hidden curiosity. For Abraham, that small win was the catalyst that pushed him to try new things. It is the starting point for his long list of diverse interests today, from sports and quizzing to writing and leadership roles.
The Inner Core: Commitment and Servant Leadership
Abraham’s core strengths are rooted in reliability and connection. First is his commitment to honouring a promise. As Head of the Alumni Cell, he conceived and executed the first-ever customized yearbook for his batch. Despite the challenges, he and a small team of three delivered on this complex, personal project. Second, he practices servant leadership, making him highly approachable. This pairs with his third strength: networking. He leverages his broad interests to strike up easy conversations, building a professional network of over 2000 CXO connections on LinkedIn.
His character as a leader was tested when he was head of the International and Alumni Relations cell. He was responsible for onboarding Nepal's first student cohort during COVID, all while at home. One student arrived at the station late in the evening, at the exact same time as Abraham's end-of-term exam. The student had no WhatsApp, could not speak the local language, and Abraham was his only contact. Knowing the student would be stranded, Abraham chose to end his exam at the halfway point, taking a one-level grade cut, to ensure he could coordinate the student's safe arrival.
The Employable Edge in an AI-Augmented World
In today’s AI augmented business world, Abraham’s key trait is his genuine and active interest in learning the technology's application. He recognizes that his greatest strength is not just leveraging AI, but actively studying it. He regularly discusses AI on LinkedIn, engages with his 6000+ connections on the topic, and, as a core member of the XLRI CXO club, networks with industry leaders about its future. He is also an active member of "Chai&GPT," a national community of AI enthusiasts. This deep curiosity makes him highly adaptable.
Abraham Aby is a true generalist, a trait he views as essential for an ambiguous future. He is not a specialist in one thing but is above average in a wide array of fields: academics, sports, writing, and leadership. He brings an engineer's mind from IIT, the practical experience of an SDE, and the strategic lens of a product manager. Managers can count on him to synthesize ideas across disciplines, connect with any stakeholder, and adapt quickly to whatever challenge comes next.
