Alumnus Connect SJMSOM aims to understand the intricacies of Management life, the choice of B-school and memorable experiences at SOM through candid interactions with our esteemed alums. The inaugural interaction presents Mr Nilay Kumar, from the Class of 2016 at Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay. Currently, he is working in the Supply Chain domain with Johnson & Johnson.
Why did you choose SJMSOM to do your M.Mgt.?
SJMSOM seemed like a perfect fit considering my expectations out of an MBA program. I had a major interest in operations but I also wanted to pursue other aspects of a management degree, so the General Management course at SJMSOM was exactly what I was looking for. Apart from that, the small batch size & lower fees compared to other B-schools, one of the highest Student to Faculty ratios across B-schools, its emphasis on industry interaction, the Brand IIT & its amazing infrastructure, as well as its good placements were more than enough for me to choose this college.
What was the impact of SJMSOM on your career?
SJMSOM has made a massive impact on my career and it’s something I would always be thankful for. It has helped me deal with problems and situations from different perspectives and has also enabled me to structure & articulate my actions depending on what is demanded of me. Through SOM’s close association with IITB, every student of our batch got multiple POR’s and we had a plethora of opportunities for extracurricular interests. Then we had corporate & B-school competitions which I believe is a key element towards preparing yourselves for the tough corporate life ahead. I was also fortunate enough to head our Marketing Club – Marktrix. Shouldering that responsibility taught me few valuable lessons in team building & leadership that I would definitely take forward in my corporate path ahead. Besides these, the curriculum that SOM provides, not only helps us develop our core competencies (like Supply Chain/Operations in my case) but it also gives us a choice of exploring other functional areas such as Finance, Marketing, Strategy, etc. which is crucial to developing a holistic understanding of business.
Please throw some light on quality of infrastructure, professors, and industry interaction that SJMSOM offers
Having stayed 2 years in the beautiful lakeside campus of IIT Bombay, I can boast that we have got one of the best infrastructures amongst B-schools in our country. It is almost a township in itself - World class swimming pools, exceptional sports facilities, Incubators for start-ups, hostel facilities with super fast internet, hospital, post office, banks, central library, theatrical clubs, linguistic clubs, photography clubs, mountaineering or cycling clubs, etc. Any extra-curricular activity you can think of, there's gonna be a club for it. SJMSOM boasts some very distinguished faculties in different fields of management & their emphasis on case-based pedagogy really benefits the students in terms of practical understanding & improving their problem-solving skills.
Now talking about the industry interaction, SJMSOM hosts various sessions such as ‘Continuum’ and ‘Diksha’ where students invite industry stalwarts to the campus and they interact with students about domain specific topics & current trends in the management world. I believe these sessions are really beneficial towards keeping the students in-line with the current trends and the fast disruptions which are shaping the landscape of industry.
What are your career plans for future?
I feel fortunate to be working in a Supply Chain/Operations role with my current organisation & I'm really happy being here. I want to work here for as long as possible. In the near future, I'd like to work across functions & sectors so as to become more agile, gain an end-to-end understanding of the business & use this knowledge to further the growth of the organisation. And towards the latter part of my career, I'd like to pursue a more General Management role if I'm given the right opportunity.
Your message for the forthcoming batch
Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. So make the most of these 2 years, give your 100% and even more in everything that you pursue and success will definitely follow you sooner or later. Do cherish the amazing time you're going to spend with your batchmates in the campus.
About the Alumni:
Nilay completed his B.E. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology. Before joining SJMSOM, he has a prior work experience with Atkins. At SJMSOM, he was a summer intern with Johnson & Johnson, led the activities of Marktrix, the Marketing club of SJMSOM and was a passionate soccer player.