It is hard to give away a convenient life for your dreams. Many are not ready to take that risk. However, Ameya Marathe, our feature in this article, gave away a lucrative Senior Analyst Role at the Market Risk Technology Division of Goldman Sachs to peruse his MBA dream! His ability to take calculative risks and devotion to his work found him a place at InsideIIM's Best 50 - The Most Employable Graduates of the Class of 2018-20! Read on to find out more about his journey.
The following is Ameya Marathe's set of responses to a questionnaire floated amongst MBA graduates to determine the top-50 most employable MBA graduates of the Class of 2020. Amongst the massive number of entries and responses being evaluated by the Founder of InsideIIM-Kampus Konversations, Ameya's story and profile stood out. Here's his story in his words.
"I have 3 years of work experience at Goldman Sachs in the Market Risk Technology Division and have cleared CFA L2. I have a stellar academic record with CGPA of 9.16 in B.Tech. I have also contributed to the building of India's first passively stabilized pico-satellite launched by ISRO in 2016. As part of the MBA program at IIM Kozhikode, I have interned at Axis Bank in the M&A Strategy division where he eventually received a PPO."
Name an instance where you wanted something and went out of your comfort zone to achieve it OR Tell us the biggest risk you have taken so far in your life.
"I worked as a Senior Analyst at Goldman Sachs before joining IIM Kozhikode. The job was comfortable, the salary was good enough to finance my own MBA and I was up for a promotion in less than six months. Yet I decided to leave my job and invest in my own education hoping it will pay off in the future. 2 years of MBA at IIM Kozhikode was a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs and now I'm certain that the investment will pay off multi fold in the near future."
When was the last time someone relied on you? OR What did you do which was purely for someone else - a truly selfless act.
"I was a part of the Placements Committee at IIM Kozhikode. The 15-member student body was responsible for facilitating the placements of 3 PGP batches (over 1300 students). We as a team sacrificed on social life, academic aspirations, personal preparation as well as health due to the tremendous workload which came as part of the responsibility. But it was all worth it when we achieved 100% placement with record-breaking statistics. I still receive gratitude from all the students I helped secure their dream job offers."
Tell us about a time when you disagreed with an opinion/idea/decision. What did you do about it?
"I was the head of the Website Designing team during my B.Tech. at College of Engineering, Pune. As part of the induction process for the junior team, I selected a junior student who wore a full hijab. The faculty coordinator had a conservative mindset and needed a lot of convincing to induct the student into the team. I managed to convince him to look beyond the religious bias and focus on the skill and merit of the student. Eventually, we inducted the student into the team who became an asset to the team."
What is the one thing you can claim to have some level of expertise or depth of knowledge in - it could be anything - a subject, a sport, a hobby, a venture, an initiative which has led you to do deep work in that field?
"I have worked on a satellite named 'Swayam' launched by ISRO on 22nd June 2016 during my B.Tech. in computer science from the College of Engineering Pune. Its USP was that it was India's first satellite which could stabilize itself using Earth's magnetic field without using any active stabilizers. Being a part of the initiative, I acquired deep knowledge in the field of satellites, launch vehicles, onboard computer systems and communication protocols. I also co-authored an international research paper on a novel satellite communication protocol."
If 10 Million Dollars (approximately INR 75 Crores) is given to you to use it any way you deem fit what would you do with this corpus?
"Since the world is currently facing a pandemic of epic proportions, I would donate most of the corpus towards COVID relief. I would invest INR 40 crores for research and production of ventilators and other medical devices and equipment (masks/PPE kits) needed for immediate medical help. I would donate INR 10 crores for research and development of a vaccine for COVID-19. I would donate INR 10 crores for helping the people who have been severely affected due to lockdowns imposed all over the world. These include daily wage workers, beggars, homeless people, etc. I would donate INR 5 crores each for PM Cares Fund and Chief Minister's fund which would help mobilize funds for COVID relief. Lastly, I would invest INR 5 crores in vehicles such as public provident fund, real estate, equity, debt, gold etc. so that I can earn returns on the investment to be used in the future."
Also read:
I Started 'Feeding India - Ludhiana Chapter' To Fight Food Wastage | Jaskiran Kaur, InsideIIM's Best 50
I Climbed A 12,000 Ft. Summit Despite Being Sick | Divya Surana, InsideIIM Best 50