In our list of India's Best 50 - the 50 Most Employable Students from the Class of 2021-23, we feature MBA students who have walked that extra mile and done that little more to stand out! One of those featured in today's story, Bhawna Malhotra, has shown an incredible amount of passion to achieve her true potential. Read on and find out her story!
The following are Bhawna Malhotra’s set of responses to a questionnaire floated amongst MBA graduates to determine the top 50 Most Employable MBA Graduates of the Class of 2023. Amongst the massive number of entries and responses being evaluated, Bhawna's story and profile stood out. Here's his story in his own words.
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.
When I began my MBA programme, I was assigned a summer internship in marketing with a well-known firm. I eventually realised that, despite the firm's large brand name, I was not interested in joining because the position did not correspond with my interests. I didn't want to waste my summer interning somewhere that didn't help me advance in my profession. So I went all out in my search for an off-campus product management internship. Instead of celebrating my campus placement, I continued to build my profile by attending conferences, networking with others who had excelled in the product management industry, and participating in weekly product management challenges to build a product portfolio. This helped me win a full-time pre-placement offer in a product job at A.P. Moller - Maersk.
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 have always believed in this notion that "it is only in giving that we receive". From helping out my batchmates with whatever technical knowledge I have gained to fulfilling my duties as the president of Student council at my institute, I have tried to help people around me in whatever way I can. But the one story that is very close to my heart is that of a dog - Mini. This puppy was born in the harsh winters of Uttarakhand and was abandoned on the streets until one of my good friends chose to take her in. Raising a dog with an MBA is a difficult commitment in and of itself, so I decided to lighten his load and began caring for her.
Tell us about a time when you disagreed with an opinion/idea/decision. What did you do about it?
I was the Club President and Vice President Public Relations at a Toastmasters club during the blackswan event of covid-19. When all of the meetings went online, most of the club members felt the need to leave. The club mentor stated that the club should be closed. But it took years of hard effort on the marketing and engagement fronts to get the club to where it was. Shutting it down meant that the hardwork of all of the former members involved in putting up the club had been in vain.That's when I put my foot down and asked the members to sail through the period online without leaving the club. Even when some members resigned, I made an extra effort to pitch the club membership to new members and converted four more members for the club.
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 that has led you to do deep work in that field?
Product management is a field in which I think I have some knowledge. This stems from my previous employment at a Fortune 5 corporation prior to beginning my MBA studies. As a quality analyst, I gained a greater understanding of a product. During the Product Owner's maternity leave, I also functioned as an interim product owner. It improved my understanding of the entire product management process, from requirement collecting through deployment and UAT sign off.When I began my MBA journey, I participated in a number of Product challenges and even won awards for them.I now have a better understanding of the product management domain and some skill in approaching a product case.As a Product Expert Intern with A.P. Moller Maersk, I am constantly improving my skills.
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?
I've always liked the concept of owning many houses in various places. But I would never want to spend money just to fulfil a fantasy. I'd want to turn my ambition into a reality by creating vacation rental properties like Airbnb in various destinations throughout the world. From 2022 to 2028, the global vacation rental market is expected to grow at a 5.1% CAGR. Investing in vacation rental houses at this time is thus a sensible idea.Because I adore interior design, I plan to purchase and take on many rental properties as a design project from the ground up. This would allow me to enjoy the process while also achieving my goals of owning properties in other locations and profiting from this investment.
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As per government tax payers' data and our assessment, only about 6,00,000 Indian taxpayers earn an annual 'salaried' income of INR 30 lacs or above. And only 11,00,000 Indian taxpayers earn a 'total' income of INR 30 lacs or more.
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