MBA. Three letters. A path of pragmatism, versed in the arts of finance or marketing or operations or human resources. They evoke a sense of gravity and intimidation.
There’s history behind this sentiment. I was born and raised in a small township surrounded by green mountains and streams, out in the southern tip of Odisha. Climbing mountains, cherishing each new horizon, masters of our own little worlds on those heights. Fast forward 14 years, I am writing this piece from XIMB. So why did I choose this place? A romantic answer would be one where this was an inspired choice, bereft of any other tempting alternatives or desires. Everybody wants to go to IIM Ahmedabad. Or Bengaluru. So did I.
As a kid, all I wanted was to be around nature. As a man (in making), I want to go out and protect this place I love. And have fun while doing it. A business company can create products that solve problems, brings beauty and joy – all on its own terms. While that vision is long down the road, the raw materials for it must start their alchemy now. As an engineering student, I had a glimpse of XIMB during the famous festival - Xpressions. I had liked what I saw back then. A sleek, tidy campus that was married to greenery, with streets bedecked by trees on both sides. That reminded me of my hometown. 3 years later, while I did my due diligence for my available B-school options, I would also learn that XIMB had one of the most vaunted academic tradition amongst B-schools in India. All the professors here have a minimum of PhD level of education, not to mention some pretty impressive work experience under their belts. As a man seeking to learn from the best, in subjects that he found intimidating, that was good news.
1 XIMB A kinship with nature
2 My hometown Damanjodi, nestled in the lap of nature
3 A street in XIMB
4 A street in my hometown Damanjodi
A beautiful, green campus in the capital city of my home state, boasting teachers and students that could mentor me along my path to understand business, and hopefully someday thrive in it. That’s how I chose my campus – XIMB!
Which Aditya Birla Group company I would like to work for and why?
Ideally, I would like to work for Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt. Ltd. As I understand it, it is the compass for the ABG fleet.
To serve the organization that has to decide the vision for companies spanning such a diverse spectrum of industries, from carbon black to telecom to fine apparel, will be a dream come true. To decide on the grand direction and business philosophy, and then translate it into long-term goals which in turn must translate to tangible short-term goals instinctively feels like something that would keep my heart and mind engrossed for a lifetime.
By Siddhart Samal
First Year, BM