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CAT percentile 96.23 VA- 98.88% LRDI- 83.54 QA-90.5410th - 93.67% 12th- 91.6% B.tech- 75.10% 21 months work ex.
Interview date: 23rd Feb, MDI Gurgaon
WAT Topic: Is India ready for digitisation from cyber security viewpoint to become a cashless economy?
I think the GD went well and had put across good points in the discussion.
Interview:
I was 7th in my panel and had already heard stories of how our panellists were slightly grilling on knowledge.
As I entered P1 was in his seat, P2 was outside.
P1: So you are from ECE. You were in Telecomm Testing. Talk about the marketing strategy of Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Me: Sir, by introducing free tariff plans initially, they have gained a lot of subscribers that were earlier using mostly Airtel, but their service is not up to the mark because of lack of Interoperability towers (for which present telecomm operators are responsible). So most people are using JIO as an alternate sim. Though, many people who had not been using 4G earlier have subscribed because of JIO.
(At this point P2 enters)
P1: So you say Jio has absorbed Airtel's subscribers?
Me: No, Sir. Most people are using Jio as an alternate sim.
P1: Name an expensive product you have bought?
Me: Sir, regarding telecomm or..?
P1: Any product which you have bought.
Me: Sir, Lakme youth infinity cream (I am a girl :D). It costs Rs 700 for 300mg.
P1: Now what if this cream is available for Rs 300. Will you buy it?
Me: Sir, by Lakme or some other company? Because Lakme is a reputed brand.
P1: Some new company say.
Me: I wouldn't want to take chances with my skin with a new brand sir.
P1: Now what if Lakme starts selling it for Rs 300.
Me: Sir, even then I would think that probably this product is not doing well among masses so they had to slash prices.
P1: What are your future plans?
Me: Sir, a few years from now I wanna be in a position to lead.
P1: So you could get married then?
Me: (smiled) I meant leading a business firm. That's why I have applied for the general mgmt program...so I can learn all aspects of a business- marketing, Finance etc.
P1: Which specialisation would you want to go for?
Me: Sir, first I will learn about all specialisations in my 1st year and then opt one on basis of how I am doing in those subjects.
(At this point they were trying to make me chose a specialisation but I didn’t because I knew it would invite Technical questions)
P2: have you prepared for this interview?
Me: Yes Sir.
P2: what have you prepared?
Me: Sir, current affairs, acads etc.
P2: What's share buyback? It was in news recently.
Me: Yes Sir. TCS and Cognizant have bought back their shares. (told definition of share buyback)
P2: Why would a company buy back its shares?
Me: Sir, shareholder sentiment was low because of Brexit, Donald Trump which had hit IT sector.. in order to maintain consumer sentiment
(He was about to cross-question me and then suddenly switched)
P2: Who are shareholders of Unilever?
Me: Sir, I don't know.
P2: But this contradicts your statement that you have prepared for this interview.
Me: Sir, probably it's something that I have not looked up. I know somethings some I don't.
P2: Which Unilever product you use?
Me: Hindustan Unilever product would be Dettol (Incorrect, it's Reckitt Beckinser's)
P2: What have you read in current affairs?
Me: Tamil Nadu politics. Legislative assembly elections.
P2: Why didn't they make Sasikala CM?
Me: Sir, she had a disproportionate assets case against her.
P2: Who decided that?
Me: SC
P2: No it was not SC.
Me; Sir I think it was SC only as HC had granted bail to Jaya and Sasikala after spending one month in jail.
P2: SC has awarded the jail sentence! Who decides the CM of a state?
Me: The political party that we chose to power.(not exact answer...Legislative members decide through a vote, P1 even gave me a hint but I didn't catch it)
P2: Why are we even discussing politics in a b-school interview?
Me: Sir because politics affects businesses.
P2: Give such an example.
Me: Sir, I wouldn't take names. But when an Ayurvedic FMCG wanted to introduce its products in market, existing noodle brand was embroiled in a controversy)
P2: But that was not a political decision
(Was about to give justification, the P1 said interview is over you can leave)
Overall, my interview was lengthier than others in my panel. At least 20-25 mins. But not sure if this is positive or negative.
Any thoughts?