In today’s business driven world, finance is considered to be one of the most relevant, sought-after fields of specialisation. The finance industry offers a diverse range of career options to professionals as well as beginners who possess the right skill sets. Foreseeing this five decades ago, the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) was established with a focus on Finance related education. Quite recently, under the umbrella of Krea University, the institute evolved into IFMR Graduate School of Business (GSB) - a full-fledged business school with an established history of designing and delivering high-quality MBA, executive education programmes, certificate programmes and more.
At IFMR GSB, every new cohort is as diverse as the previous ones with students coming from different states, educational backgrounds, professions and personal interests - a true reflection of the diversity in India.
To understand the IFMR GSB edge further, we spoke to four students currently pursuing their MBA from the institute. Wondering what the MBA journey is like for an engineer, an economics graduate and a B.Com graduate? These four students of varying backgrounds share how they continue to grow and thrive through IFMR GSB’s flagship MBA programme.
Haritha Depuru (MBA cohort 2021)
1) You were a software engineer with 25 months of work experience. What inspired you to pursue a management degree with a focus on a strikingly different field of finance? Moreover, how did you work on your skill sets to adapt to the curriculum at IFMR GSB?
As part of the first-year curriculum here, I explored various domains such as marketing, finance, HR, operations. This opportunity made me realise that I am definitely interested in finance. Considering how important finance is in every business, it really helps to develop skills and sound knowledge in the field so that one can go on to make valuable contributions in the company they join or decide to start. Since I come from an engineering background, I had to put in the extra effort to adapt to the curriculum and keep up with other students who come from a business-related field. I did face some difficulties initially, especially when it came to grasping core concepts. But the professors, my peers and the management understood my difficulties and helped me whenever I hit a roadblock. At GSB, everyone’s approachable and ready to provide support. The management assigns a mentor to a group of students, which makes it easier to clear doubts and queries.
2) Tell us about your internship with PMS Bazaar. What was the experience like?
PMS Bazaar - a reputed platform for investors - was one of the companies that came to GSB to recruit for summer internship placements. I worked as a summer intern for 2 months and what a great learning experience it was! I had the opportunity to interact with various portfolio managers and familiarise myself with their investment philosophies. The internship honed my skills and made me proficient in comprehending various investment strategies adopted by fund managers. Interestingly, while the internship was virtual, the experience was one-of-a-kind and the insights I gained will help me in my final year academics.
3) Looking beyond academics, describe your IFMR GSB experience thus far.
The first year was memorable, where we lived and made the best use of our campus life. Life at GSB is a myriad of fun, learning, and growth - with the perfect balance of joy and challenges that prepare us for the world. Academics apart, we also indulge in extra-curricular activities and keep our spirits alive thanks to the several student clubs and committees. We also frequently interact with people who come from different parts of the country and learn about their culture and exchange our point of views.
Jaykumar Patel (MBA cohort 2021)
1) You were a B.Com graduate with 25 months of work experience in the field of Chartered Accountancy. What inspired you to pursue a management degree with a focus on finance at IFMR GSB?
Right from the start, I was pretty clear that I wanted to shape a career for myself in Finance. A vast domain and innumerable functional working areas, I knew that my knowledge wasn’t enough and that I had to work on my skills to achieve my career goals. With this ambition, I did come across other domains and through various interactions with college alumni and seniors, I developed an interest in Equity Research, Business Valuation and Portfolio Management. That way, GSB not only helped me build my business and finance acumen but also harnessed my interpersonal skills.
2) You interned at CRISIL for the summer. What was it like to intern at a global analytical company?
I secured my internship at CRISIL through the campus recruitment process. Needless to say, the selection process was fairly competitive and difficult. The company’s SIP selection process included 3 rigorous rounds right from shortlisting to the final interview. I was the only one selected from GSB to intern at CRISIL as a sell-side equity research analyst. In the pre-pandemic world, I could imagine myself walking into CRISIL’s office in Mumbai every morning. However, the experience of interning virtually wasn’t too bad either. Sure, there were challenges but the company did its best right from ensuring a smooth on-boarding experience to encouraging work-flexibility. As an intern, I learnt more than I thought I would. I learnt to conduct an in-depth financial analysis of large corporate companies, build credit financial models, derive investment recommendations for clients and the ways to write an industry-grade equity research report - a learning experience that truly prepares one for the financial world.
3) Do share your most memorable experience at IFMR GSB.
My most memorable experience at IFMR GSB was when the college arranged a factory visit to Mondelez International’s manufacturing unit. Sri City being home to hundreds of companies from all around the world, Mondelez International is one of the international companies that have set up one of their operating units here, giving us B-school students a glimpse into the real-world of Industry 4.0. The visit gave us valuable insights on how manufacturing, supply chain and operations function in a factory of a multinational company. Literally a visit to a chocolate factory, the aroma of sweet treats mixed with a hands-on learning experience is truly a memory that will stay with me for long!
Rakshit Bhardwaj (MBA cohort 2021)
1) As a fresh BBA graduate, what kind of a growth path did you chart for yourself after gaining higher business education concentrated towards finance?
Transitioning from a BBA to an MBA is the traditional approach. Because BBA actually sets up the theoretical foundation bed which you can expand in the world of business management once you’ve identified a specific interest. Subjects like Financial Market Practices and Derivatives Risk Management allows you to experience real-time scenarios and understand various economic factors. In fact, it gives you an opportunity to relate to the innate factors that big corporates face. At the end of the day, who wouldn’t love to learn about the workings and techniques of the stock market?
2) How did you go about securing an internship with ITC Limited and what kind of an experience did you gain from it?
Right in the cusp of the first major lockdown in March, I had applied to ITC for an opening via their website. Interning in the marketing domain, the experience was both informative and engaging. The internship also included some fieldwork which helped shape my understanding of the FMCG supply chain and the market in general through multiple interactions with various stakeholders. Furthermore, the internship also introduced me to the functionings of other corporate giants such as P&G and HUL. Since I worked on a specific product under the Savlon brand, I got the opportunity to learn more about the economic, financial and marketing factors involved in making Savlon’s entire product range.
3) What is life at IFMR GSB like?
It’s a celebration of diversity. Diversity helps us to communicate well, encourages critical thinking and strengthens our camaraderie and communities. My peers come from over 17 different states in India, hail different educational backgrounds, and therefore, bring multiple perspectives to the discussion. IFMR GSB recognises that while academics are certainly important, gaining an understanding of various cultures and point of views is just as important. To me, this is a learning experience that one wouldn’t get anywhere else.
Sanidhya Bhardwaj (MBA cohort 2021)
1) As a fresh Economics graduate, how did you leverage your previous academic background to strengthen your concepts at IFMR GSB?
Economics and Finance are two interconnected fields. My UG education introduced me to several basic concepts of finance which are used in the real world such as knowing how a bank functions or concepts like time value of money and different types of financial risks. I believe that anyone who is looking into developing a career in finance, then they must certainly learn more about equity, bonds and other markets. My prior academic curriculum honed my understanding of these concepts, with IFMR GSB functioning as the perfect learning ground preparing me for the real-world.
2) How did you go about securing an internship with Kotak Life? Share your learning experience.
As a student, I learnt about corporate life in textbooks but never fully understood the essence of it until I experienced it at Kotak Life. The summer internship there gave me real-world exposure which one couldn’t have learnt from classrooms or textbooks. GSB was instrumental in giving me the opportunity to help begin my professional life on the right note through this impactful internship. Owing to the pandemic, the internship had its set of challenges but the valuable insights I gained on the various intricacies in mutual funds and insurance businesses made it a worthwhile learning experience.
3) Tell us about your most memorable experience at IFMR GSB
It has been fulfilling, with not even the pandemic hindering our learning experience. In the face of the ongoing crisis back in March, IFMR GSB seamlessly shifted to remote working and learning without compromising on the quality of delivery and mode. In fact, this new form of classroom learning also included the idea of 'learning sans borders' where we engaged with multiple speakers, academics and global practitioners. Even now, to keep our campus alive virtually, students and professors conduct online activities and games.
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