Tanmay Gopal from the Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak is one of India's Most Promising Incoming MBA Students 2022!
The following is Tanmay Gopal's set of responses to a questionnaire floated amongst incoming MBA graduates to determine the top 50 Most Promising Incoming MBA students of 2022. Amongst the massive number of entries and responses being evaluated, Tanmay Gopal's story and profile stood out. Here's his story in his words.
Hailing from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, known for its sacred confluence of Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati, Im Janhvi synonym of river Ganga. As the name suggests, Im a person whose core quality is purity and perfection. My sincere behavior has led to my great academic career. Ive received an award & scholarship from U.P. govt for my meritorious performance on the 10th & 12th boards. I was also ranked 3rd during my B.Tech at NIT-B. After graduation, Ive worked with in two industries; Capgemini and American Express as a Product Development Analyst. Besides this, I also like cooking, writing poetry, and spiritual meditation.
Tell us more about your extracurricular achievements
Played U19 State Cricket Championship Awarded as Schol Cricketer of the Year Recognition from- Dainik Bhaskar for performance in the cricket tournamentHead of Marketing, Arthotsav (Economic Department) Head of Marketing, Arthotsav (Economic Department) Headed the marketing department for our economic department fest -Arthotsav Main responsibility was to garner sponsorship and map required deliverables Managed to get sponsorship from companies like LIC, Indian Oil, etc. 2018-19 Head of Volunteer, Arthotsav (Economic Department) Appointed the head of the volunteers for our economic department fest - Arthotsav Main responsibility was to act as a liaison between the volunteers and mentors Acted as a communication channel between the volunteers and mentor 2017-18 American Flag Football Team Captain, MSMSV Captained the school American Flag Football team. During this stint we participated and won in many inter-school events 2015-17 Cricket Team Captain, MSMSV Captained the school cricket team for 4 years During this stint, I innovated in conducting various practice and warm-up sessions As the captain we participated in and won many inter-school cricket tournaments 2013-17 House Representative, Holy Cross Appointed the yellow house representative and my primary responsibility was to ensure the management of various inter-house-curricular and extra-curricular activities
Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
It was the 5th day in the B-school and we are asked to do an individual assignment however I misinterpreted it and did a wrong analysis of the same. Since deadlines are sacrosanct and we literally had an hour to do the same, It was all messed up. Then I took a break from this and I analyzed the situation and came up with a solution and finally made it. This experience made me realize the importance of networking and how you can leverage it and get things done. Apart from this it also made me realize that taking 30 seconds brake from the situation and then thinking about it does help in resolving it.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
One thing about myself that others would be surprised to know is that I can work and perform well for 2 days straight without sleep.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
I am a believer in the fact that failures are the best teachers but success too offers some great life lessons.1.The first one would be when I was selected for the U19 State cricket championship. The one thing that I learned was that hard work does pay off and success is not an overnight thing. One has to be perseverant and should work to improve oneself day in and day out and should enjoy and trust the process while doing so.2.The second would be when I was appointed the Head of the Marketing department for my college fest Arthotsav and we managed to garner the highest sponsorship for the fest. The lesson that I learned was that a team has great potential and power if utilized in a proper way.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
Professionally I would like to see myself in an FMCG heading one of their brand/product
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
One skill or characteristic is my ability to adapt and perform under stress and critical solution. We all live in a competitive and VUCA world wherein change is inevitable and thus it is important to keep up with the pace.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
The skills that a successful manager should possess are-Strategic thinkerProblem solverDecision-making skillsInterpersonal skillsCommunication skillsAbility to perform in stressful and critical situations
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
One such ethical dilemma which I faced was when I was in my class 10th and I was captaining my school cricket team. So the next morning we had our final match in one of the most reputed cricket tournaments and it could bring any team player to the limelight in the eyes of the selectors. So in our school, we had a player who was trying for the upcoming U16 and U19 state cricket trials, and for him playing that match was an important stepping stone. However, owing to his form and performance he was not our first choice thus he was not in the playing eleven.