Ayush Upadhyaya from the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) in Delhi has earned a place among the 50 Most Employable MBA Graduates of the Class of 2026. His story is one of disciplined execution, strategic choices, and a rare blend of technical depth and management acumen, built entirely from the ground up. Please scroll down to discover how Ayush has transformed opportunities into milestones and challenges into stepping stones on his path to professional excellence.
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The Ascent: From IIT to FMS Delhi
Ayush Upadhyaya’s journey is defined by a consistent push to reach top-tier platforms. With a B.Tech. in Electronics Engineering from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, he navigated his way to professional product management at Innovaccer, a US healthcare SaaS firm, before committing to his MBA. His summer internship with Accenture Strategy & Consulting saw him contribute to agile transformation initiatives for pharmaceutical clients, cementing his focus on technology, strategy, and sustainability.
What Ayush considers his most significant achievement is not a single project, but the quiet, steady effort of being the first in his family to become an engineer and pursue an MBA. After clearing JEE Advanced to earn a seat at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad on merit, he repeated the feat by securing admission to IIM Calcutta through CAT. The subsequent choice to withdraw and join FMS Delhi was a deliberate act of practical judgment. For him, reaching these strong platforms without legacy support reflects consistent effort and the ability to choose the path that truly fits his goals and circumstances, rather than simply chasing external prestige.
The Inner Core: Resilience and Dependability
Ayush possesses a set of strengths that are not immediately visible on a resume, yet are critical in high-pressure business environments. Resilience is paramount. He recalls an instance during JEE Main 2018 where a marking error cost him seven answers. Instead of succumbing to disappointment, he stayed calm, re-engaged with focused preparation for BITSAT, and ultimately earned a decent rank, showing his ability to bounce back faster and move ahead.
His second strength is a deep sense of loyalty and friendship, where trust is earned through action, whether it is covering an expense for a friend or keeping confidence private. Finally, he attributes his stability and courage to his family, whose belief acts as his greatest support system, steadying him through challenges and celebrating even the smallest victories.
The Employable Edge in an AI-Augmented World
In today’s rapidly evolving, AI-augmented business world, Ayush’s key skill is his speed of adaptation and eagerness to learn. This habit of fast learning and steady delivery allows him to ramp up quickly and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. At Innovaccer, he was responsible for keeping user guides updated and supporting clients onboarding across different environments. During his internship with Accenture Strategy, he independently built an Excel-based Agile Maturity Assessment across eight critical areas, delivering clear and useful recommendations from the first week itself.
His character is equally robust. His selflessness was evidenced during his third year at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad when he prioritised helping a hostel guard with his daughter's complex scholarship application. During his own mid-semester week, Ayush spent two evenings filling out the form, scanning documents, and tracking the portal until submission. For him, selflessness is simply putting someone else’s need first for a short time, doing the necessary work, and stepping back quietly once the job is done.
Ayush Upadhyaya is a first-generation talent who brings a rare, three-part mix to the table: a STEM base from the IIT system, a hands-on product mindset from the SaaS industry, and a fresh consulting toolkit. He offers clear communication, precise documentation that reduces confusion, and a multi-dimensional approach to problem-solving. Managers can count on him; he is steady under pressure, dependable in crunch weeks, and takes full ownership to close loops without needing to be chased.
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