I still vividly remember the day and the date when I embarked upon this whole new adventure called MBA. June 2, Saturday- The day I was going to move out of my home a.k.a comfort zone and go to the picturesque campus of SIBM, Pune. What has unravelled in a month from then has been a life-changing experience, an experience that I’ll cherish forever.
I had come prepared for varied challenges which included tons of assignments, rigorous council interviews, eye-opening alumni, Industrial sessions and tiring selection trials for the sports team. However, one challenge which I had not prepared for was the variety and diversity of my batch mates. Right from Jammu & Kashmir in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south, from the coasts of Gujarat to the mountains of Nepal- the diversity in the entire batch wowed me and continues to do so. From married people to people just out of teenage, I had so many perspectives of life on offer to learn from. I feel the first month has taught me more about different opinions and perspectives on different issues rather than the MBA concepts.
Introducing my first crazy batch mate- Kuhu Mehrotra, my CR. The ever smiling, ever helpful Kuhu met me on the 4th day of college. But there was something which instantly struck me about her. Her simplicity and the genuineness from her talks is what endeared me to her. The fact that someone could be so helpful, so sweet and so genuine in such an intense competitive world made me believe that the world is good again. If you had a tough or rough day, Kuhu is your go-to person. She makes one believe that the world is still a nice place to be in and nice people do exist.
Introducing my second crazy batch mate- Akash Mandal, the walking library. I am pretty sure that this guy has a different google than what other normal people use. Because you name the book and Mr. Mandal would arrange an e-book for you in the blink of a second. It takes us longer to get out of class and get back to the hostel than for him to arrange the e-book. From fictional novels suggested by various alums to the reference books mentioned by professors, Mr. Mandal’s library has it all. The fact that he’s kind enough to post all the e-books in a common group which would benefit all, shows and tells a lot about the character of the man. Kudos to the walking library.
Another crazy batchmate of mine- Arpit Sharma, a.k.a Tom Cruise. The health and fashion conscious nutritionist from Chandigarh reminds me of my birth place and early years fondly. Speaking in the typical Punjabi accent and listening to Guru Randhawa blaring out of his air pods with his glares on, seeing Arpit reminds me of how important is to enjoy this challenging phase of life called MBA and live through all its struggles with a smile on your face and taking out time for doing what you love. His perspective on life is pretty straightforward: Either you sulk about it or smile at it, but you got to deal with it.
Now, introducing you to the funniest guy of the whole batch, Alokik Kumar. Though married, he has the exuberance and the naughtiness of a teenage guy. The spark in his eyes when a prank comes right is a sight to behold. He is a personification of when people say-‘Child at heart’. Being around him, you tend to smile and laugh so much that you forget your hectic daily schedule. He is a character every class adores and needs in a B-school.
Last but not the least, I learnt a different perspective on our country’s issues through Mohit Mahajan. Having the same surname helped us to start a conversation. Interacting with him often throughout this one month, I felt how the passion to change the system and the wrong practices in our system can motivate somebody to excel. His desire to be a part of the system and bring about a positive change in the system is what drives him to go for civil services after completing his MBA and knowing about the business concepts and practices. His perspective of seeing the world: ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ inspires me to serve the nation in whatever way I can and give back to the society.
I have learnt so much about the unique perspectives of my batch mates and their learnings from their experiences in such a short span of time. And this is just the start of the adventure. As Margaret Mead famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. ”
So watch out for SIBM, Pune Batch 2020!!
Which ABG Company do you want to work for and why?
I would love to work for Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited. Having famous and stylish brands such as Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, Forever 21 etc. provides a great opportunity to learn and grow under the tutelage of experienced and loyal people to these brands. To have so many internal brands would also provide a significant challenge of segmenting and targeting the target audience in the right way or else the impact could be severe. Thus, I feel working for Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited would prove to be a great learning opportunity.
Aseem Mahajan
Marketing, SIBM Pune