I was born and brought up in Kolkata wherein I did my schooling from St. James’ School. I went on to pursue my engineering in Electronics & Instrumentation from Techno India, Salt Lake under the West Bengal University of Technology. Post that, I joined Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T Construction) in their Graduate Engineer Trainee program. After two-and-a-half years in the infrastructure sector, I joined IIM Kozhikode to pursue my MBA. Here, I interned with Tata Administrative Services (TAS) during summers.
I enjoy writing, following football and listening to music, primarily of the rock genre.
Tell us about your non-academic activities and achievements.
At IIM Kozhikode, I’ve been a consistent performer in B-school competitions, in ones organized by corporates as well as on other campuses. I’ve achieved the breadth and depth in case competitions by performing exceptionally in cases from all verticals i.e. Marketing, Finance and Strategy.
Unlike most, I started solving cases early in 1st Year itself and was a finalist in events like Tata Business Leadership Awards (TBLA) and Accenture Strategy’s ‘The Strategists’ League’ in PGP Year 1. I was one of eight National Finalists in Panasonic’s Cross Value Innovation case competition wherein I presented the case solution to the MD of Panasonic India & South Asia.
Some the accolades I’ve won in the 2nd year include – Campus Winner in HUL Lime, Campus Runners-Up in Mahindra War Room, Campus 2nd Runners-Up in ITC Interrobang and South Regional Finalist in Deloitte Campus Maverick. I’ve also won laurels in events on other campuses; the likes of IIM Bangalore, IIM Trichy, SP Jain, SJMSOM IIT Bombay, SCMHRD Pune, to name a few.
Apart from winning the contest itself, case competitions nowadays provide one with recruitment opportunities as well. I’ve been awarded PPIs by the likes of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and the Investment Banking arms of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and HSBC.
My other activities on campus include being part of the Editorial Board and the Student Editorial Team of the IIMK Newsletter. I’ve also worked on a Live Project for Giftxoxo.com, an online experience-gifting platform.
I’ve been involved in extracurriculars in the past as well. I’ve won numerous awards in English Elocution at the school level and represented my college in Robotics events during my undergrad. I was an Executive Committee member for the Annual Techfest of my undergrad college wherein I was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for displaying qualities of leadership, diligence and firm commitment.
What is your x-factor?
My x-factor would be my self-motivation and drive and my sharp leadership acumen. I’m the kind of person who keeps at a task until I achieve the desired outcome.
Work place achievements.
After completing my engineering in the Electronics & Instrumentation discipline, I joined Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T Construction) in its prestigious Graduate Engineer Trainee program.
There, I was assigned to work at the Engineering, Design & Research Centre (EDRC), a center of excellence for engineering design and research activities. My job entailed instrumentation R&D and implementation of big infrastructure projects primarily in the metals and metallurgical sector. I underwent a rigorous 1-year training under the GET program which included a deputation at the SAIL Rourkela Steel Plant.
The first project I was assigned to was the Bhilai Steel Plant project for SAIL wherein I successfully managed the procurement of the entire portfolio of industrial instruments and their supply on-site. I was also in-charge of instrument installation and operation at site. Here, through engineering optimization of design, I was able to significantly reduce procurement costs.
My most challenging assignment was designing the entire cable laying and scheduling for Instrumentation activities at Bhilai Steel. I was assigned single-point responsibility for this task. I was required to co-ordinate with numerous other departments which included collating data, analysis, design and co-ordination activities. Here as well, I was able to reduce cabling costs significantly over past projects. I was deeply appreciated for my efforts in this regard.
I had also worked in similar capacities in other major infrastructure projects for clients like Tata Steel, Jindal Steel and Bhushan Steel. In all projects, I was required to co-ordinate closely with various vendors, technology partners, clients and consultants.
What have you done at your Post-Grad/Business School/Undergrad level that makes you stand out from the crowd?
I think what makes me stand out from the crowd at IIMK is that I have been able to build a balanced profile with multiple facets – from honours in case competitions to PORs to grades to internship – I’ve managed to do it all.
From Day 1, I’ve been involved in case competitions and have won numerous accolades in several of them. I’ve even gone on to represent K at other campuses and win laurels. Unlike most, I’ve participated and excelled in case competitions across all management verticals. I’ve also served on two committees and inspite of such involvement in extra-curriculars, still managed to rank in the top 15% of the batch.
Finally, one of the highlights of my MBA life has been doing my summers with Tata Administrative Services (TAS). My project was from the Finance & Strategy domain and involved formulating strategic roadmaps for Tata Steel group companies.
All this has allowed me to develop an all-round profile which I believe is much needed for a business leader.
If you were the Prime Minister of India, what would be the one problem that you would solve? Please explain your reasons.
If I were the Prime Minister of India, the problem I would focus on solving is poverty. This is because this is the crux of many of the problems the nation is facing. As a section of India leaps forward through economic growth, a large chunk of her citizens lie marginalized. There is growing disparity between the rich and the poor in India and the trickle-down effect hardly seems to be in play.
The first two things any human being needs are food and shelter followed by health and hygiene, education, etc. However, most Indians are deprived of these basic necessities. Poverty leads to growing health problems including malnutrition and other ailments. The growing disparity between the rich and poor is ultimately the root of social issues like communal disharmony, female infanticide and the likes. It also fuels the growing crime-rates in cities. Also poverty was one of the primary reasons for the Naxal movement.
The Government has over the years rolled out several schemes to help the upliftment of masses. However, in India, proper implementation of such schemes has always been an issue. The really needy are always left out while some middleman’s pockets get heavier. Corruption is obviously a strong cause for this.
A country cannot truly progress if that progress is at the cost of marginalized societies. We need to move forward with everyone. Only then can India truly prosper. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.
If you had unlimited money, what would be that one mobile application that you would create and what problem would it solve?
A persistent problem in India is the inaccessibility of healthcare. Most doctors prefer to practice their profession in the Tier 1 cities and do not venture out to rural areas. This makes healthcare inaccessible to most Indians. As a result, rural India has developed a culture of self-medication and most hardly ever visit a doctor unless the matter is really serious.
Most residents of rural India ignore regular health problems or try some form of self-medication. As a result, a lot of health problems ensue. Most students spend a lot to achieve a medical degree and are hence unwilling to set up a regular practice in such areas. Those who do, don’t stay for long.
Though healthcare penetration has been low in such parts of rural India, telecom penetration has been on the rise. Most villagers own a mobile phone and in some households smartphones have also started doing the rounds. Network providers like Airtel and Vodafone have also been quick to expand their networks.
In such a scenario, given unlimited money, I would wish to use the mobile penetration in rural areas to solve the healthcare problem. A mobile app could be developed capable of giving medical advice for basic ailments. It could also connect patients in rural India with doctors in the city. It could also be used to raise awareness on issues like HIV, AIDS, vaccinations, etc. Such an app could help improve the healthcare situation in most parts of the country and also enable a culture shift in such areas towards a healthier lifestyle.
Meet the rest of India’s 50 Most Employable Management Graduates from the Class of 2016 here.
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