Prateet from the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode has earned his place among the 50 Most Employable MBA Graduates from the Class of 2026. His journey is defined by precision, perseverance, and a deep-rooted passion for finance and strategy. Scroll down to discover how Prateet has built his career through consistency, ownership, and a commitment to excellence — balancing technical depth with the human side of leadership.
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The Ascent: From Chartered Accountancy to Strategic Finance
A Chartered Accountant by qualification and a strategist by mindset, Prateet’s journey combines technical mastery with business intuition. A graduate of Christ University, he laid a strong foundation early, developing a keen understanding of business, finance, and the discipline required to excel in demanding environments.
His articleship at PwC was the first proving ground for this discipline. Working on statutory audits and internal control testing across industries, he learned to see businesses through both numbers and narratives. Each audit file was not just a compliance checklist, but a story of operations, systems, and human accountability. Balancing this rigorous work schedule while preparing for one of India’s most challenging professional exams — the Chartered Accountancy qualification — was no small feat. It taught him not only technical skills but resilience, time management, and the ability to perform under relentless pressure.
After qualifying, he joined Wipro’s Business Finance team, where he worked on internal reporting, cost analysis, and process improvement. Here, Prateet began connecting financial insights with business strategy, moving beyond numbers to their implications. His curiosity led him to explore automation tools such as Power Query and Power BI, which he used to streamline manual reporting processes. The result was a reduction in reporting time, improved accuracy, and more informed decision-making for the team — a clear demonstration of his ability to merge analytical thinking with real-world business impact.
At Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), during his summer internship, Prateet took this learning mindset a step further. Tasked with designing and automating the memo invoicing process, he led the end-to-end project, drafting the Standard Operating Procedures, business requirement documents, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution. The initiative not only enhanced operational efficiency but also delivered tangible value, cementing his reputation as someone who takes ownership and delivers results.
The Inner Core: Discipline, Curiosity, and Empathy in Action
Three qualities define Prateet’s approach — discipline, curiosity, and empathy.
His discipline is evident in everything he undertakes. Whether it was preparing for the CA exams while working full-time at PwC or managing multiple priorities during his MBA, he has consistently demonstrated a structured approach to problem-solving. For him, success is built on consistent effort and the ability to remain calm under pressure — a lesson learned during those late nights spent balancing audit documentation and exam preparation.
Curiosity drives his learning. He doesn’t just complete tasks; he questions processes, explores tools, and experiments with better ways of doing things. It’s what made him pick up analytics software on his own and apply them meaningfully to improve business performance. His natural curiosity also fuels his interpersonal relationships — he listens, asks questions, and builds trust easily with people from diverse backgrounds.
Empathy defines his leadership style. During his PwC articleship, when a teammate had to take sudden medical leave just before a major audit deadline, Prateet stepped up without hesitation. Despite having his own deliverables, he volunteered to take on the additional workload, often working late nights to ensure deadlines were met. The team completed the audit on schedule, and his manager later shared that his initiative had been crucial in maintaining client confidence. For Prateet, it wasn’t about recognition — it was about accountability, teamwork, and doing what was right for the collective goal.
The Employable Edge in a Data-Driven World
In today’s data-driven, automation-powered business landscape, Prateet’s employable edge lies in his ability to connect financial logic with digital capability. He doesn’t see technology as a challenge but as an enabler — one that helps finance become more strategic, forward-looking, and efficient.
His exposure to automation, data transformation, and analytics tools has given him an edge in understanding how technology can simplify complex workflows. At the same time, his grounding in finance ensures that he never loses sight of business fundamentals. This balance — between precision and adaptability — positions him perfectly for roles that demand analytical rigor and strategic foresight.
At IIM Kozhikode, his role as a member of the Students Council has further honed his stakeholder management and communication skills. Working closely with faculty and administration, he has learned to navigate ambiguity, balance multiple perspectives, and arrive at solutions that serve the greater good. These experiences, layered upon his technical background, have molded him into a well-rounded leader who combines analytical thinking with emotional intelligence.
