Pulkit Agarwal: Best 50 | India's Most Promising Incoming MBA Students 2025 | IIM Calcutta
Pulkit Agarwal is a first-year MBA student at IIM Calcutta and a B.Com. (Hons.) graduate from Kirori Mal College. Among the youngest students in his batch, he cleared CA Intermediate, CFA Level I, and CAT with a 99.87 percentile within 12 months. He has interned with Deloitte USI and completed finance and strategy internships. As Vice President of The Commerce Society, he led and mentored more than 100 peers.
While clearing CA Intermediate, CFA Level I, scoring 99.87 percentile in CAT & cracking IIM C may appear to be his biggest accomplishments, one achievement stands out on a personal level. Other than academics, he was glad that his juniors looked up to him as a leader, something he had never imagined himself to be. Being elected Vice President of The Commerce Society through a student vote was a moment of trust and responsibility. It gave him the opportunity to lead 100+ peers, mentor juniors, and create lasting impact which shaped him far beyond the classroom.
Most people in his batch have years of work experience; he has years of curiosity ahead of him. At 20, he is one of the youngest in his MBA cohort, which means he brings a perspective that's fresh, adaptable, and unshaped by rigid professional habits. He doesn't carry the this is how it's always done mindset. He is eager to explore, question, and learn without bias. He sees this as an advantage because it allows him to mould himself to different industries, company cultures, and roles more easily. What also sets him apart is his track record of taking on challenges early as is evident by his success in CA Inter, CFA L1, CAT before most people his age had even thought about them. But beyond credentials, its his ability to listen, learn fast, and adapt that he believes will make the difference in how he contributes to any organisation.
He believes his value lies in the mix of adaptability and ownership he brings to every role. Whether it's taking on a project outside his comfort zone or stepping up during high-pressure deadlines, he focuses on finding solutions instead of excuses. His experience spans strategy, client engagement, and execution which means he understands both the big picture and the finer details that make it work. He is also comfortable working across teams, quickly building trust and ensuring everyone moves in the same direction. Beyond skills, he stays curious, learning new tools, exploring better ways to solve problems, and applying those insights to deliver tangible results. In short, he treats every project as if the business were his own, and he thinks that's what truly makes him an asset.
Pulkit is developing a stronger understanding of people and communication. His comfort with numbers made him appreciate the difference between a technical answer and a conversation that lands well with a team. Through internships and leadership roles, he is learning to listen more closely, observe reactions, and consider what matters to different people before responding.
If there is one thread that ties his journey together, it is the belief that discipline and curiosity can coexist. Over the last few years, he has juggled a lot together, not because he had to check boxes, but because he wanted to explore how much he could stretch himself without losing the joy of learning. There were days he studied late into the night after society events, mornings he prepared for competitions while commuting to internships, and weekends he spent teaching concepts to juniors just because he wished someone had done the same for him. Through it all, he realised his real differentiator is not a score or a title, it is the ability to stay committed when no one is watching, to work with the same sincerity on a passion as on an exam, and to keep seeking challenges that scare him just enough to grow.
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