Meet The Indian Institute Of Management Ahmedabad MBA Class Of 2023

THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: FIXING GOVERNMENT

Yamini Dave has already made a name for herself on the management side. Working at Sanofi, one of the world’s largest vaccine producers, COVID stopped the firm’s face-to-face selling model dead in its tracks. In response, Dave developed a training program designed for remote interaction. Eventually, she helped her team move to “100% digital engagement” while holding its market share.

“Because of this achievement, I received a fast-track promotion to become the youngest Senior Area Manager and the only sales professional selected for a global talent development program ‘EVOLVE’ by Sanofi’s management.”

Ashima Singh also got noticed by senior management – at Kotak Mahindra Bank, India’s third-largest private bank. Here, she built a tool for the firm’s chief experience officer that enabled the bank to develop a strategy around its portfolio’s strategic direction. By the same token, Neelabh Singh became involved in organizational transformation for one of the world’s largest organizations: The Indian Government – home to over 20 million civil servants. The program became known as Mission Karmayogi, an initiative designed to make government more proactive, transparent, and technology-driven.

“I was able to kickstart the pilot project in the Department of Personnel and Training following agile methodology,” Singh writes. “I developed a comprehensive document on Domain Competencies of mid-management officers in DoPT and liaised with the technology partners from designing to operationalization of website tools and portals. The significance of this initiative was that the strategical execution of the pilot was critical, the scale was huge, and the achievements were unprecedented. It helped create a blueprint for Mission Karmayogi, thus laying the foundation for the successful rollout of the project at scale.”

ALUMNI RECOMMEND THE IIMA FACULTY

Considering Singh’s responsibilities, you’d think the IIMA PGPX program would be a welcome respite. Think again. Instead, he calls it a “recipe for sleepless nights.” “The course is very rigorous and fast-paced, with daily cases, readings, submissions, and quizzes. You always need to be on your toes. So, you need to learn to ‘prioritize’ and be disciplined with your time. The fact that I can now find time to get adequate sleep, complete the daily cases and readings, and squeeze in some time for playing my guitar and reading a newspaper is what I would have found difficult to do before…PGPX is a buffet and you can’t have it all. You need to live your journey and for that – You HAVE to ‘Prioritize’.”

What should students prioritize during their year at IIM Ahmedabad? Shivani Choudhry, for one, describes her Fields and Markets (FAM) course as a “standout experience.” “Taught by Professor Viswanath Pingali, a doyen in his field, his passion for the subject and his real-world experience makes the sessions highly simulating,” Choudhry explains. “The course motivates a pluralistic way of looking at things, focusing on economics for the real world. Importantly, this subject openly challenged my left-leaning perspective on market economics. I would say it made me a better activist!”

Alumni members point to particular professors. For Ekta Kishore, a 2022 grad, the bar is set by Professor Viswanath Pingali – popularly known as Professor Vishy. His best trait? According to Kishore, he fits the definition of a good teacher: someone who “ignites the imagination, inspires hope, and instills a love for learning.”

“I admire his passion and selfless commitment to giving the best to his students,” Kishore adds I am sure not many can claim to be as honest, engaged, and driven as he when it comes to being a professor – mentor – guide – or teacher. His energy and passion make the class alive and pushes us to think, act, and grow multi-dimensionally. One would exit each course of his as an improved version of themselves.”

Shubham Dang, Kishmore’s classmate, lauds a different professor: Sunil Sharma, who teaches in the areas of strategy and innovation. While Sharma is known for showing students how to dig deep and create custom solutions, Dang cites something else that differentiates him from the pack.

“Another wonderful thing about [Sharma] was his commitment to his students and his subject. Once a student missed his class because of COVID-related issues and he offered to repeat the entire lecture in a one-on-one delivery mode so that the student grasps the essential of the subject.”

POPULAR EVENTS AND SPOTS ON CAMPUS

Of course, you’ll also find the IIMA students, past and present, who rally around each other at Soul Curry. Think of this monthly gathering as a forum for batchmates to discuss their stories and passions, from personal losses to their feelings about COVID. Not only is it a place to unwind, but also build friendships around shared experiences and vulnerabilities.

“As secretary of the club, it brings me immense pleasure to get together my otherwise geeky classmates for philosophical debates,” explains Ati Alok Kumar. “The importance of shutting off screens for an hour every week to nurture the soul with good old human bonding is by far my most important learning at the club.”

Soul Curry isn’t the only place where the Class of 2023 comes together. Kumar cites the Campus Café as one class hangout. Many students know it as BBs, after proprietor Bhavesh Bhai – a man beloved for both for his delicious sandwiches and fatherly demeanor.

“People gather there to get some respite from the sweltering Ahmedabad heat and to gather courage for next day’s readings,” Kumar adds. “The place is surrounded by tall trees and creepers and cute dogs that provide the much-needed dose of serotonin. Bhavesh Bhai is another element that ties people to Campus Café. He’s that (teetotaler) bartender that stressed and anxious adults need after a dire day of webinars, quizzes and study group meets.”

For Yamini Dave, the best spot on campus – technically the old IIMA campus – is Louis Kahn Plaza…a place known for 2:00 a.m. frisbee marathons. Fraze Tasnim prefers the peaceful Sabarmati Riverfront to wind down after another crazy week. Come Fall, the Class of 2023 will likely be giddy over their new favorite tradition says ’22 alum Ekta Kishore.

“My favorite event at IIM Ahmedabad was T-nite. An intersection competition of full-time residential programs at IIM Ahmedabad, T-nite is a three-day annual event that seeks to bond students not for long after they leave behind the boundaries of this institution. Be it backbreaking dances or clever parodies, the talent showcased is way beyond what gets captured through an MBA application. What remains after a cataclysmic event is never the scoreboard, the scintillating performances, or the embarrassing bloopers, but the level of camaraderie that develops among the participants.”

A CLASS PROFILE

Like last year, the Class of 2023 features 140 students. At 30 years of age with 7.3 years of professional experience, they are slightly older and more seasoned than graduate business students in similar programs. Overall, 9 students have spent three or more years working abroad, while another 34 have worked or studied overseas.

The Class of 2023 also brings a 713 average GMAT to Ahmedabad – the equivalent to Duke University’s Fuqua School in the United States. Overall, 122 of 140 students submitted a GMAT score, with the rest averaging 325 on the GRE according to the school.

Another 22% of the class consists of women. Nearly a quarter of the class already holds an advanced degree, while 7% earned their degrees outside India. Another 12% of the class are alumni of other IITs or NITs. Overall, 87% of the class earned undergraduate degrees relating to engineering.

Professionally, the largest segment of the class (27 students) worked in the Manufacturing industry. Banking (17), Energy and Utilities (13), Public Sector (13), Consulting (11), and IT Products also represent sizable shares of the class. That said, you’ll also find class representation from Construction, Pharmaceuticals, Retail, Logistics, Advertising, Aerospace, and Defense. In terms of job functions, the class is equally diverse. Engineering and Maintenance professionals hold 20 seats in the Class of 2023, followed closely by Consulting (19) and Operations (17). The remainder of the class includes students who held positions in Sales and Marketing, Finance and Accounting, General Management, Marketing, IT-Based Project Management, Research and Development, Procurement, and Food and Beverage.

STRONG REPUTATION WITH HAPPY ALUMNI

IIM Ahmedabad has always ranked as a recruiter favorite. Last year, the PGPX program attracted many of the world’s top employers to campus, including McKinsey, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Flipkart, and UBS. When it comes to the Class of 2022, Accenture submitted the most offers to IIMA grads, followed by Adani Digital. And these employers pay well too. In the 2022 Financial Times ranking, recent IIMA alumni reported making $185,001 in pay within three years of graduation. That ranks 13th-best in the world – higher than international stalwarts like the London Business School, HEC Paris, IESE Business School, and CEIBS. To put it another way, it is also $21,500 better than IIM Calcutta grads and just $1,700 less than INSEAD MBAs.

One reason is reputation. When the Financial Times asked MBA alumni to list three schools where they would recruit MBA graduates, IIM Ahmedabad finished 10th in voting. By the same token, The Economist surveyed MBAs on which alumni networks were most effective and IIMA ranked among the Top 25. And when The Economist surveyed its sample on the effectiveness of alumni, IIMA posted the 10th-highest score. However, the biggest news came in Career Services, where IIM Ahmedabad again ranked among the Top 3 for Career Services according to survey respondent scores.

Next Page: Profiles of 11 IIMA PGPX Students.