Meet the MBA Class of 2023: Anchal Agarwal Jain, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Anchal Agarwal Jain

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

“Economics graduate with never-ending inquisitiveness for the why-s and how-s of the world.”

Hometown: New Delhi, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have sky-dived from 12000 feet; an ardent Lord of the Rings fan, I made a trip to the Hobbiton village in New Zealand to ‘see’ the Shire; I never get tired of reading and cleaning; I am vegetarian foodie.

Undergraduate School and Major: Economics (Honours) from Shri Ram College of Commerce; MSc. Management and Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Reserve Bank of India; Manager

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of IIM Ahmedabad’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? IIMA’s program is geared towards a transformation in thinking and approach to solving any problem, which was my key criteria for pursuing an MBA after having worked more than 7 years now. Also, they don’t mince words when they say that PGPX is a tough program and is not for the faint-hearted!

What has been your favorite course or extracurricular activity at IIM Ahmedabad? What has been the most important lesson that you have learned from it? My favourite course during the two months so far was the Microeconomics course taken by Prof Viswanath Pingali. It taught how my own bread-and-butter could be seen from a different lens and brought me up-to speed with disruptive changes in today’s business that are shaking up the science altogether.

My most important learning is that one could know at length about one’s subject or area of expertise; however, it is of limited use if one is not able to explain a complicated phenomenon to an uninitiated listener. So, keep it simple!

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: I have learnt to manage multiple activities, assignments, coursework and social engagements in very limited time! I have also learnt to pay close attention to every view and every opinion, because sometimes the most innocuous of solutions can prove to be the right business decision.

What is your class’s favorite hangout away from school? Why do you gather there? Eateries in and around Vastrapur Lake, especially the ice-cream shops. We gather there to enjoy a change of palate, and at the same time are only a few minutes away from the campus.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I realized that I was walking on a safe and one-track professional road. I wanted to find a platform that can open my horizons both academically and skill-wise. I wished to expose myself to the breadth of business decisions and market inter-plays. After my MBA, I want to soil my hands with real-time strategic decisions, perhaps in the financial sector.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into IIM Ahmedabad? It is easy to be swept away in the tide of peer-pressure. However, be true to yourself and know why you want to do an MBA. And if you know it, be prepared to test your limits. That’s because admissions to IIM Ahmedabad is a test of your IQ and EQ. Also, be prepared to be humbled once you come here – everyone of your batchmates’ is a superstar and you will get to learn a lot from them.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AHMEDABAD MBA CLASS OF 2023

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