Ashutosh Ranjan

IIM Kozhikode

“Innovative AI-driven industrial automation – Sales Consultant, adept at increasing efficiency, driving revenue growth, and expanding market reach.”

Hometown: New Delhi, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I train in Judo and MMA. In 2021, I received a Certificate of Appreciation for my victorious MMA match at Super Fight League in New Delhi.

Undergraduate School and Major: Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, New Delhi

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Cognex Corporation – Logistics Sales (North India)

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of IIM Kozhikode’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Aside from the incredible cohort of classmates, one key aspect of IIM Kozhikode’s MBA program that significantly influenced my decision is the average work experience of around 5 years, I believe recruiters find it easy to hire young candidates and train them as per the need of the job. So somehow, it helps candidates in making the transition in job function or industry. The program’s emphasis on having a young cohort with substantial work experience is crucial as it creates a dynamic learning environment.

Going ahead with MBA at this stage of my life allows me to take risks and explore diverse career options. Interacting with a young and diverse cohort with varied work experiences will broaden my understanding of business challenges and solutions.

What has been your favorite course or extracurricular activity at IIM Kozhikode? What has been the most important lesson that you have learned from it? The course that I absolutely loved was “Managing People and Organization Behaviour.” It was a game-changer for me because, honestly, I used to be more focused on the money side of things rather than the social aspects. But this course totally flipped my perspective. The psychometric tests, the theories, the real-life examples—they all opened my eyes to the importance of understanding people and how they behave in organizations.

The most valuable lesson I took away from this course is the power of seeing things from different angles. I used to be pretty closed-minded, but now I realize the value of diverse viewpoints. This course taught me to appreciate the social side of business and made me more aware of the impact our decisions can have on people.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It has been leading the implementation of India’s first camera-based custom Automatic Tag Reading system for airport baggage handling. This project stands out among the numerous projects I have undertaken in various industries such as Automotive, FMCG, and Warehousing.

By introducing the camera-based system, we aimed to revolutionize the way luggage is tracked and mapped within an Indian airport. The system replaced conventional laser-based sensors with advanced camera technology, ensuring that each piece of luggage was accurately mapped and tracked throughout its journey, resulting in a significant increase in tracking accuracy to an impressive 98% and above. This achievement was truly remarkable as it addressed the persistent issue of lost packages, which had been a common concern for both airport authorities and travelers.

This project validated my capability to identify opportunities for innovation, take calculated risks, and deliver results that exceed expectations.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far has been securing a position in the Placement Committee. It was a highly competitive process. I had the determination to contest in the selection process because of my work experience and industry connections, which I believed would contribute to the committee’s success.

The selection procedure itself was quite demanding, with multiple stages to go through. It had elections where my batchmates voted for me, indicating their trust and confidence in my abilities. Then, there were various tasks designed to assess different aspects of my skills, such as a situational task to test my problem-solving abilities, contact collection to showcase my networking capabilities, and drafting a batch profile leaflet to demonstrate my communication skills. Finally, I had a personal interview with the Placement Chairperson, where I had the opportunity to showcase my passion and dedication to the role.

Being selected not only validated my hard work and commitment but also provided me with a platform to contribute to the professional development and career growth of my fellow classmates.

What has been your most memorable experience at IIM Kozhikode? Why was it so special? It was the celebration of Vishu, a traditional festival in Kerala. As a typical North Indian with limited exposure to South Indian culture, I was amazed by the vibrant festivities and the opportunity it provided to immerse myself in the rich heritage of Kerala.

What made this experience truly special was discovering the striking similarities between Vishu and the religious festivals I had grown up celebrating in North India. Despite the geographical boundaries, it was heartwarming to witness how religious sentiments and practices connected us all. Dressed in traditional attire like Kurta and Mundu (Dhoti), we came together to partake in the rituals and celebrations.

The Vishu celebration acted as a fantastic icebreaker for me and my batchmates, as it was one of the initial events of the program. We bonded over the delicious local food, participated in the puja (prayer ceremony), and indulged in the joyous atmosphere. The festivities were filled with laughter, dance, games, and countless memorable moments captured in photographs.

This experience holds a special place in my heart.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in consulting, leveraging my extensive experience in sales consulting and problem-solving skills. I aspire to expand my horizons and take on new challenges by addressing diverse problem statements for clients. With my strong background in client interactions, negotiations, and a deep understanding of operational and process optimization – coupled with my familiarity with AI and ML technologies – I am confident that I can make a valuable contribution to consulting roles. I look forward to utilizing my skills and aptitude for calculated risk-taking to provide innovative solutions and drive impactful outcomes for clients in the consulting industry.

DON’T MISS: MEET IIM KOZHIKODE’S PGP-BL CLASS OF 2024