Preetam Rai Saxena

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

“A person with modest needs but driven by audacious and transformative dreams.”

Hometown: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Fun Fact About Yourself: My coursework at IIM Bangalore started on the same day as the day my daughter joined her first school. We had a joint shopping expedition for our school supplies, including backpacks and water bottles, and both of us were equally thrilled as we set out on our academic journeys.

Undergraduate School and Major: Cochin University of Science and Technology, Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. Scientific Officer.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of IIM Bangalore’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? IIM Bangalore serves as an exemplary embodiment of India’s success in establishing transformative institutions of excellence. The mere mention of this distinguished institution evokes profound admiration and respect. This signifies a commitment to unwavering principles across various facets, including the caliber of its faculty and their contributions, teaching methodologies, extensive network, and supportive infrastructure. My unwillingness to make any compromise on any of these aspects made IIM Bangalore one of the few most obvious choices for me.

The factor that solidified my decision to pursue my MBA at IIM Bangalore was the institution’s resolute commitment to spearheading sustainability initiatives. The institute’s active role in fostering an ecosystem to drive India towards achieving a sustainable growth, which essentially involved the dimension of inclusivity, made it stand out. This attribute synergized with my vision of bridging the gap in regional development across India. With the intent to join after my MBA dynamic enterprises, catalyzing the growth story of nation, I came to the altars of distinguished institution of IIM Bangalore, seeking honing of my competencies for charting on this envisioned aspirational journey. Subsequently, my personal experience during the previous 6 months into the program validated every bit of my decision.

What has been your favorite course or extracurricular activity at IIM Bangalore? What has been the most important lesson that you have learned from it? Among multiple brilliantly designed and delivered courses, the one which enlightened my thought process the most is the course on Competition and Strategy delivered by Professor Rejie George Pallathitta. The course carefully navigated through the process of complete assessment of a competitive business scenario and the competencies of an entity aspiring to compete. The lessons on positioning the firm in synergy with market forces gave me perspective not only for business ventures but also for steering one’s life.

More than the content, it was the powerful oratory of professor Rejie which brought the course alive. He artistically interwove the complex learnings with the powerful stories around the life of stalwarts such as Herb Kelleher and Sam Walton. I vividly remember the pitch he gave before venturing into the saga of rise of Walmart. The whole class got so engrossed that we felt having known and appreciated Sam Walton for so long and so well. The most important lesson I learned was that success in any arena is a multivariable function and should not be pursued from a myopic vision focused on self. Thus, a wise strategy to succeed inevitably involves a holistic approach encompassing all the three dimensions: competition, environment, and self.

What makes Bengaluru such as great place to earn your MBA? Bengaluru, also known as ‘Silicon Valley of India’, has a vibrant and thriving business ecosystem. It hosts multitude of multinationals, tech giants and a thriving MSME sector. With a bustling young dynamic population of professionals, Bengaluru has emerged as the startup capital of India. These attributes offer an excellent opportunity for networking and learning via industry-academia connections. The cosmopolitan multicultural nature of the city makes staying here not only an enjoyable experience, but also an educational one. These attributes coupled with the pleasant weather and proximity to serene western ghats make Bengaluru an ideal choice for pursuing MBA.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I grew up dreaming about joining the R&D organizations serving the defense related strategic interests of India. My selection at the prestigious BARC Training School, Mumbai, which paved the way for a career in the Department of Atomic Energy, was the most significant and satisfying accomplishment I achieved in my career. I successfully capitalized on the opportunity and joined strategic realms of Indian Nuclear Program under the aegis of BARC. The powerful drive of Turning dreams into destiny came true to me in those moments when I received the white slip affirming my selection into the prestigious program.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: I came to this MBA course after having spent almost a decade as a government officer at one of the most prestigious research establishments in the country. The unique environment at BARC, created by virtue of working on highly sensitive and technically challenging domains, sculpted my attributes and competencies in its own peculiar fashion. The MBA program exposed me to the dynamics of the corporate world on a truly humbling scale and pace. Yet, the way I was able to adapt, perform and contribute, in a very short span of time is in my view my biggest accomplishment. I have always believed that a curious mind willing to learn and to put commensurate efforts can successfully navigate even the most challenging journeys of learning. I feel I have lived up to those words in my journey of MBA so far.

What is your class’s favorite hangout away from school? Why do you gather there? The intensely scheduled curriculum of one year MBA, coupled with the serene heavenly campus of IIM Bangalore, obviated the opportunity and need for seeking hangout places away from school. There are round-the-clock hangout spots on campus where we share our light moments and moments heavy with stress and anxiety. Though the batch parties do happen outside, we love being on our campus more than being anywhere else to hang out and have memorable moments. Certainly, we are going to miss the campus after MBA, and we don’t intend to lose any of the moments we have on this beautiful campus.

What do you hope to do after graduation? My future aspirations are driven by the fact that I am particularly pained by the huge developmental gap between various regions of India. This all unwinds into tragic scale of mass migration across the professional spectrum having painful socio-economic consequences. My solution does not lie in sustained chain of welfare schemes, but in taming and aligning the market forces to serve the purpose of inclusive, pervasive, and sustainable growth. With this consideration in mind, I wish to join dynamic enterprises where I could simultaneously learn and contribute. This would enable me to develop a better understanding of business and to acquire competencies of transforming the industrial landscape. Thus, I made strategy consulting my domain of interest. I hope that in due course of time, I will be successful in offering my humble contributions in evolving inclusive business and growth model to assuage the pain of teeming millions in our country.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into IIM Bangalore? Amongst the individuals in my cohort, a unifying trait is their resolute dedication to a sense of purpose and their genuine adherence to their authentic selves. Every one of them represents a powerful story of dreams and a passionate chase for them. The secret to making it to IIM B lies not in GMAT scores or any indicative marks, but in the story of yourself as you narrate it to yourself every second of every day. So, chase excellence driven by YOUR purpose and not any parameter representative of success. Soon, you will be welcoming yourself at the campus of Baba Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad, the legendary IIM Bangalore.

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