Ambika Nautiyal

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

“Former Indian Navy doctor, fearless explorer and loving mother to my three-year-old bundle of joy.”

Hometown: Abohar, Punjab

Fun fact about yourself: I am a doctor with the rare trait of possessing legible handwriting.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from AFMC, Pune 

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school?

Before enrolling at IIMA, I worked as the Regional Manager for Business Development and Sales at IIFL Home Finance. Transitioning from a background in the Armed Forces, this role provided a unique experience. Working at IIFL not only introduced me to a distinct work culture but also deepened my understanding of lending business intricacies and sales processes. It was gratifying to contribute to an organization that played a significant role in shaping my identity, particularly as I assisted in realizing the housing aspirations of fellow Armed Forces members.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? Not Applicable

Where will you be working after graduation? Following graduation, I am excited to join Accenture S&C as a Manager in the Data Science department. Based on my discussions with the hiring team, I anticipate being actively engaged in the company’s upcoming AI initiatives, with a specific focus on the healthcare industry.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Throughout my time at business school, I have been actively engaged in community work and assumed leadership roles. I was honored with the PGPX Batch Entry Scholarship for my distinguished profile and career achievements. Additionally, I served on the core committee of the Healthcare HawX Club, organizing interactions with industry speakers to facilitate knowledge sharing. Representing IIMA in the Inter IIM Sports Tournament was a fulfilling experience. I actively participated in the Pay It Forward initiative, mentoring MBA aspirants, and contributed to the cultural program raising awareness about LGBTQ.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of representing IIMA in basketball, throwball and volleyball at the Inter IIM Tournaments. It showcased dedication to sportsmanship, teamwork and institution representation. Participating in multiple sports, built camaraderie among teammates and created lasting memories of collaboration. This experience enriched my personal growth and reinforced values crucial to academic and professional success.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The achievement I hold dearest in my professional journey is being commended by the Chief of the Naval Staff for my handling of a life-threatening emergency in 2017. While stationed in New Delhi, I received distressing news of a senior officer collapsing in his office. Despite being away from the scene, I quickly assessed the situation over the phone and made the crucial decision to transport the patient to the nearest private hospital, deviating from standard protocol which dictated taking uniformed personnel to defence healthcare facilities. Upon arrival at the hospital, I promptly analysed the patient’s brain scan report, identifying a right middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. Recognizing that the patient was still within the golden period, wherein surgery could lead to a complete recovery without residual paralysis, I swiftly coordinated the necessary medical interventions. Reflecting on this experience fills me with immense pride as it underscores the significance of my decision-making and actions in ultimately saving a fellow human being’s life.

Why did you choose this business school? As I neared the end of my MBA application journey, the pivotal decision I faced was choosing the right college. My preference leaned towards IIMA due to its strong emphasis on academics and case-study-driven pedagogy. This inclination towards academic rigour was influenced by my prior experience at IIFL. There, I came to realize that while diligence and hard work were crucial in accomplishing tasks. What I needed most to advance to the next level was a deep understanding of the methodologies and strategies supporting my findings and decisions.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor was Professor Arindam Banerjee. His expertise in the marketing area, coupled with his teaching style, made a lasting impression on me throughout my MBA journey. Professor Banerjee’s passion for marketing was palpable in every lecture. His enthusiasm for the subject was infectious and motivated me to delve deeper into the intricacies of marketing. Whether discussing traditional marketing approaches or cutting-edge data analytics techniques, he always provided valuable insights that could be applied in today’s fast-paced business landscape.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My learning journey at IIMA was truly remarkable, with each course offering valuable insights. However, the one that left the most profound impact on me was “Data Science for Business,” taught by Professor Ankur Sinha, a course I audited. Professor Sinha effortlessly demystified the intricacies of machine learning and artificial intelligence. It imparted not only technical skills but also a structured approach for applying these tools to solve real-world business challenges. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that I owe much of my future career path in Data & AI to the invaluable knowledge shared by Professor Ankur Sinha in “Data Science for Business.”

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? One of my favorite events during my MBA studies was our inaugural class session with a professor who used case studies. It wasn’t just a typical lecture; it showed us what our MBA program was all about. The professor guided us through a challenging business case, asking us to analyse it and come up with solutions. What made it memorable was how everyone in the class worked together. Even though we were new, we all joined in, sharing our ideas and thoughts. This teamwork, encouraged by our professor, made the class feel open and friendly, and it got us thinking in new ways. This experience really reflected the spirit of our business school: a place where theory meets practice, and where students are encouraged to tackle tough business challenges with creativity and critical thinking.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Upon reflecting on my MBA journey, the one aspect I would alter is my participation in a live industry project. Despite enjoying a fulfilling learning experience at IIMA, my sole regret lies in not engaging in such a project, which entailed collaboration with an industry partner. Back then, my attention was confined to assignments within the healthcare domain. Looking back, I recognize the need for greater flexibility in my approach. Involvement in the industry project would have offered invaluable insights, enriched my learning journey and fostered holistic development.

What is the biggest myth about your school? When I enrolled at IIMA, I held the misconception that I was committing to an intense one-year program with no time for anything beyond academics. However, upon reflection, I’ve come to realize that after the first term, we were able to establish a routine that allowed us to make time not only for academics but also for sports and hobbies. Surprisingly, many of us even discovered new interests and passions through participation in sports and extracurricular activities throughout the program.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I thoroughly enjoyed the riverfront in Ahmedabad. Before joining IIMA, I believed it was impossible to maintain a clean river flowing through a large Indian city, mainly due to population density and resource constraints. However, upon arriving in Ahmedabad and strolling along the riverfront, I was pleasantly surprised.

What surprised you the most about business school? Well, coming from a background as a doctor where I was accustomed to gruelling 24-hour shifts, I thought I understood what it meant to lead a fast-paced life. However, nothing quite prepared me for the relentless speed at which life moved at IIMA. What truly astonished me, though, was how seamlessly everyone, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, managed to adapt and align themselves with this pace.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The MBA classmate I most admire is Anisha Kumari. I deeply respect her hard work and perseverance. Coming from a specialized background in English Literature and with professional experience as an Editor in media organizations, she brought a distinctive perspective to our class discussions. Her unwavering focus on her goals and her ability to remain composed under pressure are qualities I greatly admire.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?  Being part of an AI-focused team, I am eager to engage in a project where I can learn about GenAI and its deployment in creating value for end-users. In the long run, my dream is to develop a solution that aids in designing and managing efficient supply chains for delivering medicines to remote areas of rural India.

What made Ambika Nautiyal such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“I am very excited to recommend Ambika for this distinguished award. She has been a keen student of management and having had her in my class over three separate courses was indeed a privilege. Her incisive comments and discussion points would raise the quality of conversations in the classroom by several notches. I have no hesitation in attesting to her academic brilliance which was apparent in our in-class parleys during the courses and is also validated by her superior academic performance in the program. I would put her in the Top 2-percent in her class.

I have also noted her off-class participation in several cohort-based activities, both in the sporting arena and in other initiatives for social causes. Overall, I think her profile would be the best fit as an excellent allrounder in the program.

Ambika has an unconventional but spectacular background before joining the PGPX program, having served the Indian Navy as a medical specialist for over 7 years. She was selected to lead the Naval contingent during the annual marchpast during India’s Republic Day celebrations, a rare honor, since only the best of servicepeople is offered such privilege.

In conclusion, I would like to state that it would be hard for me to pick someone else in recent times with such diversity in achievements, but at the same time being level headed, and focused on the immediate tasks at hand. It has been a real pleasure to have her in my class and I really enjoyed our conversations. I am confident that her profile will resonate with the requirements set by the selection committee for this coveted award. My best wishes to her for her future pursuits.”

Arindam Banerjee
Professor, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

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