Meet IIM Kozhikode’s PGP-BL Class Of 2025

There’s a lot that the PGP-BL class can learn from each other. After all, their resumes are dotted with household names: Shell, KPMG, Tata, Suzuki, Sodexo, Deloitte, and Deloitte. Class members have held leadership roles in areas ranging from strategy to product management to finance. And they’ve studied topics that run from mechanical engineering to computer science to graphic design. While business school is purposely designed for students to learn from each other’s experiences, Nrusimha Vikram Bhavanibhatla points to something equally important.

“I remember one of my professors quoting, ‘You’re not here to learn MBA principles and run organizations with them. You’re here to learn about yourself and run organizations your way.’ That one line changed how I see my time here, he tells Poets&Quants. “Every day at IIM Kozhikode has been about more than just academics. It has been a journey of understanding my strengths and what I prefer to call my ‘areas of improvement.’”

A SUPPORTIVE FACULTY

That might run counter to what one might expect from IIM Kozhikode, which was again ranked 3rd in 2024 for the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for management education. This included posting the 2nd-highest score for Outreach and Inclusivity along with improving in four of the five dimensions measured by NIRF. However, it isn’t always academics that make the deepest impact on business students. Just ask Raghul Palaniswamy. During one project, Professor Rudra Sensarma emailed him that the last student who’d performed as well was now the CEO of Rivigo, a trucking giant.

“This experience was special because it connected my current efforts to a legacy of success, and it filled me with a sense of responsibility and inspiration to strive for similar achievements in my own career. It reinforced the value of dedication and innovation, and the profound influence that thoughtful mentorship and academic challenges can have on shaping one’s future.”

The faculty were equally influential on Mehar Roy in a variety of ways. In Macroeconomics, Roy credits Professor Rudra Sensarma with simplifying complex ideas and helping her ‘connect the dots’ when it came to the interconnections between inflation, fiscal policies, and socio-economic issues. Sensarma also applauds Professor Surya Prakash Pati for making his 9 a.m.HR Management course “crackle with energy.” The course, she says, helped her with far more than simply understand the fundamentals of talent acquisition, engagement, and retention.

“[He] turned our classroom into a vibrant arena of ideas, where we’d defend our viewpoints with passion. This approach not only sharpened our critical thinking but also coaxed me out of my shell, empowering me to voice my opinions without hesitation.”

CLASSMATES MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

The faculty may have been supportive, but the curriculum has equally demanding say members of the PGP-BL Class of 2025. Sanya Taneja claims “the intensity of the academic rigor challenged me to push my limits.” Like the professors, Taneja also found her classmates to be a source of strength.

“It was the little moments—late-night study sessions, group projects, and even the shared stress of exams—that made this experience so special. Coming back to a campus environment after years in the professional world allowed me to rediscover the joy of learning, the value of collaboration, and the emotional connection to a community that only a place like IIM Kozhikode can offer. This journey has been more than just an academic pursuit; it has been a transformative experience.”

While Nrusimha Vikram Bhavanibhatla describes the campus as “serene” and “resort-like”, he admits that the experience has taught him to juggle many tasks within a limited window of time. By the same token, Raviteja S J found that IIM Kozhikode’s classroom component lived up to its reputation. Like many business schools, he found some of the biggest returns came from tapping into his classmates’ diverse experiences.

“Whether it was a case study in marketing or a debate on ethical decision-making in business, the classroom became a melting pot of ideas, pushing me to think critically and view problems from multiple angles. The professors, with their vast industry experience, didn’t just teach—they challenged us to question assumptions and develop our problem-solving skills. This interactive learning environment, where everyone was both a teacher and a learner, made every class session an exciting journey of discovery.”

TOP AWARDS FROM TOP ORGANIZATIONS

You describe the PGP-BL Class of 2025 as highly-decorated. Aishwarya Ravindra Harsule, for one, was nominated for the International Graham Bell Awards, which she describes as India’s largest innovation award.

“[Last year], I got an opportunity to present my product – HeathPay – in front of panels of CXOs of Indian multinational corporations and chief executives of the Indian government. It was a privilege to be one of the youngest members to have represented my product at one of the largest platforms for product accreditation and growth.”

Aishwarya Ravindra Harsule wasn’t alone in collecting hardware. In 2022, Mehar Roy won Gartner’s R&A Award in Functional Excellence for “exceptional problem-solving skills and elevating project outcomes through innovative design thinking.” Gartner also selected her to be part of RAMP, an exclusive three-month program devoted to enhance the leadership skills of high potentials. At the same time, Sanya Taneja took home the Shell Recognition Award in 2023 and 2024 for her leadership in critical digital transformation projects.

“These projects were instrumental in optimizing key processes and driving innovation within the organization,” she tells P&Q. “The recognition was a testament to my ability to spearhead complex initiatives that not only improved efficiency but also contributed to the company’s broader digital strategy. These accomplishments highlighted my skills in stakeholder management, leadership, and the application of cutting-edge technology to solve real-world business challenges.”

Sometimes, you don’t need the awards to know you played a significant role. Raviteja S J was instrumental in building a spice export facility, with his role focused on processing, sterilization, and bagging – not to mention planning, scheduling, budgeting, and resource allocation in these areas.

“I was pivotal in implementing industry-first solutions, such as centralized jumbo bagging and unloading systems and automatic magnet cleaning systems, significantly boosting operational efficiency and setting new industry benchmarks,” he writes. “The project’s success garnered notable recognition, including praise from the Andhra Pradesh government, with the facility being inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.”

Oh…and his project claimed his company’s Best Project Award too!

CASE COMPETITION CHAMPIONS

Looking for numbers to back up the Class of 2025’s excellence? Raghul Palaniswamy is an engineer who later became a project manager and management consultant. At 24, he ranked among the youngest employees to earn his PMP at Emerson, before adding a RMP and PgMP within the next two years. Along the way, he became his firm’s youngest Kaizen facilitator too. Not surprisingly, he was running large-scale industrial projects worth over $42 million dollars. His classmate, Gaurav Arora, rolled out a repair service for child parts that cut expenses from 28%-72%. However, some achievements are difficult to quantify. Case in point: Nrusimha Vikram Bhavanibhatla. Early in his career, he considered himself to be a poor teacher. Entering management consulting, he decided to embrace roles such as pitching ideas or hosting events. The result?

“Hosting seminars, leading training sessions, and sharing knowledge feels second nature to me. But I’d be foolish to take all the credit. I owe much of this success to the opportunities and platform Deloitte provided me—the space to fail, learn, and grow. Without that, I wouldn’t have reached the level I’m at today. It’s been a journey of growth.”

Since arriving on campus, the Class of 2025 has continued to rack up achievements, both headline-worthy and deeply personal. For the former, Sanya Taneja’s team reached national finalist at the BCG Case Competition. Her classmate, Sharmistha Datta, participated in a case competition where they made the national finals against 150 student teams.

“The journey was intense. I was juggling between assignments, filled with late nights working until 4 AM, followed by early morning classes at 9 AM—often running on just a few hours of sleep,” she tells P&Q. “Despite the challenges, the experience taught me the value of resilience and teamwork, demonstrating that impactful results can still be achieved under pressure…As a bonus, we were invited to the Fidenza Village, Milan’s renowned open-air luxury shopping destination, which we hope to explore during our immersion trip to SDA Bocconi. This experience is rather a stepping stone to such future competitions to come – firsts are always special!”

Next Page: In-depth profiles of 10 members of the Class of 2025.