Gaurav Khemchandani

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

“A person who enjoys talking about Business, Art, and some facts – over food.”

Hometown: Delhi, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I live to eat. The pandemic taught me how to cook meals for myself, and am I proud of it! The same also humbled me about the effort women make in households.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering, New Delhi, Electronics and Communication Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Innovation Manager at Jagriti Sewa Sansthan. The aim was to create Women Entrepreneurs on Digital businesses.

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? The most crucial element is not only the Case Method that IIMA is known for, but also the kind of eclectic Professors. The professors have experiences that bring the class alive at 8:45 am – from anecdotes of the Competition Commission of India to insightful boardroom discussions that the professors have participated in.

IIMA also calls in a lot of illustrious Alumni through the Ashank Desai Centre for Leadership and Organisational Development (and other Research Centers) calls at campus – from the likes of Aditya Gosh to Harsha Bhogle. These speakers add a lot of perspective and add to that feeling of invincibility.

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? Microeconomics, beyond doubt, is my favorite course. It taught me that one must play beta in good times so that good times prevail. I had a Eureka moment, just not of equal measure as Archimedes. On a lighter note, Professor Vishwanath Pingali helped us understand that “Prospering Countries don’t go to war; leaders don’t want war when the economy is prospering.”. I am making my bets that China will not invade Taiwan because they don’t want to be another Russia.

Another epiphany was when we learned that suppliers lose out when there is a hoarding of goods while the customers are paying high prices. Is that counterintuitive? Yes!

What makes Ahmedabad such a great place to earn an MBA? Ahmedabad is the city to be in. It is known as the city of businesspersons and entrepreneurs. IIMA teaches business principles, and the local Gujarati community adds the calibrating factor with a view from the ground. What drives customers to buy specific products and what are the upcoming trends in the biz space? The local ecosystem is very infectious in the information exchange – on doing Dhanda, and who better to hear it than the horse’s mouth. The alacrity and energy, to help budding business students, are contagious.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career has been winning the Shipping Line Ideathon – where I had put in my entry for a container shipping firm. The technology solution was liked so much that the client partner wanted me in Copenhagen. My work permit had been issued, and then COVID happened. The flight to Copenhagen did not take off, but I was promoted to the role of Innovation Evangelist – Corporate Technology Office due to repeated podium finishes. The wins made me realise that nothing tastes sweeter than victory. Period.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: Time Management and Prioritization – The course at IIMA has taught me that managing time and prioritizing will be the difference between a successful stay at IIMA v/s a tepid one. I choose my battles wisely and make sure that I climb the right hills, even if done so slowly, because of the effort in recalibrating and recasting effort when the goal changes.

One unique discovery I made during a case reading was the value of Enterprise Data. Basepaws had a repository of CAT DNA that Zoetis wanted, to strengthen their R&D for animal health portfolio. It was only data that Zoetis paid for; the same was told by Basepaws’ lead investor, Kevin O’Leary

What is your class’s favorite hangout away from school? Why do you gather there? My favourite hangout place outside the school is Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. The place is calming when the breeze comfortably pats the cheek and placates the rigour of IIMA. The chirpings of Flamingos, bronze-winged Jacanas and grey-headed Swamphens are music to the ears. More so, the riverfront is a mini-business-school where one can see food carts trying to sell food and salespersons persuading customers to buy their wares. The menus showcase how bundles are used not only by big businesses, but also by the humble businesspersons of Ahmedabad – how customer delight is always the focus and how operations must be managed because the customer won’t wait. Going to the riverfront with friends also helps us avoid digital devices that have taken over our lives. ​​

What do you hope to do after graduation? I want to pursue a career in technology sales to deliver advantages to customers using data, technology and behaviour science. When I was at TCS Research, I discovered that pre-2015 (pre-Jio) Indians were focused on Roti, Kapda, Makkan aur Data to Roti, Kapda, Makkan aur Bandwidth because Jio gave so much Data that people were now focused on the Bandwidth. I want to hone my skills so much that one day I will sell Ice to Eskimos.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into IIM Ahmedabad? To gain admission into IIMA, make sure you differentiate yourself, assuming you are through with your basic hygiene such as test scores. You must have credible indicators of depth to showcase that your claims are valid and not just fly-by efforts. If you believe in a cause, showcase repeated volunteering efforts for the exact cause and how you try to incorporate that cause into your professional life. Diversity is good, but depth showcases your intent to go beyond the surface. The result is always appreciated, but impact is what leaves the mark.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AHMEDABAD MBA CLASS OF 2025