Visa Denied, Dream Rewritten: How Anshika Gupta Found Purpose At HEC Paris

It was supposed to be the start of a dream — admission to the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, the beginning of a new life in the U.S., and the next chapter in an already extraordinary story. 

But just ten days before departure, Anshika Gupta’s student visa was denied. Then, denied again.

“I had planned all my life ahead based on that decision,” says Gupta. “It was heartbreaking.”

Most would have stopped there. Not Gupta. Instead, the New Delhi native — already a state-level archery champion, a rising star at India’s Maruti Suzuki, and the woman who transformed her family’s small business into one of India’s top thermoware manufacturers — shifted course. She applied to schools across Europe, and landed at HEC Paris. 

It wasn’t her first choice. But as she puts it now, “Whatever happens, happens for the best.”

A FIGHTER FROM THE START

Gupta’s story begins in Delhi, where she was born and raised. After earning a master’s degree locally, she broke into the male-dominated Indian automotive industry, joining Maruti Suzuki. “There were very few women when I started,” she recalls. “But within a year, I was offered international marketing — the dream job for anyone there.”

She turned it down.

Her father’s domestic consumer goods business was on the verge of collapse, and his health was failing. So she resigned, took over the family company, and spent the next eight years turning it into a multimillion-dollar exporter with three manufacturing units and 200 employees. 

“We grew during COVID. We began exporting to Africa and the Middle East. We built a real team,” she says.

But she wasn’t done.

“I realized I’m made for bigger challenges,” she says. “I want to create impact — in sustainability, for women, and in sports.”

THE ARCHERY THAT CHANGED HER LIFE

Gupta’s earliest inspiration didn’t come from a boardroom — it came from a bow.

She stumbled across archery in high school. “Within two months, I made it to nationals,” she says. “That gave me self-esteem I’d never had. I owe a lot to that sport.”

She would go on to win six state gold medals and become a vocal advocate for improving India’s athletic infrastructure, especially for women. “I wanted to represent India at the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. But we didn’t have equipment, support, anything.”

That experience shaped her lifelong mission: transforming India’s sports ecosystem. It also planted the seed for business school.

“I needed to challenge myself. I wanted to grow — and to help others grow, too.”

THE MBAT THAT BROKE RECORDS

At HEC Paris, Gupta found not only academic rigor, but a stage to flex her leadership — literally.

She led the organizing team for the MBA Tournament, or MBAT, Europe’s largest MBA sports event. Planning it was a logistical nightmare: France was shut down ahead of the 2024 Olympics, vendors were on vacation, and Gupta didn’t speak French. Still, her team pulled it off — and shattered records.

“We had 1,700 attendees. It’s never been that high, not even this year,” she says. “We were just 150 people in the cohort. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done — but also one of the most rewarding.”

Her path to leading MBAT had been just as unconventional. Initially, she encouraged others to run. But when no one stepped up to challenge the presumed favorite, she couldn’t let it go.

“People said, ‘You’ll make a fool of yourself.’ But I couldn’t stand the idea of no election at all,” she says. “I built a team in 10 days. We campaigned. And we won — by seven votes.”

THE POWER OF CHOOSING GROWTH

HEC wasn’t her original target. But today, Gupta calls it a perfect fit. Two programs in particular stood out: the MBA’s TEC (The Executive Committee) mentoring initiative, and the CDL (Creative Destruction Lab), where she worked with a deep-tech AI startup that later raised €2.5 million.

“You don’t get this kind of cultural experience anywhere else,” she says. “Our cohort had 50 nationalities — even a classmate from North Korea.”

She also credits the school’s entrepreneurship specialization for expanding her vision. “HEC helped me discover not just what I can do — but who I am.”

WHAT’S NEXT

With graduation weeks away, Gupta is eyeing consulting roles in the Middle East focused on public policy — ideally linked to sports, youth, and sustainability. Long-term, she wants to launch her own venture to overhaul India’s sports infrastructure and support emerging talent.

“I’ve already seen how public-private partnerships can change a country,” she says. “Now I want to be part of that change — and help India build its next generation of champions.”

ADVICE FOR OTHERS: ‘DON’T BACK DOWN FROM BIG’

If there’s one lesson Gupta hopes others take from her journey, it’s this:

“Sometimes, you have to rise and take charge. Even when the odds are stacked against you. Especially then,” she says. “The MBA is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Don’t just chase prestige. Choose the place that helps you grow — truly grow.”

She adds: “I came here to break myself down and build myself back stronger. And I did.”

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