Varun Rai

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

“Voice artist turned engineer building warships turned MBA student bridging creativity with strategic business impact.”

Hometown: Varanasi / Kashi (Uttar Pradesh)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve provided voice dubbing for over 150 Bollywood films since age 12 and aspire to be a monk who will sell his Ferrari

Undergraduate School and Major: Mumbai University, Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Encon Cooling Towers Pvt. Ltd., Senior Manager (Marketing & Project)

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? Having a long-term entrepreneurial goal and hands-on experience in the field, I wanted to validate my practical knowledge with theoretical foundations. What place could be better than IIM Bangalore (IIMB), which stands at the epicenter of India’s startup culture? At IIMB, the robust and pragmatic academic curriculum, combined with state-of-the-art technological infrastructure, provides the perfect building blocks for entrepreneurship.

The NSRCEL Incubation Center complements this environment by offering comprehensive entrepreneurship education with world-class mentorship, extensive networking opportunities, and access to seed funding, creating an invaluable foundation for entrepreneurial success.

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? IIMB’s professors are not merely subject specialists; rather, they are masterful educators who transform abstract concepts in strategy, marketing, and economics into digestible modules with clear explanations and compelling real-world examples.

Concurrently, striking the right balance between academics and extracurriculars is the success mantra for thriving in an MBA program’s demanding environment. I developed a passion for playing squash as it enhances my agility, builds core strength, and sharpens my strategic thinking skills.

What makes Bengaluru such a great place to earn your MBA? Bengaluru’s unique ecosystem seamlessly blends world-class business education with the presence of global legacy companies and GCCs alongside cutting-edge technology innovation. The city’s diverse professional landscape, spanning from dynamic startups to established MNCs and defense organizations, provides an ideal backdrop for understanding how strategic thinking applies across industries while offering abundant growth opportunities.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I had the opportunity to work on India’s most advanced destroyer-class warship P15B and P17A projects and Scorpène-class submarine P75 project. This experience exposed me to diverse organizational cultures from small and micro enterprises (SMEs) to Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), foreign OEMs, and the Indian Navy itself.

My passion for working with tangible, high-tech machines and the pride in contributing directly to nation-building made these complex, multifaceted defense projects deeply fulfilling. The combination of technical challenges and meaningful impact shaped my early career perspective.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: I’ve been elected to the Placement Committee of the IIM Bangalore EPGP Class of 2026. Among a cohort of 73 brilliant and handpicked professionals from across the country, being chosen for this responsibility means a lot, not just because of the role itself, but because of the trust my peers have placed in me.

What touched me the most were the kind words, wishes, and support I received from my batchmates throughout this journey. Winning an election is one thing, but winning the confidence of such an accomplished group of individuals feels like the real achievement.

This MBA journey has reminded me (again) of the underrated superpower called authentic networking.

What is your class’s favorite hangout away from school? Why do you gather there? I find solace in nature’s embrace, where I can meditate deeply and uncover the serene clarity essential for navigating life’s journey. Trust me, while sitting on my hostel balcony, witnessing the golden sunrise with melodious green barbet chirping feels like gazing upon a breathtaking vista from a scenic hill station.

What do you hope to do after graduation? Looking forward, my aspiration is to work for a global strategy consulting firm after graduation. I envision consulting as a high-leverage platform that provides a bird’s-eye view over industries, challenges, and solutions. It will enable me to sharpen my strategic thinking and develop the experience and network I lacked in my previous entrepreneurial efforts.

Eventually, I plan to establish my own consulting company with the credibility, preparation, and partnerships required for sustainable development. Driving me currently is the aspiration to close the gap between engineering delivery and strategic business design. I wish to assist companies in solving intricate challenges while also comprehensively contributing to the growing Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into IIM Bangalore? Persistence and authenticity are key. I took the GMAT three times, applied for two years, and faced three rejections before admission. Don’t let setbacks define you – instead, let them refine your story. Show how your unique experiences, whether unconventional or traditional, have shaped your perspective and prepared you for the rigor of a business school.

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