Samraat Gupta

“I unwind by meal-prepping while watching movies every Sunday”

Hometown: Nashik, India (most recently San Francisco, USA)

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California, Berkeley — B.S. in Civil Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Frontline General Engineering Construction Inc. — Project Manager

What makes London such a great place to earn an MBA degree?

London feels like a place where the world comes to you. Although I spent seven years around a global city such as San Francisco, I have been exposed to more cultures, people, industries and ways of thinking in the past four months. As someone who wants a truly global career, London presents the perfect opportunity, as its ecosystem is diverse in its context.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Imperial Business School’s MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

Imperial’s focus on data analytics, technology and innovation stood out to me. Coming from an engineering and constructionbackground, I’m used to making decisions based on evidence and constraints, not just frameworks. Imperial’s Full-Time MBA curriculum blends business with a STEM mindset, focusing on evidence-based leadership, data-driven strategy and real-world application, aligning perfectly with how I aim to scale my career in the future.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Imperial Business School? 

Imperial Business School has provided access to a multitude of options for students, covering a spectrum of interests and passions. The ones that stood out to me were the venture capital competitions that are available. I have participated in a few investment competitions – one if Rotterdam – that have proved to be platforms that combine strategy, finance and execution, mirroring the ambiguity and pace of real business environments. Taking part in these competitions has helped me learn more about sectors I was unaware of, while understanding its complexities and how I can use my skills in a different context and a different industry.

The Imperial MBA is known to strike a balance between core business knowledge and skills that emphasize vision, judgment, and innovation. What area do you hope to strengthen during your year of business school and why? 

I want to get better at stepping back from immediate execution and thinking more long-term. My background trained me to focus on delivery, timelines and budgets. Imperial Business School is an opportunity to develop stronger judgment around long-term strategy, growth and leadership decisions that don’t always have a clear or right answer. Imperial is helping me zoom out and lead with conviction amid uncertainty.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2026? 

I tend to be someone who likes asking the question that helps the group get clearer on what actually matters, especially when discussions get abstract or rushed. I think that ability to connect ideas back to real-world constraints and decisions will help make class discussions and group work more grounded and productive.

The Imperial MBA is also known for its strong emphasis on technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Why does the program’s focus on technological insights and mindful leadership appeal to you? How have been able to leverage this approach in your career so far?

In construction, small decisions can have huge consequences, so you learn quickly to be thoughtful and systematic. I’ve seen how better tools, clearer processes and calmer leadership can dramatically improve outcomes. Imperial’s approach reflects what I’ve experienced first hand and gives me a language and framework to do it better.

When you think of Imperial, what is the first word that comes to mind? 

Practical. Imperial feels focused on preparing you for real decisions in real organisations, not just classroom discussions.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

My biggest accomplishment was helping create an environment where junior engineers could grow into confident, independent decision-makers. As the company grew, I focused on bringing more clarity to how we worked so people understood not just what they were doing, but why it mattered. Over time, I saw engineers I had trained start taking real ownership, leading projects and even building systems of their own. Seeing the team become more capable and the startup better positioned for the future has meant more to me than any single project I worked on.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Imperial Business School’s MBA program?

Having been in this wonderful cohort, I can tell you there is no perfect type that fits all of us. Imperial values people who are thoughtful, curious and clear about why they want an MBA, so be honest about where you’re coming from and where you want to go.

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.