Abhimanyu Dakwale

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

“CRM Wizard. Consulting Guru. International Tennis Professional. Serving up Success, One Project at a time.”

Hometown: Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m a foodie and almost all the restaurants in Navi Mumbai have my number registered with them. I’m also on a first-name basis with a fair few of their owners.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of South Florida, Tampa; B.Sc. Computer Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: EY India LLP; Senior Consultant

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? The faculty at IIMB drew me to this college. The faculty are titans of their industries. Having the opportunity to learn from them is something I am grateful for and am looking forward to.

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? Extracurricular: It was The Sports Complex as a whole and volleyball in particular. Volleyball reinforced the importance of trusting your team, and how collaboration is the only way forward. If the receiver doesn’t dig the ball, the setter can’t set, and the spiker can’t hit. Everyone has their role and it is important for each of us to succeed for the team to succeed as a whole.

What makes Bengaluru such a great place to earn your MBA? The IIM Bangalore campus

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I have worked in two different countries with two completely different work cultures and thrived in both scenarios.

Deloitte US was my first job after graduation, and it taught me a lot. During my tenure there, I was working with people from the North American and Latin American regions. It gave me an opportunity to understand their unique cultures and how it translated to their work output. When I moved back to India and joined EY India LLP, those people skills helped me navigate an unfamiliar terrain. The Indian work culture is not for the weak. Adapting to it, while maintaining my personal level of output, was a challenge that I took on and succeeded. The success led to a promotion ahead of schedule. The confidence that I instilled in my team and the clients, along with the high quality of work, led to me winning two Awards with EY.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: It was the participation and the success that the EPGP batch had during Icebreakers. As the sports secretary, I laid the groundwork to ensure that the batch was ready for the challenges in the weeks leading up to and during those four days. Getting almost 75% of the batch to participate, in the midst of their busy schedules, is an accomplishment in its own right. Helping people experience the joy and intensity of competition through sports was rewarding. The scheduling and coordination work done during the Icebreakers, along with participating in five sports and winning two (including an MVP for Tennis), was just the cherry on top.

What is your class’s favorite hangout away from school? Why do you gather there? The class’s favorite hangout, that is away from classes, is the Sports Complex. From playing a bunch of different sports with them to hosting dance classes for Salsa, Bachata, and Bollywood, it has been helpful for all of us to take a step back and relax from the daily rigor of classes and projects.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

Professionally, I aim to move into the Product Management space.

Personally, I am planning to visit a few countries on my bucket list, provided the world outside of India settles down.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into IIM Bangalore? Know yourself and be true to your core. It doesn’t mean that you don’t adapt to the changing times. It means that the key to success is to retain your core identity.

Remember, gaining admission into IIM Bangalore is just the start of your journey. Best of luck!

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