Admitted Profiles of IIM Lucknow

Name/username: Sumit Verma
Country/Location :India/ New Delhi
Under-Graduate School : MIT Manipal
Total Work Experience :114 months
Pre-MBA Industry :BFSI
Target industry post-MBA:BFSI
Brief about Work Experience :Worked as Credit manager with one of India's prominent private sector bank doing credit underwriting of corporate loans.
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc):Manager
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Organising events.
International Experience :Nil
Scholarship Given? :NA
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : Career progression.
Why IIM-L? : IIM brand reputation, diverse cohort, easy access to corporates due to locational advantage.
Which Round did you apply in? :1
Status of your application? (A or WL) :A
Short-Term Goal :Senior Managerial position
Long-Term Goal : Country head position
Link to your interview debrief:
(You can add your interview experience HERE and paste the link above )
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? :No
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?:[/b][/quote] take interview seriously

Name/username: Karthik Narasimhan (kadiman10)
Age : 30
Country/Location : India
Under-Graduate School : Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University- Chennai
Under-Graduate GPA: 7.8/10
GMAT/GRE Test scores: 730
Total Work Experience : 8.5
Pre-MBA Industry : Automotive Design
Target industry post-MBA: Open
Brief about Work Experience : 8.5 years as Subject Matter Expert in Automotive Design
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): Manager
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Division 3 Cricketer, Toastmasters Division PR Team.
International Experience : NA
Scholarship Given? : No
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : Industry/Domain Shift
Why IIM-L? : One of the Best B- Schools in India
Which Round did you apply in? : R1
Status of your application? (A or WL) : A
Short-Term Goal : Gain a holistic understanding of business and transition to PM/ Operation roles.
Long-Term Goal : Entrepreneurship
Link to your interview debrief:
(You can add your interview experience HERE and paste the link above )
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : No

Name/username: Priya Kochar
Age : 30
Country/Location : Delhi
Under-Graduate School : Maharshi Dayanand University
Under-Graduate GPA: 82%
Total Work Experience : 8 Years
Pre-MBA Industry : IT/ITES
Target industry post-MBA: Homeware
Brief about Work Experience : Product owner at EY, managing an IT asset (GRC application) of the organization.
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): Manager
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Theatre, Airbnb Hosting, Dancing
International Experience :NA
Scholarship Given? :NA
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : Change in industry
Why IIM-L? : Location, Diverse cohort, IIM Brand reputation
Which Round did you apply in? : 2
Status of your application? (A or WL) : Admitted
Short-Term Goal : Product Manager
Long-Term Goal : Entrepreneur
Link to your interview debrief: NA
(You can add your interview experience HERE and paste the link above )
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : No
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?:
NA

Name/username: Deepanshu Rawat/drawat
Age: 28
Country/Location: India
Under-Graduate School: Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal
Under-Graduate GPA: 7.22
GMAT/GRE Test scores: 650
Total Work Experience: 6.8 years
Pre-MBA Industry: Automobile
Target industry post-MBA: Automobile/Consulting

Brief about Work Experience: Started my journey as an Operations Engineer at a 60 MW windfarm, where I worked for 1.25 years. Then I switched domain and joined Essar Oil as a Territory Sales Manager. At Essar Oil I led 14 dealerships in 3 districts, achieving an unprecedented annual turnover of Rs 150 crores. I worked at Essar Oil for 3.5 years and then joined Ashok Leyland, where I worked for 2 years. At Ashok Leyland I spearheaded commercial vehicle Sales and Marketing teams of Pune and Goa. I led the training sessions of sales team for BS6 transition.

What is your relation to the Recommenders?: Divisional Manager and Zonal Manager of my previous organisation.

Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Runner up in Inter-college Table Tennis tournament. Volunteered to teach kids from humble background on weekends at NGO Sneh Foundation.

International Experience: None
Scholarship Given?: No

The motivation for MBA and why Now brief?: Why MBA? I wanted to climb the corporate hierarchal ladder quickly and be at a position where I can be at the centre of important decision-making. Therefore the MBA. Why now? I have enough experience of handling a sales team and know the energy and automobile industry inside-out. I want to take new challenges and handle a bigger team.

Short-Term Goal: To lead the zonal sales and marketing team of a mobility company.

Long-Term Goal: To head strategy and growth division at a company which seeks to solve any of the many problems our
world is currently facing, such as Tesla, Ola Electric, Rivian.

Link to your interview debrief:
1 young professor (P1), 1 senior professor (P2)

P1: Tell us about yourself.
Me: Elevator pitch about my school, college and professional life and achievements. Ended with my hobbies which included "reading".

P2: What books have you read recently?
Me: Rebel Sultans, biography of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, biography of Elon Musk

P2: Tell me a famous quote of Sam Manekshaw
Me: "There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued."

P2: No, not this one. Which regiment did he belong to?
Me: 8 Gorkha Rifles

P2: Tell me the quote he said about Gorkhas
Me: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a gorkha."

P2: He also said something to Mrs Indira Gandhi which drew attention
Me: When Mrs Gandhi asked FM Manekshaw to prepare for war in 1971, he bluntly refused and said that his force is not yet ready. He said that he wants 6 months to prepare his forces for war. No one at that time had the courage to stand up to Mrs Gandhi, so this stand taken by FM Manekshaw is highly respected.
(P2 smiles)

P2: What about the book Rebel Sultans
Me: It is about the history of Deccan region from 13th to 16th century. How the erstwhile governors of Tughlaq dynasty rebelled against the kingdom and formed their own small kingdoms, forming 5 kingdoms in Deccan. Later these 5 kingdoms joined forces to defeat Vijaynagar empire at the Battle of Talikota.

P2: So you read mostly history books
Me: I read on a variety of topics, mostly non fiction, like biographies, business, geopolitics, history, wars etc.

P2: You don't read fiction books?
Me: I started with fiction books when I was in school. I have read a lot of books from authors like Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, Jeffrey Archer. As I matured, I grew more interested towards non-fiction.

P1: Why do you want to do an MBA?
Me: I have a rich experience of managing sales and operations team for 6.8 years. I intend to build on this and get a holistic experience on how to run a business by learning about cross functional areas like finance, marketing, HR etc. This will help me to successfully run a business someday.

P2: I am just interested. Now days I don't get to see many young people like you who like reading. How did you get into the habit of reading?
Me: It all started with an Atlas book when I was in school. I started looking for countries which played cricket like New Zealand, West Indies. Then I realised that West Indies was in fact not a country, but a group of countries which played cricket together. One thing led to another and I started reading on different countries, cultures, geopolitics, business etc.
(P2 smiles again)

P2: So many big industrialists like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet spend a lot of time reading.
Me: Yes sir, Warren Buffet spends 80% of his time reading.

P2: What do you have to say about the Indian government's response to COVID19?
Me: I think the lockdown was timely as we have seen that a country like Sweden which did not apply lockdown experienced many more deaths per million compared to not only India but also to other Scandinavian countries like Norway and Finland. But the severity of the lockdown could have been discussed as the lockdown had a terrible impact on the economy. The GDP declined by 23.9% in Q1. The government could have thought and worked on the economic repercussions in a better way.

P2: Good to meet you Deepanshu. Thank you
Me: Thank you Sirs

Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant?: No

Any comments, feelings, advice to share?: Be very sure of what you write in your SOP. Be prepared to answer questions from 3 level upwards and 3 level downwards from your SOP. Know your industry inside-out. Be well read. Believing in your own story is imperative; the belief and clarity of thoughts in your SOP and during your interview is the key to convince the interviewers even if you have a below average score, like I do. Good luck!

Username: Sagar Sodha

Age : 32

Country/Location : India/Mumbai

Under-Graduate School : Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai

Total Work Experience : 9 Y

Pre-MBA Industry : Retail/Ecommerce

Current Education: Chartered Accountant, CFA Level III, Bachelor of Commerce

Target industry post-MBA: Strategy Consulting

Brief about Work Experience : P&L Management for India's largest laundry chain "Fabricspa", Involved in business expansion and strategy. B2C & B2B

What is your relation to the Recommenders?: Business Partners

Scholarship Given? : No

The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : After having managed P&L in two diverse sectors - Laundry and Liquor, shift to strategy consulting to explore various other sectors.

Why IIM-L? : IIM Brand & Experienced Cohort

Which Round did you apply in? :R2

Status of your application? (A or WL) : A

Short-Term Goal : To work as a strategy consultant

Long-Term Goal : Leadership role in a MNC

Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : Yes. Mock sessions for interviews.

Any comments, feelings, advice to share?: All parts of your profile play equal role in an admission. Give sufficient time to all the aspects (GMAT, Essays, Interviews).

Name/username: Asutosh Kumar Mishra
Age : 31
Country/Location : Bangalore, India
Under-Graduate School : National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhopal
Under-Graduate GPA: 6.3
GMAT/GRE Test scores: 630
Total Work Experience : 8.5 Years
Pre-MBA Industry : Retail / PSU
Target industry post-MBA: Retail / E Com
Brief about Work Experience : COO at NFDI, Ministry of Textiles, GOI leading incubation operations to promote start-ups under Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Prior experience in Product Design and led NPD & Innovation at Timex Group, Raymond Limited, William Penn, ITC Infotech and Titan Industries. Undertook study and research modules at NIFT as Visiting Faculty.
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): Leader
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Inter-NIFT Sports Event - Football team (Runner-Up)
International Experience : None
Scholarship Given? : No
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : After gaining experience in private as well as public sector at various capacities I felt the need to gain theoretical knowledge in management to enable me to rise in leadership roles. My core experience is in Product Design & Innovation in the retail sector. I intend to enhance my skills in management (which is indispensable to rise in leadership) through MBA.
Why IIM-L? : One of the top B-Schools globally
Which Round did you apply in? : R2
Status of your application? (A or WL) : A
Short-Term Goal : Leadership role at a corporate, Heading growth and innovation at a Product / Design centric brand.
Long-Term Goal : Be known in the industry as an Innovation Leader.
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : No
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?: Stick to your own strengths and be original at every stage. Leverage your core areas and domain expertise.

Name/username: Veer
Age : 28
Country/Location : Delhi, India
Under-Graduate School : Delhi University
Under-Graduate GPA: 3
GMAT/GRE Test scores: 690
Total Work Experience : 75 Months
Pre-MBA Industry : Telecom/ Consumer Technology
Target industry post-MBA: TBD
Brief about Work Experience : Product Management/Product Marketing & Public Relations for a smartphone company for 3 years. Worked at a Public Relations Agency Prior to that.
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): Manager/CMO
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Theater/Mental health
International Experience: Been on 4 international Business Trips (London, China, Barcelona & Paris) for Product Launches & Strategic Meets
Scholarship Given? : No
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : Professional Growth, peer network and segue into leadership role or PM role.
Why IIM-L? : Marketing focus/Brand Value & Small class strength/Short Tenure, less OC.
Which Round did you apply in? : 2
Status of your application? (A or WL) : a
Short-Term Goal : PM/PMM in Consumer Tech or FMCG
Long-Term Goal : VP Product/CMO with an aim of developing large scale products like payment applications/5G products
Link to your interview debrief:
(You can add your interview experience HERE and paste the link above )
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? :
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?:

Name/username: ag01
Age: 31
Country/Location: India
Under-Graduate School: Visvesvaraya Technological University
Under-Graduate GPA/%: 82%
GMAT/GRE Test scores: 640
Total Work Experience: 8Y
Pre-MBA Industry: IT
Target industry post-MBA: E-Commerce, Healthcare
Brief about Work Experience: Software developer turned project manager.
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): 1.)Manager, 2.)Architect.
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Event Management, Writer, Theatre.
International Experience: No
Scholarship Given?: No. (N/A for IIM L IPMX)
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief?: I have fair understanding of the vertical I work in & want to expand my knowledge in other larger aspects of the business.
Why IIM-L?: Brand value, NIRF rankings, strategic location of the campus.
Which Round did you apply in? : 1
Status of your application? (A or WL) : A
Short-Term Goal: Product Management
Long-Term Goal: Head a business unit in E-Commerce or Healthcare industry.
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant?: No.
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?:

GMAT exams & applications are just the start of the journey. Do not be bogged down by difficulties and rejections. Keep the MBA dream alive, it took me numerous failed attempts at different colleges to finally get a few admits.

No one knows you better than you do, think well & craft your application well. Be well versed with everything that goes on your profile.

While the interviews are an open field, preparations always help. (& good chances you would not know something, and that is totally fine)

Name/username: Sudhanshu Gupta
Age : 29
Country/Location : Delhi, India
Under-Graduate School : Bhagwan Parshuram Institute of Technology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi
Under-Graduate GPA: 72.5%
GMAT/GRE Test scores: 690
Total Work Experience : 7 Years
Pre-MBA Industry : IT/ITES
Target industry post-MBA: Fintech/IT
Brief about Work Experience : Initially worked as a QA engineer with the company Optimus Information Inc. in Noida for 5 months and worked on Manual as well as Automation Testing. Then I moved to Infosys and completed the training at Mysore Campus in ASPdotNet. Then I shifted to Pune as the base location and worked there for 4 years in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementations for the BFSI clients. Grew a lot in those 4 years from a fresher to a strong technical leader and worked in designing, developing and delivering phases. Then, I got an opportunity to work in Switzerland for 2 years for an Onsite Assignment with one of the Swiss Banks as the client. There I had multiple responsibilities such as Requirement Elicitation & Analysis, coordinating with the Offshore team, Production Support, brainstorming with the client team to improve the business users experiences.
What is your relation to the Recommenders?(Manager. client etc): Manager/Lead
Volunteering/Extra-curriculars: Led the school teams in Volleyball and Football Zonals and Inter-zonals and won the tournaments, Volunteered in the Inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix as a Flag Marshal, Taught an illiterate how to read and write in the National Literacy Mission.
International Experience : 2 years
Scholarship Given? : No
The motivation for MBA and why Now brief? : Having 7 years of sound experience in the IT world, I wanted to explore more of the business world, gain a holistic approach to any business scenario. I wanted to get the business knowledge, a strong network and the brand value to become a dynamic business leader in the future. So the pandemic just triggered my preparation.
Why IIM-L? : One of the premier B-Schools present globally
Which Round did you apply in? : R2
Status of your application? (A or WL) : A
Short-Term Goal : Leadership Role at a Fintech or an IT organization
Long-Term Goal : To become a transformational leader holding a CXO role.
Did you use the help of an MBA Consultant? : No
Any comments, feelings, advice to share?: Firstly, start preparing for GMAT and interviews very early because it is a lengthy process. Introspect a lot what do you actually want out of MBA and how will it get aligned with your future goals and past experience because this will definitely be asked either in the SOPs or interviews. Also, be honest in telling your strengths and weaknesses. Watch and read a lot of stuff on how to get into a premier B-School. Write the SOPs in a structured way so that it should tell a unique story about you. Be confident in the interviews and don't hesitate in saying 'No I don't know' for any question in the interview if you don't know anything about that topic. Try to be aware of the general events happening in the world and especially in your industry.

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