Hi Aritra,
Thank you for your message. As you know, competition for top programs among applicants from your pool is fierce, and differentiating oneself can be very difficult. But I do like some of the basic facts that you've shared... undergraduate program, solid GMAT score, advancement at a well regarded firm, international experience, and a patent.
That's a good start. But what are you involved in outside of work? What leadership experience do you have (inside or outside of work)? What impact do you have on the people, organizations, and communities around you? Those are some other elements I'd be curious to know. And they'll be important to your applications.
With respect to career goals, I'd encourage you to try develop the specificity of your goals and consider what medium- to long-term goals you also have. What kind of projects do you want to work on in the short-term? At what kind of companies? Where? Why? What knowledge-skills-experience do you already have that are relevant to those goals? What knowledge-skills-experience are you missing and therefore hope to pursue via the MBA? How have your interests evolved over time?
I'd also encourage you to read the excellent GMAT Club post about the "MBA Admission Chances for Indian Applicants" (link below). It should help guide your expectations and inform your strategy. Generally speaking, I'd encourage you to consider 1-2 reach schools, a couple of schools between reach and aligned, a couple that better align with your profile, and perhaps 1-2 schools that you perceive as "safer" (though I'd caution that there is really no such thing as "safe"). In short, you should pursue a diversified strategy. Keep in mind that given the competition among Indian applicants, aligned often means that your GMAT score is ~30 points above the class average.
https://gmatclub.com/forum/mba-admissio ... 39142.htmlGiven your interests, you might look further into Sloan, Haas, and possibly Kellogg, though all would be reaches. Others to read up on are Ross, Stern, Anderson, Johnson, McCombs, and Tepper. These are all competitive programs and are just a starting point for your school considerations. Remember to research the programs that are of interest to you, understand their specific offerings and culture, attend online (or in-person) events, and chat with current students or alumni. (If you don't have any connections, then send a brief and polite note to the schools' student ambassadors and have a couple of specific, interesting, and reasonable questions in mind). Get to know the schools!
I'd also encourage you to apply in Round 1. It's still March, so you should be able to mobilize in time. Round 2 is becoming increasingly difficult for international applicants.
I'd be happy to further the conversation via a Free Consultation (sign up via the link below)!
Best Regards,
Greg