Doing an MBA is a very exciting journey as it always keeps you on your feet. With an array of opportunities and limited time, it is very important to choose your options strategically. My first year at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong was mostly focused on understanding the different facets of business in a more holistic manner.
Finance and consulting were the two domains that excited me, given my skill sets and career objectives. That was what led me to pursue the Chartered Financial Analyst certification conducted by the CFA Institute, US, and after a rigorous effort spanning several months, I successfully cleared the CFA Level 1 examination with maximum scores in 7 out of 10 subjects.
Real-life application
Real-life case studies augment the theoretical understanding of business and that is where corporate competitions pose a challenging task to young managers in solving real-life business problems. I decided to take up the challenge and try my skills at solving a real-life business issue. The Maverick: a national-level case study competition conducted by Deloitte Consulting India is one of the most sought after strategy-based competitions, and saw participation from around 16,000 management from students across the country's premier management schools.
After multiple rounds of submission and intense research for case studies ranging from “Entry Strategy for Craft Beer in US” to formulation of a “Global Business Strategy for an organisation in the Mobile Payment Services”, we were adjudged one of the top seven teams in the Eastern Zone Regional finals, where we presented our case to a panel of senior consultants from Deloitte.
The competition provided me an opportunity to evaluate my skills and capabilities against the best in the country. I was always passionate about automobiles and Mahindra Auto Quotient provided a platform for me to showcase my talent. We won the campus round of the competition after a written test where we answered questions about the automotive sector.
Investment banking
Investment banking has been my career of choice and Nomura offered me a channel to showcase my financial aptitude. The investment banking arm of Nomura - India Analytics Group conducts a national level case study competition for the premier management schools of the country with the IIMs, FMS, XLRI, MDI and others battling it out for the title. We were faced with the unique opportunity of building an equity story and structuring the IPO of an e-commerce company based out of the US and deriving revenues from India, US and China.
The case was challenging because of the fact that it was hypothetically developed by the investment bankers and the data was fragmented. We had multiple submissions including an executive summary and a full pitch book which we presented to a panel of senior bankers in Mumbai. “The road to success comes through hard work, determination and sacrifice” the famous quote by Dolzinski proved very true for us. A multi-faceted approach coupled with intensive research and financial knowledge helped us emerge as the national runners-up in the competition.
HSBC’s IB League contest
HSBC Strategic Transaction Group conducted its first ever national-level Investment banking case study competition, the IB League. The contest was based on real-life simulated corporate situations in the Indian IT sector and was conducted across the premier B-schools in the country with the likes of IIM Shillong, IIM Kozhikode, MDI Gurgaon, and IIFT Delhi presenting their best solutions, displaying their mettle in financial analysis, valuation and corporate finance. After an initial round of case submissions, selected teams were shortlisted from the participants for their respective campus rounds to present the case to the HSBC team.
The campus winners then competed with one another at the national-level Mega Finals at HSBC STG Bangalore Office in November, where they presented their solutions in front of an elite panel of HSBC corporate stalwarts. Stretching over four months, with challenging guidelines for each round of submission, the IB League contest was a truly rewarding experience for all participants. Our approach to the complete problem was different from our competitors and was well appreciated by the investment bankers at HSBC. Our rigorous efforts finally paid off with the team emerging as the national winners in the competition.
Learning experience
Overall, it has been a very eventful learning experience for me so far and the interactions with senior leaders in industry helped us a lot in understanding the practical nuances of problem-solving. It is true that the PGDM curriculum is extremely demanding and time management is the single most important skill required; however, strong willpower and persistent efforts can make any task look easy.