Osho- sun encourages a flower to bloom, Otherwise man's innate being can flower in a move from
the periphery to the centre, a flower would never jump out of happiness when appreciated. "Any
religion which considers life meaningless and full of misery and teaches the hatred of life, is not a
true religion. Religion is an art that shows how to enjoy life. living in the body had become a
hell" The mind has no inherent capacity for joy. [...] It only thinks about joy. every human being is
a Buddha with the capacity for enlightenment, capable of unconditional love and of responding
rather than reacting to life, There is no past to cry, no future to worry, only now is the truth. Hope
is hollow, it doesn’t dispel darkness, just turns black to grey. A Master shares his being with you,
not his philosophy [...] He never does anything to the disciple. if your being can communicate with
me, it becomes a communion [...] It is the highest form of communication possible: a transmission
without words. Our beings merge. This is possible only if you become a disciple., a self parodying
guru. liberating the minds of future generations from the shackles of religiosity and conformism".
Writing in The Indian Express, columnist Tanweer Alam stated, "The late Rajneesh was a fine
interpreter of social absurdities that destroyed human happiness. emotional, spiritual, and
institutional liberation,
Charismatic leader, scholar of religion, appraisal as a thinker and speaker,
The 1984 Bioterror Attack: Followers contaminated local salad bars with Salmonella to
incapacitate voters and rig a county election, resulting in 751 people falling ill.
The Assassination Plot: High-ranking commune leaders conspired to murder U.S. Attorney
Charles Turner, who was investigating the group for widespread immigration fraud.
Massive Immigration Fraud: Osho and his staff orchestrated thousands of "sham
marriages" to bypass U.S. visa laws, eventually leading to his Alford plea and deportation
from the United States.
Interview Guide
-Can I gather my thoughts once
-I would hesitate to assume intent without data.
-May I have a minute to outline my approach?
-Answer only what’s asked ‘Have you applied to SPJIMR’ ‘Yes, I have applied to SPJIMR’
Why SPJIMR as well?”
“Because of its focus on profile-based selection and value-driven management education, which
aligns well with my background”
-GD: Align your ideas with the college standing (social or managerial)
-Since you got to speak 4-5 times, make such subheads (such as Relevance to mgt/org, from a
Leader’s perspective, Balanced View)
-Opening- Neutral (neither nor, either or, depends)
Define
-Conclusion (--------- fuels --------, -------- ensures ---------)
-not dead but evolving
-Interpretation of the statement ----> Relevance to Business Leadership
Beginning
Good morning everyone, I’d like to begin by sharing my perspective on the topic…"
"To start with, I believe this topic is important because…"
"Let’s first understand the key aspects of the topic before diving deeper…"
Adding opinion
"In my opinion, the main point to consider here is…"
"I agree with your point, and I’d like to add that…"
"While I understand your perspective, I see it slightly differently…"
Conclusion
To sum up, we’ve discussed several perspectives, and the key takeaway is…"
"In conclusion, the discussion highlights that…"
"We can agree that the most practical approach would be…"
NMIMS Competency Test
-DM: Think like a manager
Solution oriented rather than beating around the bush
-Ethical + Practical, Emphatetical+professional, temporary leeway is fine
-Take a decision in your jurisdiction (talk before complaint)
-Address the core issue
-SDA Socially desirable answer
-Address the core problem
-Write……Problem:
AI Interview
-DIRECT
-SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY
-NO FILLUPS (big no to I believe, sort of, which is something)
-NO BACKGROUND
-STAR FRAMEWROK
While I did read about it, I can't recollect it at the moment. However, I assure you that I will read up
about it again once I exit the interview room.
While I don’t belong to Mumbai so I have not personally witnessed xyz on a regular basis but
considering the development of…. This should be done
Introduction: Good morning, I’m Bhavya Aggarwal and I hail from Delhi. I’m a recent [Link]
(Honours) graduate from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi.
Academically, I secured Rank 1 in Class XII, felicitated by Ms. Rekha Gupta (Current CM of Delhi). and
my background in accounting, economics and business studies sparked my interest in understanding
how businesses create and scale value.
During my internship as a Product Management Intern at Bajaj Capital, I worked on developing a
product roadmap for SIP journeys which contributed to improving brand outreach. Through live
projects at Zomato, I worked on market research, surveys and data analysis, and also led teams—this
helped me see how structured insights translate into business decisions. During college, I extensively
participated in cc as well.
and decision-making along with understanding of the business side of things, which is why pursuing
an MBA is a natural next step for me.
In the short term, I’m keen on roles in strategy or consulting, where I can apply structured problem-
solving and analytical thinking, while staying open to refining this choice during the MBA based on
deeper exposure. In the long term, I see myself in a leadership role, driving business growth while
building scalable and responsible organisations.
Outside academics, I’ve been actively involved with the National Service Scheme, where I’ve spent
over 120 hours teaching underserved communities, which has strengthened my sense of
responsibility, teamwork and leadership. I also enjoy listening to reflective philosophical talks,
including Osho, which helps me with self-reflection and structuring my thoughts. Learning basic
guitar on my own built patience, a persistent mindset that I apply to academics and teamwork.
Overall, I see myself as a committed individual willing to put in the effort.
Not only clear but also empathetic communication
Young Achievers Awardee, presented by Ms. Rekha Gupta (Current CM of Delhi), AAS Foundation,
Shalimar Bagh
WHY MBA
my background in accounting, economics and business studies sparked my interest in understanding
how businesses create and scale value. These experiences made me realise that while I enjoy
working at the intersection of data, consumers and strategy, I need stronger grounding in
management, leadership and decision-making along with understanding of the business side of
things, which is why pursuing an MBA is a natural next step for me.
I wanted to understand business properly before entering a full-time role, instead of learning
everything in a narrow job and filling gaps later.
Q: Isn’t work experience important before an MBA?
“It is valuable, but I believe learning outcomes depend on timing. At this stage, structured education
will help me extract more value from work when I start.”
Q: But won’t work teach you more than an MBA?
“Work teaches a lot, but mostly within a limited role or function. An MBA gives structured exposure
across functions and situations, which I feel is more effective at this stage.”
Q: Are you afraid of working?
“Not at all. I’ve enjoyed my internships, which is exactly why I want to enter work better prepared.”
Why strategy / consulting?”
“What attracts me to strategy or consulting roles is the kind of problems you work on. Through case
competitions and live projects, I realised I enjoy breaking down ambiguous problems, working with
data, and arriving at structured solutions. These roles let me work across different business situations
early in my career, which I feel is a good learning curve for me right now.”
If they push: “Why not marketing or product since you’ve done that?”
“That’s a fair point. My exposure to product and marketing helped me understand the consumer
side, but what I enjoyed most was the problem-solving part behind the decisions. Strategy or
consulting allows me to build that core thinking skill first, and I see that as transferable across roles
later.”
If they ask: “Isn’t consulting too generic a goal?”
“At this stage, I’m intentionally keeping it broad because I want to build strong fundamentals first. I
am comfortable for the exact role to become clearer once I go through the MBA experience.”
If they ask: “What if you don’t get consulting?”
“I’m not attached to a title. Any role that allows me to work on business problems in a structured
way—whether in strategy, internal consulting, or even product-focused roles—would work for me.”
If they ask: “How is this goal realistic for you?”
“My background in commerce, hands-on internships, and case competitions has already exposed me
to this kind of thinking. An MBA would formalise it and help me scale it.
-Mention the subhead-> For example, in…. ->As a result…-> What this took was
STRENGTHS
1. One of my strengths is that I’m comfortable taking responsibility when things are unclear.
For example, during my live project with Nikore Associates, I was involved in coordinating large-scale
surveys and data work. At one point, the process was getting inefficient, so I stepped in to organise
the effort—training new members, dividing work more clearly, and making sure data was usable for
analysis. As a result, we were able to complete over a hundred surveys smoothly and improve the
way researchers accessed and used the data.
What this took from me was being patient, communicating clearly with different people, and staying
involved till the work was actually done, not just planned. I realised I’m good at bringing structure to
messy situations without needing formal authority.
2. Taking ownership beyond my role, when necessary: Another strength is that I tend to take
ownership once I’m involved in a task. At Bajaj Capital, even though I was an intern, I didn’t
limit myself to assigned work. I took initiative in understanding user journeys and
contributed to building a product roadmap for SIPs, along with working on digital and
advisory projects. My inputs were used in improving outreach and user engagement.
This required me to put in extra effort to understand the business context, ask questions,
and be comfortable with ambiguity instead of waiting for instructions.
3. Working well with people from different backgrounds
A third strength is that I work comfortably with very different kinds of people. Through NSS, I
coordinated with NGOs, volunteers, and students from underserved communities. I was
involved in planning and executing multiple projects and also spent time teaching. The work
reached a large number of people and ran smoothly because coordination was strong.
What this took was empathy, consistency, and the ability to listen first before trying to lead
or solve problems.
WEAKENESS
One weakness I’ve noticed about myself is that I initially tend to over-prepare. For example,
during my early case competitions and even some live projects, I spent too much time trying
to get everything perfect before presenting an idea. Because of that, I sometimes delayed
sharing early thoughts, and I realised I wasn’t always benefiting from feedback as early as I
could have.
When I thought about it, the root cause was that I associated preparation with confidence,
and I was hesitant to put out something that felt incomplete. Over time, especially through
multiple case competitions and internships, I consciously worked on this by sharing rough
ideas earlier, discussing assumptions openly, and refining them iteratively instead of waiting
for a ‘final’ version.
This has helped me work faster and collaborate better. I still prepare thoroughly, but I’m
now much more comfortable putting ideas out early and improving them through discussion
rather than trying to perfect them in isolation.
Do you still do this?
“Yes, sometimes—but I’m aware of it now, so I correct it early.”
I do have a backup plan. If things don’t work out this year, I plan to spend time learning my father’s
business and getting hands-on exposure. I see it as a practical way to understand operations and
decision-making on the ground, which would also help me strengthen my profile if I reapply.
So MBA is optional for you?” (trap)
“No, MBA is still my priority. The business is a fallback learning option, not an alternative to
management education.”
Do you have any job offers?
No, I don’t have a job offer right now. I chose not to sit for placements because I was clear
about pursuing an MBA at this stage.
Isn’t that risky?”
“It is a calculated risk, but I made the decision consciously, knowing the direction I want to
take.”
If they ask: “So what will you do if you don’t convert this year?”
Right now, my focus is on building a strong corporate foundation. Learning my father’s
business is something I see as a way to understand operations at a very practical level if I
don’t convert this year—not as an alternative to corporate roles.
Doing an MBA first will help me enter the corporate world with better clarity and skills, and
whatever I learn later from the business will only add to that perspective.
Why should we not select you?”
One area I’m still working on is how I initially react to setbacks. Sometimes I set very high
standards for myself, and when results don’t match expectations, I can be self-critical. I tend
to take them quite personally at first, especially when I’ve invested a lot of effort. While I
recover quickly and reflect on what went wrong, I’ve realised I sometimes need a little time
to detach emotionally before thinking objectively. Over time, I’ve learned to balance
ambition with perspective. I’ve been improving this by focusing more on process than
outcome.
-WHY MBA (SOP Answer)
Q. Who is your role model and why?
1. I wouldn’t say I have a single larger-than-life role model. Instead, I’ve learned the most by
observing people I’ve worked closely with.
During my live project at Nikore Associates, my mentor, Punya Malhotra, was a recent
graduate, but what stood out was how confidently she handled responsibility early on—
especially in coordinating data work and guiding the team calmly under deadlines.
Working closely with her showed me how clarity and consistency matter more than
seniority, and that’s something I try to follow in my own work.
2. “I wouldn’t say I have a larger-than-life role model, but one person I really learned from
was my mentor at Nikore Associates, Punya Malhotra. Working closely with her showed me
how important clarity and composure are, especially when you’re handling responsibility
early in your career.
What I admired most about her was how she stayed calm under deadlines, communicated
expectations clearly, and was open to feedback while still taking ownership of outcomes.
Despite being a recent graduate, she handled team coordination and data work very
confidently.
I relate to that approach because I also prefer working in a structured and composed way,
especially in group settings. I’ve realised I’m more effective when I focus on clarity and
consistency rather than trying to control everything.
Since then, I’ve consciously tried to apply these traits in my own work—whether it was
coordinating surveys at Nikore, leading teams in case competitions, or managing
responsibilities in NSS—by communicating early, involving others, and staying calm when
things get uncertain.”
Why not a famous personality?”
“I relate more to people I’ve observed closely in real work settings, because their decision-
making feels more tangible and applicable.”
She’s quite junior — why is she your role model?
“Precisely because I could observe her closely. Her learning curve and approach felt relatable
and practical for someone at my stage.”
Q: Why not a job/ Why higher studies?
Honestly, it was never a question of delaying work for me. Even during college and internships, I
realised that I enjoy understanding why decisions are taken, not just executing them.
Since I’m at an early stage of my career, I felt this was the right time to build a strong management
foundation rather than learning in a fragmented way on the job.
I felt that if I start working straightaway, I’d learn things in bits and pieces, limited to one role. Doing
higher studies now gives me the space to step back, learn how businesses actually think, and then
enter work with much more clarity.
An MBA would help me develop structured thinking, leadership skills and a broader business
perspective, which would allow me to add more value when I enter the workforce.
So for me, pursuing higher studies now i
s about preparing myself better for long-term roles, rather than postponing learning and correcting
gaps later through trial and error.
An MBA degree will build credibility and I will be able to enter the business field more capably, thus I
am going for an MBA.
I am open to gaining exposure outside eventually if required, but I believe the foundational
managerial toolkit and network I build during an MBA will make that experience far more meaningful
and strategic rather than just operational.
Why didn’t you mention family business in your SOP
That is correct and that still holds true to the fact that I want to first emerge as strategic/structured
individual/manager and have an independent professional journey so as to add value when I
ultimately enter the business. My long term vision clearly aligns with scaling and professionalizing my
family business post learning mgt practices, execution based roles and inculcating in myself the
qualities of patience, leadership and primarily decision making. I want to first demonstrate individual
merit over inherited opportunity and implement it after deeper exposure of an MBA and external
work.
My long-term plan is to scale and professionalise our 50-crore tube components business. However, I
believe entering it immediately would limit my exposure to one operating environment. An MBA,
followed by structured industry experience, will help me develop external benchmarks, disciplined
financial thinking, and strategic execution skills. I want to enter the business not as a successor, but
as a value creator
WHY MBA
My background in accounting, economics and business studies sparked my interest in understanding
how businesses create and scale value. The practical experiences I've had at internships, case
competitions and live projects made me realise that while I enjoy working on strategy and consumer-
oriented problem solving, my exposure has largely been functional- specific and execution-focused.
And thus I need stronger grounding in management, leadership.
My long-term goal is to scale and professionalize my father’s business. I observed that businesses
don’t grow just because of good products — they grow because of structured decision-making across
finance, operations, marketing, and people management. In my father’s business as well, I see
opportunities in areas like process formalisation and strategic positioning which is why pursuing an
MBA is a natural next step for me.
At this stage, I have limited theoretical knowledge from commerce, and I lack cross-functional depth
and managerial perspective. If I enter the business immediately, my learning would likely be trial-
and-error and limited to existing practices.
An MBA at this stage allows me to step back, gain structured managerial training, learn from peer
experiences, and understand how scalable businesses are built. I want to enter the business not just
as a successor, but as someone who can add strategic value from day one.
-Problems in Business
-How do you plan to scale it
-My intended role
-Explain marketing wrt your business
-Relationships in business
Budget 26-27 (49.6 L cr)
-Fiscal deficit last yr target achieved at 4.4%. This yr target is 4.3%. Aim to reduce Debt to GDP ratio
from 56.1% to 55.6% i.e. gov will reduce borrowing from RBI (largest lender to gov) and in turn
interest payments and focus on growth.
-Capex up from 11.2 L cr to 12.2 L cr, inc in jobs, inc in GDP, multiplier effect on ecy. Eg: gov spends
500cr on roads, pvt players would spend 1000cr in services like hotels, taxis etc.
-No change in GST as it has a different gst council. In direct taxes, tcs (tax collected at source) is
reduced from 5% to 2% on medical remittances, education and overseas tour package which will inc
tourism.
(All taxes on income are direct like capital gain tax, corporation tax. Indirect tax on expense like
custom duty, excise duty)
-No interest on ITR penalty on tax during tax appeal. The revised deadline 31st march from earlier 31st
July (extended to 31st Sept).
-Sharp Inc in defence allocation to 7.88 L cr from 2.18 L cr due to geopolitical uncertainty, army
should be at the global front (modernisation of army). Defence exp is both revenue exp and cap exp.
Rev since def personnels have to be paid (salaries and pensions). Cap since def equipment gives
boost to pvt defence manufacturing companies (drones, Tata Advanced Systems, Paras defence).
-Tax relaxation to cloud services and technologies till 2047.
-Global Indian Cat Summit where gov heads from 95 countries will discuss conservation
-Tier 2 infra support to housing and logistics demand
Annual cpi: 2.7%, RBI is targeting 4%
-STT inc from 0.02% to 0.05%
-2 telescopes to be made in Ladakh, funding will be given in addition to maintaining the one we have
already
CURRENT TOPICS
-BAFTAs
-Nicobar project 2026, since 2021
-Tariff reduced to 18%, rejection of Russian oil, from Venezuela instead,
-AI Impact summit, Galgotias university
-Baby punch (monkey)
-India enters pax silica
-SC scraps trump tariff (90% burden on US consumers, only 10% to exporters)
-Bill gates didn’t visit the AI summit
-New initiatives in Manipur
-Board of peace (members, observers)
-Switzerland Prezi announces Geneva as the host of AI Impact summit 2027
-India and France partnership, Emmanuel Macron visit in Mumbai, 19-22 feb
-20L soldiers dead, missing on both ends, injured in Russia Ukraine, worst war since ww2
-Boong won bafta
-New bank lending norms for brokers
-One battle after another, Britain’s top movie, won bafta
-Kingfisher jingle soundmarked, oh la la la le o
-organ donation by deceased promoted by the PM, +16% in 2024 since previous yrs
-RE curtailment hits 23GW during may-nov since it was affecting the MTL Minimum Technical Load of
coal plants, they can run on min of 55% of operational cap
-IDFC First Bank fraud
WHY DOMS, IIT Kanpur- 1974, commerce applicants- 2 yrs back
I am interested in IIT Kanpur because of its strong vision towards responsible Leaders through quality
education. Its mission of transforming students into intellectually and emotionally well-developed
leaders align with my approach. The use of case-based teaching and simulations appeals to me, as I
prefer learning through real business situations rather than only theory.
The Department of Management Sciences at IIT Kanpur continues to uphold its commitment
to academic excellence, research innovation, and industry relevance, shaping the future leaders
and thinkers in industrial engineering and management sciences.
I resonate with its motto of Lead me from darkness to light.
Mission- To advance Management Knowledge with Managerial, Research competencies
The emphasis on values like value-based and ethical learning with ECHO- Social impact Club, I relate
with the social responsibility standpoint which is evident thorugh my involvement in NSS
PK Kelkar Library: One of the largest libraries in India, providing access to a wide range of res
ources.
Antaragni: A cultural fest held in October, featuring various
activities and performances.
Cultural clubs and e cell, societies
Overall, I believe IIT Kanpur offers the right mix of academic rigor, industry exposure, and leadership
development that I am looking for.
BAJAJ CAPITAL
At Bajaj Capital, I worked in the digital vertical on their insurance and SIP onboarding application. My
role involved studying the user journey, identifying friction points in the process, and suggesting
improvements based on small-scale user testing. My role was primarily analytical — understanding
customer behaviour and suggesting improvements in communication and process simplification.
I mapped the onboarding steps from registration to SIP initiation. I observed where users hesitated
or dropped off. We also asked a small group of users to go through the process and share feedback.
Based on that, I suggested simplification of certain steps and clearer explanation of financial terms.
We initially approached known contacts to observe how first-time investors reacted to the interface.
It was exploratory testing, not large-scale data collection.
Many first-time users were confused by financial terminology and too many input fields. The process
felt slightly complex for beginners.
Even small friction in financial onboarding can create hesitation, especially when money is involved.
Simplicity and trust are very important in fintech.
Zomato
At Zomato, I was part of a short-term consulting project focused on understanding delivery partner
grievances. My role involved analysing recurring complaints and identifying operational friction
points that affected partner satisfaction.
I studied complaint patterns related to payouts, waiting time at restaurants, and app-related issues. I
categorised them into themes and observed which issues appeared most frequently. Based on that, I
suggested improvements like better earnings transparency and clearer communication.
One recurring issue was confusion around incentive calculation and payout timing. Another was long
waiting time at restaurant pick-up points, which affected earnings.
I learned that in platform businesses, trust and transparency are as important as incentives. Even
small delays in payouts can significantly impact partner morale.
NIKORE
At Nikore Associates, I worked on a primary research project focused on youth policy awareness. My
role involved coordinating survey execution, organising collected data, and helping structure
responses for analysis.
I helped train new members on survey guidelines, assigned response targets, and ensured
consistency in data collection. I also organised responses in Excel and categorised them into themes
for easier analysis.
I learned that primary research requires clarity in questionnaire design and careful handling of
biases. Even small changes in wording can affect responses.
NSS
At NSS, I served as Project Head where I coordinated community outreach initiatives focused on
education and basic awareness. My role involved managing volunteers, collaborating with NGOs, and
ensuring smooth execution of projects.
I coordinated a team of volunteers, assigned responsibilities for teaching and awareness drives, and
maintained communication with NGO partners. I also personally contributed around 120 hours
toward teaching underprivileged students.
I learned grassroots leadership, empathy, and the importance of structured execution even in social
initiatives.