Students Corner: Interview with Nisheeta Bajaj, PGP 2002

Could you please provide a brief background and why you had decided to pursue an MBA?

My educational background was in Science: I did a B.Sc. in Chemistry at St. Xaviers, Mumbai. But as a career I decided to move from ‘Chemistry’ to ‘Corporations’: and so pursued an MBA, as a holistic introduction to the world of businesses.

Please describe your life while on campus. What activities and events were you active with?

Campus life – in one word-  was “Engaging”. It has been about two decades since, but  two standout memories are the Advanced Corporate Strategy course, in which I thoroughly enjoyed the conceptual thinking; and secondly, co-creating Business plans with batchmates as a part of projects for different courses.

The early morning walks around campus were memorable as well ! As was the Art of Living breath-based program that some of us did on campus, which brought immense energy and productivity into our days.

How has been your post-MBA experience?

Work at BCG (Boston Consulting Group) was very exciting, and the work culture very collegial. The impact one could have on businesses was flattering—and the exposure across industries, types of organisations, and different business problems was extraordinary.

The second part of my consulting career was in the leadership development space, where coaching CEOs was an equally enriching experience.

I currently play an advisory role at various organisations and continue to coach global CEOs/ business leaders.

Who has been your mentor in guiding through your career path?

Everyone I have learnt from.

At the start, Professor J Ramachandran from IIMB gave me an appreciation of the world of strategy and consulting. Once I entered that world, I perhaps learnt the most from observing how different business leaders I worked with, made business decisions differently. Later, as an executive coach, being a thought partner to CEOs as they reframed their own perspectives, was most enriching.

 Who would you consider your role model?

The global humanitarian and peace leader, and founder of Art of Living, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who, at the age of twenty-five dreamt of ‘making life a celebration’.

His vision has inspired over twenty five thousand bankers, businessmen, and others to use their discretionary time to teach Art of Living’s calming and productivity-enhancing techniques to millions across the world.

To me, this illustrates not just the power of an idea but how professional success and a higher purpose together reinforce each other to make life deeply satisfying.