Chanda Kochhar
Masters in finance from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, 1984.
Joint managing director, ICICI Bank Ltd
“It was here that I evolved from being just a student, to a person who could face the rigours of the corporate world, identifying challenges and resolving conflicts in different work situations. Ironically, the transition from student life to professional life entailed just the climbing over of a common wall. Jamnalal Bajaj and ICICI shared a boundary wall and as a student, little did I know that I would continue to be in the vicinity of my college and not just that, but end up being with ICICI for more than 24 years.”
Vikas Kapai
Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi, 1989
General manager, Oakwood Residency, Pune
“I am thankful for the rigours of our training and the drilling down of two key messages, which may be tough but without which we cannot hope to survive—to be customer-focused, however frequently his choices and preferences may change, and to constantly remember that the customer has to be right, always!”
Sujata Soni Bali
IIMC, majors in advertising and public relations, 1989
Proprietor, Miran Productions, an event management company
“The courage to branch out of a regular advertising job and to set up one’s own company couldn’t have been possible had it not been for the grounding that we received at IIMC. The long hours that balanced structured academic fundamentals with the dynamics of what happened on the ground prepared us to deal with real life situations and with all kinds of clients.”
Rina Dhaka
NIFT, New Delhi, 1987
Delhi-based designer, specializing in prêt collection
“We were part of the first batch of NIFT. I was clear that fashion is what I wanted to make a career out of. Had NIFT not been there, I would have gone to a fashion design college overseas and may have been lost to India altogether.”
Sahil Dutta
WelcomGroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal, 2002
Currently, restaurant assistant manager, Radisson Edwardian group, London
“The biggest learning at the gruelling classroom sessions at the school was the ability to cope with consistent pressure and handle stressful situations without flapping. Keeping that permanent smile fixed on the face was not easy, but again, something one has learnt to do.”
Nidhi Bal Singh
Masters in mass communication, Jamia Millia Islamia, 2004
Lecturer, mass communication, under the ministry of higher education, Sultanate of Oman
“Studying mass communication at Jamia is like winning a prized ticket. For me, it opened doors at leading media institutions like NDTV. Wherever I have worked, I found that students from Jamia stood out for their expertise and knowledge. Not only were we more thorough with our work but people around us seemed to know that we were a cut above the rest.”
Raveen Vasudeva
BITS Pilani, Electronics, 1987
Elementary and middle school computer teacher, Woodstock School, Mussoorie