My IIML GD PI experience
16 Feb 2008, 10 am slot
Venue: Hotel Monarch Luxur, Bangalore
Profile
CAT 98.84
10th 78.6%
12th 89.2%
BE(Mech) 59.93% aggregate (Pune University)
Work Ex 43 months - Infosys -> Cisco Systems.
This is the only IIM call I have.. Reached the venue at 9:10 am. To my surprise, most junta was already there, with my friend there asking me how I am so late
. Chatted up with people there before the start of the proceedings…
8 of the 10 people turned up in my group..
GD Topic: “Helping hands are better than praying lips”
Was only able to write 3.25 pages of the 4 pages asked of us
.
GD was decent.. everyone spoke, no one had really fantastic points.. everyone chipped in with some points.. I got off to a nervous start, language not really flowing smoothly in my first entry… But afterward I spoke reasonably clearly and got in a couple of decent points… Was not really happy with my written or the GD, felt I was not able to make an impression.
Group was same as misnomer, who posted on the previous page.
Interview
Panellist1, 2 -> P1, P2
[Found this later…. P1 was
Dr Abhishek Nirjar, of the Strategic Management Group at IIML
P2 was
Dr Madusudan Karmakar of the Finance and Accounting Group]
P1: So.. Army Institute of Technology, eh.. Some army connection?
Yes sir… My father is a doctor in the army.
P1: So what happened at this Army Institute of Technology? You had 78, 89% in 10th and 12th, so how did you drop down in academics?
(I had 59.9% aggregate) Spoke about 65% in my BE degree, and that Univ topper was 75%. Also spoke about extra curriculars.. being part of the squash team, doing a certificate course in graphology, more sports..
P1: So did you not think about joining the NDA, IMA? You were scared?
I smiled.. Spoke about how I wanted to be a part of the India growth story by contributing to profits of companies. And while it is a noble service, it is no longer the place it used to be during my father’s time..
P1: Name the top most squash player today..
Said top ranked was Amr Shabana, but the player to win the last World Open was Ramy Ashour
P1: Do you know any Indian player?
Said that there is a 49th ranked player.. Sourav Ghosal
P1: Any other Indians?
Said didn’t know of others
P1: But the army does come up with lot of squash players isn’t it
Spoke about the army’s emphasis on sports
P1: So why did you move from Mech Engg to IT?
Told about my interest in computers, and that I saw opportunities in the booming IT sector, so wanted to be part of it.
P1: But you have studied subjects like CAD/ CAM and other fascinating subjects, why not do something in that?
Spoke about opportunities being available in IT with lot of growth happening in this sector.
P1: What do you at Cisco
Told I was part of the test team for a new router that Cisco is coming out with, and told about my previous and current assignment.. mentioned the award I had got at Cisco
P2 takes over now, P1 lays back on his chair’s backrest and closes his eyes
P2: You have mentioned that you like tracking stock markets… tell us about that
Spoke about my starting to invest in stock markets after starting to earn… as a great way to learn about businesses and make some savings
P2: So do you do trading or are you a long term investor
Said I was an investor, and liked to pick value stocks
P2: So how do you pick the stocks?
Said I looked into the kind of business the company is in, the business environment, the prospects of the business.. (was interrupted)
P2: How do you judge the prospects of the business?
Took the example of IT sector, how it was the favorite a few years ago, and how rupee appreciation has hurt it….
P2: So you will sell your IT stocks?
Yes sir, I have already exited
P2: whats the value of your portfolio?
Investment amount is 2.5 lakh, market value is 3.2 lakh.
P2: You know about GDP.. what is the contribution of agriculture to the GDP
Told it was between 19 and 20%
P2: The government is taking land from agriculture for setting up industries.. Your view?
Told about how farmers are attached to their land and feel they are unfairly dealt with in regards to compensation. However, the govts do this to spur economic growth.. so while I support this, there needs to be better implementation of the same.
P2: What is the current rate of inflation?
Said it was around 3.8 to 4%
P2: You know about the price hike which came into effect yesterday.. Rs 2 for petrol and 1 for diesel.. How do you think this will impact inflation?
Said increase will impact prices of all commodities, so inflation would increase and this is a concern
P2: Whats the trend in inflation?
Said inflation was on the increase, having increased from 3% last year, and that its expected to increase further to 4.5%
P2: But we have been seeing a steady rate of inflation in the past couple of years.. isn’t that good
Said that the concerns are real and that the indicated inflation might not reflect the actual increase in prices…. spoke about how the indicator used - the WPI is questionable on two counts… first, the goods and services taken into consideration are not representative of the basket consumed. Second, the actual prices that the end consumer gets could be much higher than the wholesale prices that we take into account for the calculation..
P2: Ok, I think we are done here.. shall we wrap it up..
P1 pounces..
P1: I have one last question.. You have studied Industrial Management in your engineering.. Do you know of <insert a few unrecognizable terms>
No sir.. don’t know of it
P1: So what did you study in IM?
Said studied about Linear programming, transport problems, queuing, optimization, organizational behaviour…
P2: Oh they only teach you that much in your college..
P2: Ok, thank you and do take your file..
Thank you..
That was it.. No Why MBA, strengths weaknesses, no grilling on academics.. Feel good interview, was satisfied with my answers.
Puys
.. got it from the guy next to me 
..
)
but the first name not decided yet..
sorry sir, try to give an excuse for why I have not remembered them.
no way) explained abt how quant was my strength and what really happened there. 
