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CAT Topper Interview: Many students choose to pursue an MBA from IITs as they offer great ROI due to their moderate fees and high placements. Pursuing an MBA from IITs not only adds the prestigious IIT tag to your CV but also offers a great campus life and networking opportunity. Here is another exclusive interview with a CAT topper who did his MBA from SJMSOM IIT Bombay. Ananda Roy scored 98.53 percentile in CAT 2020. In this interview, he talks about how the admission process at IIT Bombay is different than other colleges, his CAT preparation journey, mock strategy, and profile building. This article offers excerpts from the interview. Watch the complete conversation by clicking the YouTube link given below.
Careers360 - Tell us a little bit about yourself and your profile.
Ananda - I was born and brought up in Kolkata. After that, I did my B-Tech in Mechanical Engineering from SRM University, Chennai. During my undergraduate days, a lecturer came from Mahindra who was an R&D engineer. He gave us a lecture on how an engine is developed, and how platforms of vehicles are developed. I understood that as an engineer, I can only make the vehicle efficient or I can reduce cost. Ultimately, the decisions of when to launch the vehicle, at what price the vehicle will be launched, and other important decisions are taken by managers and executives. And that is what really drew me to pursue an MBA.
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Careers360 - Which MBA entrance exams did you get?
Ananda - Initially I started preparing for the GRE and one of my friends who was preparing for the CAT Exam suggested me to give CAT as well. So I gave CAT and GRE.
Careers360 - How much time did you devote to CAT preparation daily?
Ananda - I devoted almost six to eight hours per day. I did not have a formal job when I was preparing for CAT.So, for CV building I volunteered at an NGO, I did courses on machine learning, economics, and accounting. CV building is very important because you will be asked in interviews about what you did during this time.
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Careers360 - Would you recommend any books for CAT Preparation?
Ananda - I bought a book called Sarvesh K. Verma and I finished that book three times for Quant and For LRDI, I started with solving the previous year's question papers and also I took an LRDI booster course from a coaching institution which really helped. As far as VARC is concerned you
can read essays from Aeon, Medium, Ken, The Economist, The New Yorker magazine, editorials, and some book reviews.
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Careers360 - What other interview calls did you get apart from SJMSOM IIT Bombay?
Ananda - I had calls from MDI Gurgaon and SPJMR. Apart from these, I had IIM CAP calls from all the new IIMs and baby IIMs.I converted MDI Gurgaon and IIT Bombay.
Careers360 - Why did you choose IIT Bombay over other B-Schools?
Ananda - Number one would be the batch strength. In IIT Bombay, the batch strength usually hovers around 120 odd people. So during placements, the competing pool of people is really small. The companies offer great roles and salaries. IIT Bombay happens to be one of those B schools that has the philosophy of a tech school offering an MBA. The campus life is very vibrant. There would be some music competitions, some theatres, some art exhibitions, and some workshops happening all the time.
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Careers360 - So tell us about the admission process at IIT Bombay. What was the procedure like?
Ananda - The admission process is really simple. You apply for admission based on your CAT scores and then you get called for a personal interview, which is taken by a panel. So here is the difference between our college and other colleges. The panel is composed of three people. One
would be an MBA professor, One would be a B.Tech or an M.Tech professor from IIT And the third panelist would be an alum from SJMSOM who has a background similar to the student.
Careers360 - How is the Academic curriculum at IIT Bombay?
Ananda - We have case study-based pedagogy. It's no different from any other B school. The academic focus is more on the quantitative analysis of different subjects. So even if it's marketing and it would be more around the analytical aspects of marketing.
Careers360 - What advice would you give to students who would be giving CAT24?
Ananda - I will say it's never too late.CAT is very much a crackable exam. I have known people who have leaped by bounds and scored stellar percentiles. Even if multiple attempts are needed, it would still be worth it. I know CAT is becoming harder year by year which is why cracking it is possible only through sheer discipline.
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How to convert IIM Calcutta
Hi dear candidate,
The score of your CAT exam is valid for one year from the date of exam.
For example: If your CAT exam was held on 24th November 2024 then your score is valid till 31st December 2025 meaning that you can take admission in the academic year 2025 - 27.
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With a Telangana EWS state rank of 2000 in NEET 2025, you have a decent chance of getting an MBBS seat under Category A (Convener quota) in government or semi-government medical colleges, especially during the later rounds of counselling. Your chances are higher in newer or peripheral colleges.
CAT ( Common Addmission Test ) is for those students who want to study MBA or other post-graduation program in mangement field. Who have Bachelor's degree with minimum 50% recognised university can apply for CAT .final year graduation students are also eligible to apply for CAT exam .
The CAT exam for mainly those students who want to study MBA or other business related courses.This exam is an entrance exam for getting admission into top mangement colleges.the exam tests skills like English,Maths and logical thinking. CAT exam is important because scoring well in CAT it's helps to students get into best college .
If there's a slight variation in your name between your government ID and school marksheets, it's best to use the name exactly as it appears on your 10th or 12th marksheet while filling out the CAT form, since academic records are the primary documents used for verification during admission. However, ensure that the variation isn’t too major if it is, you might consider getting an affidavit or correction done in the future. For now, stay consistent with your academic records to avoid any mismatch during document verification after the exam.
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
A Business Development Executive identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive company growth. They generate leads, build client relationships, develop sales strategies, and analyse market trends. Collaborating with internal teams, they aim to meet sales targets. With experience, they can advance to managerial roles, playing a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and revenue.
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
A Sales Manager leads a sales team to meet targets, formulates strategies, analyses performance, and monitors market trends. They typically hold a degree in management or related fields, with an MBA offering added value. The role often demands over 40 hours a week. Strong leadership, planning, and analytical skills are essential for success in this career.
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
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