Back in October 2001, during the rush hours at ITO Chowk in Delhi, I was with my Bada Mama to attend the Management Aptitude Test (MAT). Both of us were chasing our career aspirations and appeared for the exam together—and we cleared it too!
For him, after completing M.Com and LLB and being poised for a rewarding career, an MBA was the next step to accelerate his growth. For me, it was an exciting new experience—seeing the world through my own eyes and stepping into something completely new.
The following year, I secured admission to Guru Nanak Institute of Management for a two-year full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management. This was the first time I stepped out of home and stayed in a hostel.
For a boy from a small village in Odisha, moving to the capital city of Delhi—and that too to a Sikh-dominated area like Punjabi Bagh—felt like entering a completely new world. Our batch had 60 students, most from Delhi, while around 20 of us came from different parts of the country—UP, Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Himachal, Haryana, Assam, and more.
It was a journey of learning, adapting, and growing—personally, mentally, and most importantly, professionally.
Time flies. Even today, when I look back, I see myself in the middle of the roundabout near Gole Market in Connaught Place, trying to get down from a bus to attend CAT coaching at St. Columba’s School with IMS Learning. I still feel the butterflies in my stomach and the same level of excitement about life.
Twenty-five years have passed, yet my love for Delhi and the spirit of doing something meaningful in life remain unchanged. Looking forward to seeing you again, Delhi—the city that reformed me and taught me invaluable life lessons.
To Bada Mama and New Delhi—accept my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for inspiring me and being there for me. Without you, I would not have been here
