IIM Bangalore
Please Share A Brief About Your Profile
Bharghvi's academics are as follows: 10th - 92.32 12th - 93.32 Graduation (NIT Surat) - 94.7 (Gold medalist). She scored 99 percentile in CAT 2020. Post her performance in Interviews and WAT she got admission into IIM Bangalore. Post her graduation, she joined JP MorganChase and Co. as Technology Analyst and worked there for 2 years
Please Share Your Interview Experience
IIM Bangalore Interview Experience
3 Panelists all Professors
Duration: 25 minutes
P1: Hi Bharghvi, Good Afternoon
Me: Hi. Good Afternoon. Sir
P1: So, what should we call you? Bharghvi or Prajapati?
Me: It's Bharghvi, Sir
P2: So, Bharghvi you have 2 years of work experience at JPMC, right?
Me: Yes Sir.
P2: In your SOP, I read that you have worked on Blockchain. Have you implemented it within your team?
Me: (delighted by this question) No Sir, not yet. I have pitched the idea of using blockchain in supply chain financing so that the settlement of cross-border payments can be expedited. It is still in the approval process post which we will be able to implement it.
P2: (was certainly looking for the implementation hence he chooses to not venture into the blockchain) Tell me about Supply Chain Financing
Me: In Trade Finance, whenever a transaction happens between Buyer and Supplier, we handle the movement of funds from buyer to supplier based on maturity period, say 30 days. We then make an offer to the supplier for upfront payment (before the maturity of 30 days) at a discounted amount (< actual amount). In this way, the supplier can get the payment upfront with some discounted amount.
P2: Okay. Explain to me supply chain financing with respect to a product.
Me: Let us assume a scenario where Amazon is a Buyer and Arvind Shirts is a supplier. Amazon decides to buy shirts but has a maturity payment of Rs. 1000 in 30 days. JPMC can then propose a discounted payment of Rs. 950 to Arvind Shirts before 30 days of maturity payment.
P2: (cuts my answer) What is this process? Is this a supply chain?
Me: (confused) Yes sir, it is a supply chain with respect to financing
P1: (comes as a savior) Let me reframe his question for you Bharghvi, what is the supply chain of TATA Motors like?
Me: (confidently) It starts with rear earth elements -> metal extraction -> component manufacturing -> assembling -> finishing -> wholesalers -> dealers -> end consumers
P1 is content with the answer.
P2 is expressionless
P3: What are rare earth elements?
Me: The ones that are obtained through mining.
P3: Who are the competitors of JPMC?
Me: In the area of Investment banking the biggest competitor of JPMC is Morgan Stanley
P3: (smiling) I have read that at JPMC, there is higher CEO to other employee salary ratio. Do you think this is fair?
Me: (smiling) the salary of employees at JPMC is higher as compared to its competitors and they do get what they deserve.
P3: (smiling more broadly) I understand that. I am talking about the ratio and not the absolute ones. Do you think the ratio should be changed?
Me: (thinking for a while) Yes sir, In my opinion, the ratio should be mended in favor of the employees since we are the ones who put all our efforts into execution which is an integral part of a company's operations
P3: (satisfied) Alright!
P1: In your resume, you have written that you want to be in C-Suite. Why is that so?
Me: Sir, I believe a lot in the potential of data and data democracy. If I am a part of the C-Suite, I will have the authority and responsibility to utilize data and employ it to propose innovative products.
P2: (cuts me in between) Ok. So what data will you use to compare JPMC and Morgan Stanley?
Me: Sir, for quantitative measurement, data such as P/E ratio, revenue, profitability, prospective projects can be used. For qualitative measurement, data such as customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction.
P2: (cuts me in between) How will you measure employee satisfaction?
Me: To have unbiased data collection, we can employ an NGO. Another unbiased way can be the government initiative
P2: What will be the problems if the government takes the initiative to measure employee satisfaction?
Me: (thinking for a while) There might be some companies that contribute highly to the GDP of the country but might not have a healthy work culture. The government can tweak the work culture figures so as to favor the organization
P1: (before P2 grills me further) In the favor of time, let us move on to the next question. Your SOP mentions the smooth transition between college to corporate. Also, you have done academically well. How were you, Bharghvi, as an individual, able to achieve such a transition?
Me: I understood one important distinction between college and corporate and that is, teamwork vs individual work. In college, scoring marks were mostly about individual study but I realized that for a smooth transition, I have to understand team culture and work. Apart from this, Stability of Mind, as proposed by The Bhagwad Geeta, inspired me a lot.
P1: Can you elaborate on the last point?
Me: Sir, from childhood, my mother has introduced me to the principles of the Geeta. I have filtered those principles and have applied them in my life.
P3: What do you mean by filtering? Is it that you don't believe in some principles?
Me: No, Sir. By filtering, I meant that I have picked up some principles that are useful for me to go ahead in life and face life's challenges
P3: (satisfied and smiling)
P2: Tell me the 2 best principles of Geeta as per your perception.
Me: Karma Karo Fal Ki Chinta Mat Karo (literally spoken in Hindi :P) and the importance of balance between Rajas, Sattva, and Tamas
P2: (searching for more questions) Vaccination based on profession and gender: is it discriminatory?
Me: Based on Profession, sir the frontline workers and essential service employees should be vaccinated first, and hence it would not be discriminatory
P2: (cuts me in between) Leave that profession aside. What about other professions?
Me: (thinking) Yes sir it will be discriminatory in both the cases of gender and profession
P1: (cuts me before I could provide my rationale) Mindful of the time, let us now move on to the last and easy question.
Me: (relieved) Sure Sir. P1: If you are given a chance to meet someone, living or dead, who will that person be? And what will be your question to her/him? Take your time to think.
Me: (thinking) Sir, I would like to meet Sheryl Sandberg. She has been the lone contributor to Google AdWords and after becoming COO of Facebook, she increased the revenue by 2400%.
P2: (cuts in between) What will be the question?
Me: Sir I would like to ask her how was she able to achieve such a feat.
P2: Is this question not answered in her interviews and books?
Me: Sir, I have watched most of her interviews and have read her book Lean In. In all these places, she has mostly mentioned the importance of women in the workplace. But my question to her would be, in the late 90s, software technology was in the raw form and there were not many women in this field. How was she able to manage such a feat, being one of the rarest women in tech in those times!!
P1: (looked impressive) Good point. We are done now. Have a good day, Bharghvi
Me: Thanks a lot, Sir. Have a nice day.
Final Verdict?
Converted, Joined
Any Advice For Upcoming Aspirants?
Be yourself in the interview. The professors here have years of experience and hence can gauge your behavior upfront
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