u/Dazzling-Pickle3761 — reddlx

Excited to share that I’ll be joining the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) for its flagship PGP as part of the 63rd batch (2026-28).

Last year, I made a tough call, I withdrew offers from IIM Kozhikode (IIMK) and IIM Shillong (IIMS), choosing to take another shot at my goal of making it to the holy trinity IIMs (IIM ABC). Many around me felt it was a risky and even a wrong decision, something I might regret. But I was clear about where I wanted to be.

Throughout this journey, I held on to one line, let sleeping dogs lie, and focused only on what truly mattered. Balancing a full-time job with CAT prep, dealing with fluctuating mock scores and phases of doubt wasn’t easy, but I stayed consistent and kept pushing my limits.

Interestingly, the same people who once questioned that decision are now saying it was a wise one. Funny how outcomes change perspectives.

Grateful for the constant support from my family and friends. Also thankful to EG for their late-night classes, and to Crcku and IMS test series for being an integral part of my preparation journey.

Looking forward to learning from exceptional peers, world-class faculty, and experiencing the iconic 7 Lakes campus at Joka. This dream still feels surreal; it hasn't quite sunk in yet.

IIM Calcutta

##Any cat aspirants, for any guidance, feel free to ask; I'll be happy to share as much info as possible.

Venue: ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet, Hyd

Date: 8th March, Sunday, 12:30 pm reporting time

There were 3 panels: P1, P2- Mid 50's and P3- early 50's (All are males)

P3: Invited

Entered and greeted all three, they asked me to sit (thanked and sat)

P1: Are you comfortable??

A: Yes sir, I am. Thank you for asking.

P1: You seem to be nervous?

A: Could a bit sir, because I am very desperate about IIM Calcutta and this is the moment which going to decide whether I am in or out.

P1: Have some water and relax.

A. Thank you, sir, for being kind.

P1: So, you're a fresher, right?

A: No sir, I am currently working.

P1: Where do you work?

A: X company, sir, and for Y client.

P1: What do you do there?

A: Explained

P1: Aren't you happy with your work? I think you can work there and grow, right?

A: Answered by aligning with the, why MBA.

P1: Ok, which statistical methods do you use to calculate site performance and team performance in your work?

A: Sir, sample variance for team performance and population variance for site performance?

P2: Then what is the point of using regression? Do you have any idea?

A: Sir, as per my knowledge, I believe that Regression is used for predicting the end-of-day outcomes, but not for the performance.

P1: What is Regression? Explain to us with an example.

A: Sir, it's a relation between 2 variables, I mean, identifying the value of the dependent variable on the basis of the independent variable.

For a sales company, the number of clients they reach out to and convert into leads. For example, if I outreached 2 clients and converted 1 lead, then I can predict that out of 10 clients, I could convert 5 leads.

P3: Explain to us with a graph?

Drew and explained

P3: Why is the intersection point at 0?

A: Sir in the given example, I will be scratching it from 0.

P3: Leave the example, is the intersection point is always at 0?

A: No, sir, it is not. (Interrupted)

P3: explain with graph.

A: Drew and explained the scenario of upselling of products in a sales company. (satisfied)

P3: What is the formula of Regression?

A: Y = A + BX

P3: Intersect or slope, which gives better value?

A: Sir, slope gives the better value.

P2: What is residue?

A: Sir, I have no idea, but I'll look into it once I walk out of the room (p2 explained there itself)

P2: What other calls do you have?

A: C being my best call, I have all the IIM calls except A.

P2: C ?? Best call? No call from B? (With some expressions)

A: Sir, I consider IIMA and IIMC are in equal par, and IIM is very next to C & A, but the group of these 3IIMs are called the holy trinity IIMs.

P2: Do not sugarcoat, young man; there are people who choose IIMB over IIMC. What do you say about it?

A: Sir, it's an individual's choice, but in my opinion, I consider IIMC above IIMB, due to being the first IIM of our country, 60+ years legacy and more alumni network than B. Apart from it, I am obsessed with the 7 lakes in the campus, but both are great choices at eod. One individual can choose either of IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore or IIM Calcutta as these three are the top Business schools of our country and globally ranked below 100, and I'll choose IIM Calcutta.

And one of my choices made IIMC over IIMB is the pride of Joka (it best fits for my queer identity too)

P1: What will you do if you do not reach your targeted domain in placements, or immediately after you graduate from IIM Calcutta?

A: Sir, I am open to opportunities, and I'll grab the opportunity that comes along and will learn strategy in that work, so I can outperform there.

But, the IIMC brand will help me reach my dream destination in the long run for sure, and I believe in its brand.

P1: Do you think AI will replace the sales companies?

A: Sir, AI will definitely contribute to the betterment and development of the sales segment, but it can not replace. Sales companies do require human touch for sure, as AI gives repeated answers for different queries and that ruins cx experience. But both human and AI involvement can make a huge positive impact on businesses.

P2: Any real-life example?

A: A sales executive might follow the given call script for every client, but might not help cx understand the worth of the product, in fact few scripts don't include ROI, growth of the businesses, instead of product features, but AI can help us with better scripts and help us to focus on pain points of customers with tailored keywords.

P2: What are your favourite subjects in engineering?

A: Sir, it's an " Enhanced Oil Recovery and Techniques) and Petroleum Geology.

P2: Explain a subject out of those 2 for a class 9 student.

A: Sir, this subject deals with using the different techniques of injection to collect the entire crude beneath the earth, techniques could be as, chemical injection, gas injection, water injection and thermal injection.

P2: You seem good your undergrad, what made you to work in this segment now?

A: Gave my reasons

P1: I could see that you want to become a global public speaker.

A: Yes, sir, I aim to.

P1: Who is your favourite global public speaker?

A: Muniba Manzari, well known as the Iron Lady of Pakistan and Manobi Bandopadhyay, a transwoman from Kolkata, West Bengal.

P1: Who is Manobi?

A: Sir, she's the writer of the book- A Gift of Goddess Lakshmi. This book revolves around her struggle to reach her goals, and it made me courageous regardless of the type of situation.

P3: She's the principal of a women's college in Kolkata, is she ur talking about?

A: Yes, sir.

P2: Recently, the West Bengal Governor has resigned. Why do you think so?

A: Sir, Governors work under the pleasure of the President and Ananda Bose sir, asked to resign due to the upcoming elections, is one of the major reasons, and they replaced him by R.N. Ravi sir- Governor of Tamil Nadu.

That's all from our end.

P1: Any questions for us?

A: Yes sir, sir, if I convert IIM Calcutta, what prerequisites do you suggest for an engineering student?

P2: Don't worry, we will teach everything if you join IIM Calcutta. Just enjoy your summer before you join, you might not have time to sleep once you join an IIM.

PS: I didn't cross-check the entire post. If any grammatical errors or any words missing, try to understand it on your own.

Verdict: Converted- Going to join IIM Calcutta 63rd batch of PGP (2026-28)