“Success is not about being the smartest, but about being the most excited”: Abhishek Khandelwal
IIMB welcomes 73 students to the 2025-26 batch of Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management
26 March, 2025, Bengaluru: “Hard work, perseverance and resilience, continuous learning and work ethics are my top takeaways from EPGP. The rigors of the programme would be challenging, but the same would prepare you for the real world in a way that you cannot even imagine today”, said Abhishek Khandelwal, Chief Financial Officer, Snow Leopard Ventures, during his special address at IIM Bangalore. He was the Chief Guest at the inauguration of the 2025-2026 batch of IIM Bangalore’s one year full-time MBA for experienced professionals, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), held earlier today. This year, IIMB welcomed 73 students into the globally ranked EPGP.
Abhishek Khandelwal spoke about his journey in academics and early career – his transition from Mechanical Engineering to Computer Science, joining a start-up, and more, focussing on his thought process and learnings pre-EPGP, during the programme and post-EPGP at IIMB. He discussed the opportunities EPGP offers to its students and what the course meant for him, adding that his IIMB MBA journey has taught him valuable life lessons, which he went on to share with the new cohort.
“Coming to the campus gave me the opportunity to reflect on what I wanted to do professionally, and I realized that Finance was my calling. I will urge you all to try and reap the most out of your IIMB journey - focus on learning and enjoy the experience. Be deeply engaged, curious and passionate, because passion is what keeps us going. Campus life at IIMB will give you the chance to discover, explore and refine your passion. However, remember that passion needs to be backed by hard work. The programme packs two years’ content into 11 months, so there will be impossible deadlines prompting you to question your academic choice. But the rigors of the programme will prepare you for the real world in a way that you cannot even imagine today.”
“I would like to share with you my key takeaways from the IIMB learning. Do your assignments sincerely, prepare regularly, prioritize knowledge, stay focused, and build friendships and connections. In all this, relax and enjoy - give priority to your physical and mental health. Do not run after success, just chase excellence and success will follow.”
During his talk, EPGP alumnus Abhishek Khandelwal, a seasoned finance and investment management professional with over two decades of experience across multiple industries, functions and geographies at the executive level, also described how his own career evolved, how his role expanded and how EPGP helped him along the process. “Be aware that an MBA does not magically turn you into an expert, but it teaches you to learn, adapt and overcome challenges. Hard work, perseverance and resilience, continuous learning and work ethics, are among the few top things that I learnt from IIMB which stand me in good stead, even today. So, buckle up, the IIMB journey will test you, bit if you give it your best, it will also transform you and make your dreams come true. In your quest for happiness, remember happiness is not a destination - it is a habit. Enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning in what you do will bring you happiness. Also, along the way of achieving professional success, do give back to the society as well, because giving back not only helps others, but it enriches your own life. Explore new ideas, follow your passion and continue to do hard work. Enjoy the process and have fun. True success lies in the passion you find, lessons you learn and happiness you pursue.”
His talk was followed by an interaction with students of the new cohort.
Batch profile and programme overview
Earlier in the session, Prof. Amar Sapra, Chairperson, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management and faculty in the Production & Operations Management area, discussed the batch profile of the EPGP Class of 2025-2026. “Of the 73 students, 27% are women. The average age is 30 years; average work experience is seven years, and 26% have significant international work experience. The average GMAT score is 698. The highest number of students are from Engineering background (66%), followed by Commerce (12%), Science (7%) and others (15%). There is a lot of diversity in industry background led by Manufacturing, followed by Finance, Energy, IT and others.”
He also gave an overview of the programme, adding that the Programmes Office coordinates activities between different programmes of the institute and manages the academic processes, etc., and the students may seek their assistance whenever required. Explaining differences between the EPGP and other programmes like Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), in terms of student background, course structure and placements, he advised the students to blend and learn from one another, at the same time planning their own individual goals. “Build cohesive bonds from your interactions. Make the most of the exposure with alumni and guest speakers as well”, he advised. Prof. Amar Sapra then proceeded to introduce the Chief Guest Abhishek Khandelwal.
An engaging learning experience that is EPGP
Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, welcomed the students and shared a few expectations that the Institute has from them. “Bring elements of your diverse and rich experiences into the classroom so that it can be a takeaway for others in the batch as well as faculty. Contribute by participating actively in the classroom. Management education learning happens mainly through discussion, through give and take in the classroom, case studies and other exercises. Right now, with the Convocation set to happen in a couple of days and with only a handful of students on campus, you can utilize the lean period to settle down and make the transition into going back to being students, smoothly. Come prepared to the classroom and help each other. Remember, we do not compromise on academic quality or integrity. Go through the manuals and other tools and be conversant of rules. You also have the freedom of using Generative AI, etc., but understand that technology, use it responsibly and enhance your learning.”
Encouraging the students to give careful thought to how they want to craft their careers post EPGP, he added, “That will help us help you to get the right job. Employers today are looking for specific skills like Data & Analytics, Digital & Tech, etc. Our course curriculum is rigorous and contemporary, but you need to keep your learning avenues open. You ought to also have critical self-assessment of where you stand. Learn from top practitioners and academicians who visit IIMB as speakers. There are other programmes on campus, which will offer you the opportunity to interact and learn from the experience and skills of one another. The Electives are integrated, providing you the opportunity of a mix of courses to choose from. Above all – have a good time and learn well.”
Opportunities offered by EPGP
Prof. Mukta Kulkarni, Dean, Programmes; Chairperson, Office of International Affairs, and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area, congratulated the students for making it to the nationally and globally top-ranked programme. “You will not only learn from a fantastic set of faculty and classes, but also from the international immersion. There will be other international opportunities since IIMB is the only Indian institute which is part of the prestigious Global Network for Advanced Management. So, during the year - learn from, and learn with, your cohort and beyond, and build your network.”
Senior Executive of EPGP Vanitha Anand and the EPGP Office team were among those who were part of the inauguration. The rest of the day included orientation sessions for the new batch.
Click here for photo gallery
“Success is not about being the smartest, but about being the most excited”: Abhishek Khandelwal
IIMB welcomes 73 students to the 2025-26 batch of Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management
26 March, 2025, Bengaluru: “Hard work, perseverance and resilience, continuous learning and work ethics are my top takeaways from EPGP. The rigors of the programme would be challenging, but the same would prepare you for the real world in a way that you cannot even imagine today”, said Abhishek Khandelwal, Chief Financial Officer, Snow Leopard Ventures, during his special address at IIM Bangalore. He was the Chief Guest at the inauguration of the 2025-2026 batch of IIM Bangalore’s one year full-time MBA for experienced professionals, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), held earlier today. This year, IIMB welcomed 73 students into the globally ranked EPGP.
Abhishek Khandelwal spoke about his journey in academics and early career – his transition from Mechanical Engineering to Computer Science, joining a start-up, and more, focussing on his thought process and learnings pre-EPGP, during the programme and post-EPGP at IIMB. He discussed the opportunities EPGP offers to its students and what the course meant for him, adding that his IIMB MBA journey has taught him valuable life lessons, which he went on to share with the new cohort.
“Coming to the campus gave me the opportunity to reflect on what I wanted to do professionally, and I realized that Finance was my calling. I will urge you all to try and reap the most out of your IIMB journey - focus on learning and enjoy the experience. Be deeply engaged, curious and passionate, because passion is what keeps us going. Campus life at IIMB will give you the chance to discover, explore and refine your passion. However, remember that passion needs to be backed by hard work. The programme packs two years’ content into 11 months, so there will be impossible deadlines prompting you to question your academic choice. But the rigors of the programme will prepare you for the real world in a way that you cannot even imagine today.”
“I would like to share with you my key takeaways from the IIMB learning. Do your assignments sincerely, prepare regularly, prioritize knowledge, stay focused, and build friendships and connections. In all this, relax and enjoy - give priority to your physical and mental health. Do not run after success, just chase excellence and success will follow.”
During his talk, EPGP alumnus Abhishek Khandelwal, a seasoned finance and investment management professional with over two decades of experience across multiple industries, functions and geographies at the executive level, also described how his own career evolved, how his role expanded and how EPGP helped him along the process. “Be aware that an MBA does not magically turn you into an expert, but it teaches you to learn, adapt and overcome challenges. Hard work, perseverance and resilience, continuous learning and work ethics, are among the few top things that I learnt from IIMB which stand me in good stead, even today. So, buckle up, the IIMB journey will test you, bit if you give it your best, it will also transform you and make your dreams come true. In your quest for happiness, remember happiness is not a destination - it is a habit. Enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning in what you do will bring you happiness. Also, along the way of achieving professional success, do give back to the society as well, because giving back not only helps others, but it enriches your own life. Explore new ideas, follow your passion and continue to do hard work. Enjoy the process and have fun. True success lies in the passion you find, lessons you learn and happiness you pursue.”
His talk was followed by an interaction with students of the new cohort.
Batch profile and programme overview
Earlier in the session, Prof. Amar Sapra, Chairperson, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management and faculty in the Production & Operations Management area, discussed the batch profile of the EPGP Class of 2025-2026. “Of the 73 students, 27% are women. The average age is 30 years; average work experience is seven years, and 26% have significant international work experience. The average GMAT score is 698. The highest number of students are from Engineering background (66%), followed by Commerce (12%), Science (7%) and others (15%). There is a lot of diversity in industry background led by Manufacturing, followed by Finance, Energy, IT and others.”
He also gave an overview of the programme, adding that the Programmes Office coordinates activities between different programmes of the institute and manages the academic processes, etc., and the students may seek their assistance whenever required. Explaining differences between the EPGP and other programmes like Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), in terms of student background, course structure and placements, he advised the students to blend and learn from one another, at the same time planning their own individual goals. “Build cohesive bonds from your interactions. Make the most of the exposure with alumni and guest speakers as well”, he advised. Prof. Amar Sapra then proceeded to introduce the Chief Guest Abhishek Khandelwal.
An engaging learning experience that is EPGP
Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, welcomed the students and shared a few expectations that the Institute has from them. “Bring elements of your diverse and rich experiences into the classroom so that it can be a takeaway for others in the batch as well as faculty. Contribute by participating actively in the classroom. Management education learning happens mainly through discussion, through give and take in the classroom, case studies and other exercises. Right now, with the Convocation set to happen in a couple of days and with only a handful of students on campus, you can utilize the lean period to settle down and make the transition into going back to being students, smoothly. Come prepared to the classroom and help each other. Remember, we do not compromise on academic quality or integrity. Go through the manuals and other tools and be conversant of rules. You also have the freedom of using Generative AI, etc., but understand that technology, use it responsibly and enhance your learning.”
Encouraging the students to give careful thought to how they want to craft their careers post EPGP, he added, “That will help us help you to get the right job. Employers today are looking for specific skills like Data & Analytics, Digital & Tech, etc. Our course curriculum is rigorous and contemporary, but you need to keep your learning avenues open. You ought to also have critical self-assessment of where you stand. Learn from top practitioners and academicians who visit IIMB as speakers. There are other programmes on campus, which will offer you the opportunity to interact and learn from the experience and skills of one another. The Electives are integrated, providing you the opportunity of a mix of courses to choose from. Above all – have a good time and learn well.”
Opportunities offered by EPGP
Prof. Mukta Kulkarni, Dean, Programmes; Chairperson, Office of International Affairs, and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area, congratulated the students for making it to the nationally and globally top-ranked programme. “You will not only learn from a fantastic set of faculty and classes, but also from the international immersion. There will be other international opportunities since IIMB is the only Indian institute which is part of the prestigious Global Network for Advanced Management. So, during the year - learn from, and learn with, your cohort and beyond, and build your network.”
Senior Executive of EPGP Vanitha Anand and the EPGP Office team were among those who were part of the inauguration. The rest of the day included orientation sessions for the new batch.
Click here for photo gallery