Anisha has done MBA in Marketing from NMIMS And Executive Management(PMNO) from Harvard Business School. She has been instrumental in growing CATKing Digital with her experience with Marico and Henkel in the past.
Note: This page will be updated regularly as and when we receive NL Dalmia GDPI Experiences directly from students and trusted sources
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N.L. Dalmia GDPI Experience 1: Angika Roy | PGDM 2020-2022
Even during this global pandemic era, I aspired to go for higher studies and become a management professional and N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research, Mumbai provided me that stage to fulfil my aspiration and upscale my career.
I was working in an MNC for last 3 years and after sensing my urge towards management area I decided to take up PGDM and started preparing for various competitive examinations.
I gave MAH CET and scored considerably good and applied in NLDIMSR for PGDM Marketing.
The best part of the application process was they asked for my convenient date for interview and GD. After few days I received a mail from the college regarding confirmation of the interview and GD date (the management really considered my convenient date).
My preparation included the following steps mainly:
- To remain up to date about the news and things going around you. So, for me COVID was a vast to take care of and I did. (Suggested newspaper: The Economic Times; News app: Inshorts)
- Connected with seniors and took suggestions regarding the interview and GD. (LinkedIn plays an important role)
- Read various articles online regarding the issues going on at that point of time to have clear view about it.
On the D-day I was as excited as I would had been on campus; I was provided with zoom links separately for GD and PI. I joined the links on respective times. Below are the questions I came through during my PI:
- Tell me something about yourself
- Asked few questions regarding my work experience
- Why I choose to switch my career that too in my pandemic situation
- Why I choose Marketing
During GD; well calling it GD won’t be justified as its online, so each student was called individually into the zoom links; so, it was more of an extempore. My topic was “Too much of news about COVID-19 is good or not?” – I was given 2 mins to prepare and then was asked to speak about it for 5mins. It went well as the topic was related to things going around us.
As there were many applicants, my heart started pounding with the stress that whether I’ll get through or not. Due to COVID it was a delay and the first list of selected students were out after almost 2-3 weeks. My name wasn’t there, and I saw myself in the First Waiting List; but finally, after 1 week the 2nd list was out and I was there; happiness knew no bounds.
Hence, took admission for PGDM Marketing 2020-2022 batch.
So, this was my journey to NLDIMSR. Hope you can learn something from my experience.
All the best!
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N.L. Dalmia GDPI Experience 2: Nikhil Bhati | PGDM (2022-22)
N.L. Dalmia Institute was among my prime choices for B Schools in Mumbai. Also, some of my acquaintances were alumni of Dalmia so they assured me a decent time here with learning and practical approach to the industry.
Due to covid I was not able to visit the college campus physically but the college website had a google 360° map that helped me to get a clear view of where I’m going to spend my time once lockdown lifts up.
Group Discussion:
My MH-CET score helped me to appear for GD & PI round which was scheduled over a Zoom call.
So i prepared for it and appeared with a gut to ace the opportunity though it was in my mind that GD over a zoom call might be not be that comfortable & feasible! but the college faculties handled it swiftly.
We were given a topic to discuss at the moment and everybody was given a chance to express their views. It was interesting and well managed.
Personal Interview:
After the GD i was called for a PI. There were 3 panelists who started at a very light tone by asking me about myself, my family background, what i love to do and what made me apply for a PGDM degree especially in Marketing. It was good to know that they were interested in evaluating what i want out of this course and they even gave me some advice over what i should learn on a personal level right from the very first day of college.
They even asked me some serious questions regarding my industry of choice and i shared my personal research in that area. It helped me to earn some brownie points i think!
I waited for the college to announce the list of students who were selected and was happy to receive a confirmation mail that i secured a seat.
Later on Anil Sir from admissions department helped me a lot with the admission procedure as I was an outstation student and visiting the college was not possible for me.
Thank You!
N.L. Dalmia GDPI Experience 3: Frenzita Dsouza | PGDM 2020-2022
With the pandemic forcing everybody to retreat within four walls, we weren’t prepared for the uncertainty. The CET results were delayed and all of us were confused as to what the next step would be but the online admission process turned out to be a boon. I created my application online for N. L. Dalmia and within minutes got updates with the details. The process was convenient and smooth as I could select the GD and PI timings as per my preference.
The GD and PI were conducted in two separate online meetings. A separate communication was sent for my clarity on how to join the meetings and what the process would be. Each process had 2 panelists. In the PI, they asked me about myself, my prior experience, some management theories, why I want to pursue an MBA and even quizzed me with some GK. The GD which was a general discussion was held in the latter part of the day where I was asked to speak on the given topic for 5 minutes. I was given a minute to prepare and arrange my thoughts and post the discussion, the panelists quizzed me on the same.
The panelists were warm and made me feel comfortable, especially the senior panelist who put me at ease during the PI. To anyone appearing for it, I suggest you have a good answer as to why you are pursuing an MBA and why N. L. Dalmia. And don’t forget to prepare for some GK questions too.
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N.L. Dalmia GDPI Experience 4: Shubham Ramesh Patil | PGDM (2020- 22)
My interview was conducted online through Zoom meeting due to Covid-19 pandemic. We were provided with options for selecting dates for conducting selection process as per our convenience. The meeting link was shared with us two days before the selected date and I had an afternoon slot.
We had two rounds for selection:
- General Discussion (GD)
- Personal Interview (PI)
General Discussion Round
Instructions: Approximately 2 minutes to gather thoughts and then speak for 5 minutes on the given topic.
Topic: What should the State government do to provide employment for the labors who migrated due to Covid-19 pandemic?
I took 2 minutes to gather my thought regarding all the recent news related Labor migration & State Government steps for them. Also, I noted down the points that I feel I should speak upon.
Then Panelist asked me to start.
I spoke for almost 5 minutes about all the recent news related to Labors migration and schemes which governments are planning to implement for them.
After that no further questions were asked and I was asked to leave the meeting.
Personal Interview Round
After General Discussion (GD) my Personal Interview (PI) was schedule within half an hour.
After greeting the Panelist my interview started with the first question,
Tell me about yourself?
The panelist allowed me to speak everything about myself without any cross questioning.
Having worked in an IT firm, Accenture Solutions Pvt. Ltd. for 3 years, the majority of my interview was CV
centric and involved discussing projects I worked on while in office.
Points to Remember:
- Wear formals (if possible, Blazer), Smile and Be confident
- Be aware about all the recent news
- PI round would be based on your CV
- Be prepared with some points to justify the course you are planning to pursue at NLDalmia Institute
- Be honest about your skills and work. They would appreciate it.
N.L. Dalmia GDPI Experience 5: Gautam Hegde | PGDM 2020-22
Seated in my chair half an hour prior to my slot. Never before had I experienced anything like getting interviewed virtually. It was all new for me but I was confident about giving my best shot. I revised my preparations and was all set for my turn. Finally, I was let into the room, this room being the virtual one though.
There were 2 panellists and I greeted them both.
I was asked to introduce myself after which they asked about my choice of specialization, I had opted for and the interview went for a while around these matters. After which I was asked about the basics of the Specialization. The panellists were listening to my answers and the next question was always linked to my previous answers. I was also thrown off with few questions that I had not expected like would you be willing to relocate if the job demands and few more like those. But the whole process was very smooth and it was an enriching experience in addition of it being also the unique one of being my first virtual Interview experience
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N.L. Dalmia GDPI Experience 6: Joel Mendes| PGDM 2020-22
I graduated in the field of Accounting and Finance in 2018 from K.C. College after which I was in a tough spot as to whether I should begin my preparation for MBA or work for a few years before going for my MBA. Since I was confused I decided to take on both and hoped things would work out. I began my classes and got a job as well. But as I was working I wasn’t able to make enough time for my preparation however I got huge practical exposure to the different job roles and that’s when I realized I was more inclined towards Marketing than Finance.
I continued working until 2020 and when I was sure Marketing was my line of interest, I attempted for the entrance exams and filled the applications. When I received confirmation of the dates for the GD and Interview process at N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research, I was pretty excited. As there was no group discussion due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had a General Discussion on a one-to-one basis. The topic I received was “What would you do to reduce the traffic congestion in cities if you had all the power and resources”. I had 30 seconds to gather my thoughts and I quickly made a few pointers that I would touch on. I began with the root cause of the issue followed by the various adverse effects and expressed how I would tackle this situation to reduce the traffic. Overall the GD went really well.
I had my interview in the next 15 minutes and I was interviewed by 2 members from the panel. The question “Tell me about yourself” was my favorite since I could express my entire journey to the panel. Most of the questions asked to me were related to the job and work I had done in the 2 years and I answered each question well and justified my choices with appropriate reasons. The panel was really kind as they let me speak and ask questions as well. Even though it was on zoom, the process was very smooth and systematic.
N.L. Dalmia GDPI Experience 7: Tejas Parkar | PGDM
Let me share my experience during NLDIMSR for PI/GDPI rounds.
I had applied for PGDM Marketing specialization at NLDIMSR. I was very excited for the further process of PI/GDPI.
Being a pandemic year, the whole process was conducted smoothly online hassle free.
My PI Experience:
The interview consisted of 2 panelists- One Internal faculty and one external.
I was pretty confident in my approach. The interviewers wanted to know how confident I am and how I answer their questions.
Some of the questions asked were pretty basic ones, like “Tell me about yourself”, “Why MBA?”, and since I had a work experience, I was asked about my Key Responsibility Areas and what work I did. As I had put my resignation during that period, I was asked why I didn’t go for sabbatical leave. So, you got to be prepared with all these questions coming your way.
Basic questions on why Marketing, what is marketing according to you were asked too. I was asked about my percentile and was asked to calculate the percentage of my score received.
Also, I was given a situation and I was asked how I will act in this situation.
In the end, basic general knowledge questions were asked to test the general awareness of the candidate.
Some of these questions were:
- Who is the Finance Minister of India?
- Who is the Governor of Maharashtra?
- Who is the Minister of Corporate Affairs?
Overall, the PI experience at NLDIMSR was a refreshing one and a very good experience. The quality of PI was really good.
All we need to do is be confident and be prepared with our answers and stick to them.
My GD experience:
This round was conducted after the PI. As this was online too, it was a General Discussion round. It was extempore in nature. There was one panelist. A question was flashed on the screen which was shared by the panelist. I was given 2 mins to prepare for the topic. And then I had to speak about it for 3-4 mins. I was given the topic related to India’s fight against the Covid-19 Pandemic.
I spoke for about 3 mins and I was very happy as the panelist was very much satisfied with my GD and he complimented me that I had a good viewpoint about it and he wished me all the best.
So, at the end of both the rounds, I was confident that I can be selected in the merit list as I felt that they were good overall.
As the year 2020 was an anomaly, with so many variables, the equation was very well solved by B-schools in conducting all these processes online. NLDIMSR was one of them. The process was flawless and convenient.
Some tips for preparation to get into NLDIMSR:
- Be confident- There’s no substitute to this.
- Have a habit of reading newspapers daily, which will help you to be acquainted with the current market conditions and general news.
- Prepare what to say and what to avoid during the Interview.
- Lastly, be natural during the interview. Treat it as a normal conversation, the flow is in your hands. Be crisp and clear in your answers.
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