New Participants’ Assessment Document (NPAD): PGP 2024 - 26

The following set of questions are an important part of the evaluation of the incoming batch for a
number of campus activities such as the suitability of applicants for various positions in the Institute,
such as clubs and committees and more importantly, the ‘Summer Placement Selection Process’
across multiple companies.

Don’t replicate the answers because they're all about your personality and ask for examples from
your own life. Try using the ‘STAR’ framework while framing answers to questions with real-life
examples in them. Plagiarism of any form will lead to the most severe consequences.

Points to remember:
● Clarity of thought - Ambiguous statements or contradicting yourself over the course of the
document should be avoided
● Structural flow and comprehensiveness – Adopt best practices to maintain a logical flow by
gauging the intent of the question
● Written language - Grammar errors, typos should be avoided. Use language which you can
reproduce later while speaking and it sounds natural. Remember that this is not creative writing.
● Substantiation – Give examples wherever possible to make a point, use figures (quantification) to
suggest the impact wherever appropriate. Work-experienced participants should (ideally) provide
examples in pertinent questions. In the absence of such cases, acceptable examples from
academic/extra-curricular/co-curricular/personal contexts may be presented.
● Word Limit: The answers to these questions should be in 200-250 words. Keep your answers crisp
so that it can help you go through it quickly during your interviews.
● Do not use bullet points, highlight the main points: Underline the important points rather than
writing them in bullet points.
● Please ensure that your answers are formatted in the name font type (Calibri, Times New
Roman etc.) and size

Note: For the benefit of the participants, versions of the same questions have been introduced. If
someone thinks the variants have different solutions, they can answer them independently. Please
number answers appropriately. Please make an effort to utilize your discretion before approaching
for clarification on any question(s).
 Take your time in completing this document, as a genuine attempt towards this will help you
reflect on yourself, your experiences, and your learnings till date. It will also be a strong
foundation for your summer placement interview-preparation as variations of these questions
are expected in several interviews. Hence, put in sincere effort into this document as it would
serve as a base for the MBA program.
All the best!

Category 1:
Self-Assessment

1. Describe your weakness (Mention at least 2) (Weaknesses should be written with a remedial
action. Do not try to disguise a strength as a weakness)
OR
What would you want to change about yourself? (Since this question is phrased in relatively
mild language, it’s smart to pick a small, mild and practically insignificant weakness that leads
to showcasing one of your strengths)
OR
Give reasons why we should not hire you. (Outline genuine weaknesses that would not
significantly impact your performance at work. However, refrain from using vulnerabilities
disguised as strengths to answer this question.)
Answer:
1) Perfectionism: I try to overcomplicate even basic things by diving deep into the topic, this
wastes a lot of time and manpower which could have been used for different things. I have
always been very detail-oriented, so it sometimes takes me longer to finish a project than I
initially think it will. This is why I started using time-tracking software at my last job. It
made me more conscious of the time a task takes me and helped me never miss a deadline
again.”

2) Multi-tasking: I multitask too much. I first noticed it was an issue in my last job - I was too
distracted, and tackling two or three tasks at once ruined my productivity. I’ve been minding
how I work ever since, and I make sure to always define and prioritize all my tasks. Now,
instead of juggling several at the same time, I try to go through them one by one.”

Will Use this two given below

 3) Self-Critical: My greatest weakness is that I’m too critical of myself and often feel like I’m
not giving my best or like I disappoint the people I work with. This has often led me to
overwork myself, burn out, or feel inferior to my coworkers, although my supervisors never
complained about my performance. During the past year, I have been working on myself
actively and trying to be fairer with myself.

4) Difficult Saying ‘No’: I cant say no to people and hence end up taking a lot of tasks which
are outside my purview. This hampers the working of my main tasks and I have to work
overtime to complete all the tasks in a stipulated time.
2. What are your strengths (Mention at least 3) and cite situations to exemplify each.
Answer:
1) Persistence: I had to make the changes in the code repository and deploy it to a new system,
hence had to understand the workings of the new system while also implementing it to the already
present code. I worked hard on it and failed many times due to the code not compiling properly but
still completed the whole thing within two weeks while also assisting my colleagues in solving their
problems
2) Team worker: I have worked in teams with people having proficiencies in different things, hence
I tried to give my input on things while also learning from other people. I ensure to be collaborative
with everybody on the team as it allows new ideas to spring up and also improves the efficiency of
the team.
3) Problem-solving: During my UG ,I had taken up various academic projects and had to solve the
problems using novel solutions. During my work also, I encountered different types of edge cases
each day, hence I needed to come up with unique solutions to solve them.
4) Time Management: Time management was a very important skills as I had to manage my time
between different tasks as I have to deliver working and fully tested code for the feature we are
working on every two weeks, otherwise it would go in backlog and be viewed as a fall in team
efficiency.
5) Adaptable: I had to juggle between frontend and backend tasks during my work which required a
very different set of skill sets, hence I was very adaptable in this manner that I was able to take up
tasks in different domains and deliver efficiently.

3. What are your hobbies or interests and extracurricular activities you engage in? How do you
pursue them during your busy schedules? (Prepare a detailed answer for at least one activity,
interviewer generally picks one hobby and delves deep in it)
 Answer: I have a hobby of collecting unique coins and currency, therefore in this digital age of
UPI, I am the one carrying around physical currency and use it at kirana shops as that is where most
of the cash transactions happen and I have a higher probability of finding newer coins. This all
started when I once got a 5 rupee coin in return from the kirana store and it had the picture of India
Gate at the back instead of the national embelm, this developed a curiosity in me and I got to know
that RBI mints special 5 rupee coins on special occasion and this developed a hobby in me collecting
these unique 5 rupee coins while also getting to know more about the nation. I also like playing the
ukulele as music sooths me and I usually find a tutorial of a song I liked recently on youtube and try
learning, this relaxes me and also give a sense of achievement.

4. What do you think is your most significant achievement till date? Justify with reasons as to
why you think this is your most significant achievement. (Focus on the justification part as the
interviewer concerned about knowing your strengths/traits you displayed while achieving this
and why it was so important for you)
OR
What was the most challenging thing that you have ever done? What do you believe were the
reasons you attribute towards the achievement of this task?
Answer: My most significant accomplishment so far is building a complete application end to end
from frontend to backend, within a span of 6 weeks along with people whom I had not known
before, and getting the title of the best project and an opportunity to showcase it in front of the
head of engineering. I am proud of this accomplishment not only because we were given the title of
the best project but because it helped me grow as a person. During this time I took on somewhat of a
leadership role in my team, I tried to make decisions regarding the working of our application,
while also distributing the work between us by judging the proficiencies of each person, such as I
had some experience in backend, while some other people had experience in frontend. Getting the
title of the best project made me realize the joy people feel when their decisions bear fruit. This
endeavour made me solidify my career goal of being in such a position where I can make
impactful decisions and in order to realize it decided to gain more knowledge in this domain by
doing an MBA.

5. What are the three most important values that guide your thoughts and actions? Give an
example of a time when you had to compromise on your values.
Answer: While working on a project the 3 most important values that guide me are:
 1) Honesty: I don’t make any shortcuts while completing a task and come to a solution from a
genuine methodology so that I can explain my steps and take full accountability of my
actions without any fear.
2) Enthusiasm: I approach all my tasks with enthusiasm and a positive attitude, I believe
negativity blocks constructive thoughts, hence I approach a task with positivity to ensure I
bring fruitful thoughts to the table and also brighten the mood of everyone working along
with me.
3) Responsibility: I take responsibility of all my thoughts and actions and never shift the blame
to anyone else. I owe up to my failures and work till I rectify it so that others don’t get
affected.
(Extra Depending on situation)
4) Adaptability-Being adaptable helps me navigate uncertainty and adjust to changing
situations effectively. This value doesn’t let challenging circumstances stop me . I saw my
grandmother changing from a weak decision makers to a complete independent individual
after my grandfather expired. This change made her so content and happy. Adaptibility as a
value encourages me to go for a continuous learning mindset and grow personally and
professionally.
5) Creativity- This value helps me consider things from a fresh perspective and different
angles. It helps to invent, problem-solve, create and communicate in fresh, new ways. It's an
inventive thought process which results in surprising conclusions and new ways of doing
things.

An example, where I had to compromise my values was when I was working on Flipkart
where I was working late at night to provide data for an important business decision, I was
not able to display the data in the required format because there were some data points which
were missing, I had to estimate these values using some other data points but since the
deadline was fast approaching and it was late at night I was conflicted between my honesty
and enthusiasm to do work, I finally decided to stick to honesty as it was my responsibility
to show the right numbers but I did it with a negative attitude.

6. Tell us something about you that is not in your resume.

Answer: One thing that I have not mentioned in my resume is that I am a very big foodie, I like to
visit places that serve cuisine from different countries around the world and try the food from
different cultures. I am a very adventurous and curious guy who is willing to search food joints on
 internet for hours and travel to the most remote part of the city just to get the best experience. I
usually talk to the people who are owners of these food joints and through them I get to know about
diverse cultures. These experiences have broadened my perspective, exposing me to diverse
traditions and making me appreciate this diversity while soothing my taste buds.

Category 2:

Situational/Behavioural
These questions help the interviewer judge your traits, thought-process, and rationale better through
real-life situations. Try to answer with actual happenings of your life rather than citing an
imaginative and (or) idealistic case that has not happened.
Try using the STAR framework (link) ; it is most apt for this category of questions.

7. Describe two incidents that had a deep impact on your life and brought about a significant
change in you? (Hint: Try to highlight your learnings or managerial traits learned even if your
answer involves a personal story.)
Answer: The incidents which had the deepest impact in my life are as follows:
During my training at Standard Chartered as a full stack engineer I was grouped up randomly
with 5 other people and told to make a post trade document processing from scratch The
problem over here was I had limited knowledge about making an application hence had to
attend training sessions in the morning, learn some more on my own and then implement my
learnings in the project at night. Other than that I had to work with 5 unknown people in a
team who had trouble prioritizing tasks and were constantly in doubt how to proceed. In the
1st week of the 6 weeks I was frustrated and anxious that we wont be able to finish the project
but then I decided I had to take up a leadership role and come out of my comfort zone to
guide the people to optimize there knowledge to the best. Through the whole 6 weeks I
learnt to be adaptable as I was a learner in the morning and leader / worker at night. I learnt
to manage my time efficiently to ensure I was able to learn and execute tasks to meet the
daily goals I set for myself for that day. Finally we were able to complete all tasks on time
and deliver as promised while learning all the required softwares.
1) CSIR-CEERI project : In my initial days of college I was a person who liked to finish tasks
on my own, I thought if I worked alone I will be able to customize the project to my liking
and everything I did will be perfect and will disturbed if some one else gave his inputs. I was
not a team worker and more of a lone worker. This attitude changed when I had to
 complete an academic project and was not able to increase the accuracy of the model I was
working on, my team mate suggested a change which I ignored thinking how it can be better
than my solution. Finally our instructor told me to try the approach he was mentioning and
also try to include him more in the work. I listened to that advice and was finally able to
increase the accuracy as well as finish the work early because we were working in a team.
That day I understood the meaning of teamwork of how it can lead to better results quicker.
8. Describe an instance where you wanted something and went out of your comfort zone to
achieve it. (Try to highlight the challenges you may have faced, explain why it was difficult and
share how you overcame them)
OR
Describe the most significant risk you have taken so far in your life.
OR
Explain a situation where you took a risk and failed. What did you learn? What would you do
differently?
Answer: During my tenure at Flipkart I identified a significant gap in the data reporting capabilities.
People were manually updating figures in excel after running queries on the data platform and also
there was lack of graphs in the excel to make users understand the data better. I decided to put
graphs in excel but the first challenge for me was to learn how can I put interactive charts inside
excel, I went through an online course to gain some understanding. I did a pilot project by putting
in 1 of those interactive charts/ dashboard, I presented my work to the leadership and they
appreciated this effort as this made them understand the data better. After this pilot they similarly
told me to make 18 more dashboards and this had an impact for 7 teams across various BU’s
allowing them to make quick data driven solutions.

9. What is your biggest failure till date? (Try to justify why you consider it to be a failure and
what were your learnings from the event. Please also state actions you have undertaken post
the event to improve yourself or ensure it does not happen again.)

OR
If given an opportunity now, how would you turn your biggest failure into a success?
Answer:
I stopped preparing for a prestigious national level event midway because I was not able to
handle multiple tasks and felt pressured. This happened during the transition from Class 10 to Class
11, I had qualified for the NTSE stage 2 examination and was preparing for it while also coming to
 terms with my Class 11 syllabus. I was not able to prioritize my tasks and not able to distribute my
time properly between different activities through out the day. Seeing my degrading grades in Class
11 and not enough preparation for Stage 2, I decided to cut off one them which was a very bad
decision. Instead of giving up I should have kept moving on, increased my limits and properly
optimized my resources especially time to achieve my goals. Post this event I decided to never give
up and persevere till the end, I also understood the importance of time management and decided
to inculcate that in myself.
10. Have you ever demonstrated the ability to propose an innovative solution to a complicated
situation?
OR
Describe an incident where you suggested an out-of-the-box solution and were appreciated for
the results. (Highlight how you went about the process.)
Answer: During my work at Standard Chartered in one of the approval workflows I was managing,
the user needed to approve the transaction after reading a 15 page document. This was a very
time consuming process and was very difficult for the user as he had to read it on a screen and
couldn’t download the report. In order to improve the user experience I suggested putting a QR
code besides the document which the user could scan to get the important data from the document
instead of going through it. Initially there were some security complications which were considered
but we solved it by putting a watermark on the data. I was able to code up the whole frontend and
backend solution in 2 weeks following best practices. Through this process the TAT for the approval
was reduced for users and the chances of error also went down. This idea was also adapted in other
workflows as well, hence improving the TAT metric of our application.

11. Illustrate your ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships (with an example)
between you and the people with whom you have to deal with. What type of team members do
you dislike working with? (Hint: While describing the team members, you need to highlight
your thought process, which leads to the dislike. Also, try to give a work-around, mention how
you would keep up with these members.)
Answer: I try to build a collaborative relationship by showing people that I am willing to
contribute in the project as much as they are, I show interest in the ideas which they bring to the
table and try to find the solutions that inculcate these ideas if feasible. I try to deliver solutions which
are above their expectations in lesser amount of time so that I build up an image of dependability
and an idea that people turn to me when they are in a complex situation, s o that I can contribute
my ideas and work alongside them in tough scenarios .I don’t like working with freeloaders who
 know about the topic and still don’t contribute because they think the task is above them, to
work with these type of people I try to create a reward system, that if we complete the task before a
certain time, then we will go on a coffee break, this type of reward system usually pushes them to do
the work.

12. Explain a situation where you took up something beyond your primary area of responsibility.
OR
Describe a situation when you took up an initiative and discuss what motivated you to take that
initiative (Recollect cases that may have occurred in your workplace or when you handled a
Position of Responsibility in your school/ college.)
OR
Have you founded any start-up/NGO? Discuss your future plans for the start-up and your
learning from the experience?
Answer: During the pandemic I had a lot of free time at my hands after completing my academic and
extra-curricular work , therefore my mom suggested me that I should use the education I have
received and give it back to the society by teaching students in an NGO which my mother’s friend
was associated with. Initially I was apprehensive of doing so as it was something out of my
comfort zone, but after giving my first class to a group of 30 students in 6 class, I was motivated to
go to the second class because of the positive responses I had received and the fun I had in doing
so. It allowed me to escape from the monotonous pandemic life and have fun with children while
also learning skills such as public speaking and also deepening my knowledge of class 6
mathematics

13. Describe a situation where you convinced people to implement your idea(s). Explain how you
tried to change another person’s perspective, and what strategy did you use? How did it turn
out?
OR
Describe a situation in which you effectively developed a solution to a problem by combining
different perspectives or approaches. How did you drive people to adopt your view, if you had
one?
OR
Describe an incident when you ceded to your boss’ demand (or any senior team member in an
organization you have been a part of or the committee/ club you have been a part of) even if
you did not completely agree with him/ her? (understand that the ultimate autonomy lies with
 your boss but getting your opinions heard without offending anyone is a skill that recruiters
look for.)
Answer: During my internship at Flipkart I was told to come up with a propensity model to target
customers. After many meetings with the stakeholders we had decided on variables which had the
maximum influence on the outcome. Now we needed to input all these variables in a Machine
Learning model which runs in real time to predict whether to target a customer or not. To do this I
decided the best approach would be to use a Random Forest Classifier but my manager told
me to use an SVC as it had historically performed better in these scenarios. In order to confirm
which model to use I ran the datapoints on all classifiers and found that it was actually a decision tree
which worked best on the given data. Although this process took a lot of overtime but we were
able to find the best classifier and deliver the best solution to our clients and also increase the
product exchange adoption by 18%.

Category 3:
General MBA Questions
You need to be clear about the why and why-not of certain aspects and about the decisions that
brought you in an MBA Programme.

14. Why did you decide to pursue an MBA after your job / after graduation? What new skills do
you intend to acquire through this course?
OR
What were the primary reasons that you would attribute to your decision to quit your last job?
(apart from pursuing an MBA)
Answer: Throughout my internships and work experience, I have mostly taken a role of supporting
leaders' decisions but I have always been mesmerized by the people who make these big
decisions that have a major impact on a company and lead people to follow their decisions. I aspire
to be sitting in such a role where I am making big decisions and also leading people. By pursuing an
MBA, I feel I can gain the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to excel in any sector. I can
gain valuable insights into the industry and learn from experienced professionals who have been in
my shoes. Additionally, I can develop leadership skills that will help me lead teams and make
informed decisions. I also want to learn networking skills and also come out of my comfort zone and
believe that an MBA will provide me with the right platform for doing so.
15. What are your career goals? Elaborate in three separate categories: Short-term (2-3 years),
Medium-term (5-10 years), Long Term (ultimate)
Answer: My career goals are as follows:
Short-Term : In the short term I will use the knowledge gained through my MBA to help people
execute projects by contributing my fresh ideas, and also learn from my colleagues better people
skills and techniques to drive projects to a successful completion. Most of this period be focused on
implementing my learning and learn new skills to help me excel in my career.
Mid-term : In the medium term I envision to utilize the experiences I have gained in my earlier years
to take up more of strategic initiatives where I can influence the business decisions of a company,
Throughout this process I will also learn leadership skill. During these years I will like to establish
myself as a leader who can take tough business decisions.
long term : In the long term I aspire to attain a top leadership position, I aim to leverage all the
experience I have gathered to drive business transformation and create value for stakeholders. My
long term goal is to leave a long lasting legacy which people look up to and take inspiration
from.

16. A) Which industry fascinates you the most as a career option after MBA? Why? (For example,
Energy, Metals/Mining, Pharmaceuticals, IT/Computer Services, Financial Services/Banking,
Electronics, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Media/Entertainment & Arts, etc)
The industry that fascinates me the most as a career option is Finance as I have previously
worked in this industry hence I know what type of work and environment is present in this
industry. I like the dynamic environment inside the industry every day there is a new
challenge which have to be solved in a fast paced high stake environment, this requires you
to be strategic and adaptable which suits perfectly with me. The work you do has high impact
and visible to the outside world, you can directly influence the company, investors and markets
as a whole. The dynamic environment and impactful work are the most fascinating things for me
about this industry.
B) Which domain fascinates you, and why? ((Note: Domain refers to the different functions of
a business. For example, Marketing, Finance, Operations, IT, Consulting, HR. Refer to
primers and Starter Decks which will be shared for more info about domains.)
The domain which fascinates me the most is finance, as it is this domain I believe which has the most
impact inside an organization. They can provide strategic insights that where cost needs to be cut and
potential revenue can be generated. This is the department which hedges the companies money and
ensures that the firm functions properly even when there is a downturn in the economy, they provide
 the company with the stability and give feasibility analysis to the initiatives that other departments
come up with. People in this domain have to be updated with the knowledge of other domains as
well so that they can ensure that cash is spent at the most future friendly place.
C) What are your personal goals in life? How would getting into your desired role/ industry
help you in your journey towards your personal goals?
((This question forms a very important part of your processes. Please note that the answer to
this question is subject to change and must be flexibly adjusted according to the situation you
are in. You must be prepared with an answer for all the domains that you will be applying for.
For the purpose of the document, select the most appropriate choice and answer. Substantiate
your answer by linking the preferred domain with your current educational qualification/work
experience and skill set that qualify you for the domain/industry))
My goal is to be in such a role where I can make impactful decisions and continuously learn in a
dynamic environment. By getting into the finance industry, I am sure of facing complex scenarios for
which I would have to learn new techniques to tackle them. Finance industry is known to be fast
paced as every indecisive second leads to loss in money, this fast paced environment will ensure that
I remain intellectually stimulated and engaged . Also this industry has a major impact not only on all
other industries but investors and market as a whole. By pursuing a career in the finance industry, I
can achieve my personal goals by contributing meaningfully to the organization while continuously
expanding my knowledge and skills in a dynamic and impactful field.
D) Describe your ideal company, job and location.
Answer: My ideal company is a leading financial institution which is known for its dynamic
environment which allows it to be in the forefront if innovative strategies. The company should
foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, providing opportunities for
career growth and development. My ideal role will be FP&A or IB as these are the roles which
suite my identity the most, it requires me to be an efficient problem solver, make impactful
decisions and continuously learn. My preferred location will be Mumbai as it is the finance capital
of the country which provides the numerous learning opportunities and extensive networking
opportunities.

17. Name a business leader you look up to and mention a few of their admirable qualities that
inspire you.
Answer: People around the globe praise Mr. Ratan Tata for his excellent entrepreneurial qualities
and good human nature. I personally appreciate him because I think that some of my core values
like i adaptability, creativity and responsibility matches with his.
 Ratan Tata is also a prolific investor and has made numerous investments in several startups. Tata
has invested in over 30 start-ups to date, most in a personal capacity and some via his investment
company. I got inspired from him and opened my own trading account when I was in my 2 nd year of
engineering.

One special trait of Mr Ratan Tata is that whatever he does he does by lot of enthusiasm whether it
the Nano story or social and corporate responsibility.
Overall, Ratan Tata's leadership style, marked by humility, a focus on social acceptance and the
ability to transform business decisions into successes, has set him apart as a visionary leader.
And that is why he is a great inspiration

18. How will your past experience (UG/ work ex background) help you in your journey during and
post MBA (The answer should be modified to fit in as per the role offered by the company
during the interview. Other than that, you can also talk about how your past experience will
help you in your MBA curriculum))
Answer: My past experiences have shaped me what I have become today, through my UG I
sharpened my analytical and problem solving skills. I worked on academic projects which
challenged me to come up with novel solutions. Through my work experience I learned how to work
in a team-environment, how to be adaptable and be ready for any scenario and also how to
work effectively in a high-stake environment. I worked on various critical projects with strict
deadlines which had cost implications to the company. Working in the finance industry has also
allowed me to gain insights into how the industry functions, which allows me to bring real world
examples into class discussions and implement them in projects. My continuous learning mindset
and adaptability has allowed me to smoothly transition from UG to work to an MBA and will
surely help me moving forward. In summary my past experiences have equipped me with analytical
skills, practical knowledge and adaptability to excel in and post MBA.

Category 4:
Work-ex/Graduation/Internships
Your work experience/graduation/internships will be the most talked-about events in all your
upcoming events, and it is about time that you give it a thorough analysis, look for the acquired
learnings over time, and build connections with your present.
19. Mention the traits that make you a more suitable choice as opposed to candidates who have
more considerable experience or domain knowledge.
Answer: The reasons why you should choose me are because firstly I am a very adaptable person, I
quickly acclimate myself to new challenges and contribute in the challenges after fully understanding
it. This adaptability is supported by my positive attitude which allows me to move forward even
when the challenge is too complex. I am also willing to learn and approach every challenge as an
opportunity to grow, this willingness to learn keeps me up to date with industry trends and best
practices. I am always open to feedback and use it as a tool to continuously improve my
performance, refine my skills and better my results. My combination of adaptability, a positive
attitude, a readiness to learn, and openness to feedback ensures that I can not only quickly get up to
speed but also continuously improve and contribute to the team's success

20. Describe a conflict (situation) at your workplace/organization/club/committee. How had you

handled the same?
Answer: One major conflict occurred at my workplace when we needed to decide the number of
fields per page in a form and also the type of inputs a particular field will take in the frontend of
an application. Our end goal was to deliver ease of use for the customer, hence each component in
the frontend is important and needs to be placed after full agreement between team members. In
order to handle the scenario, I came up with a scenario to test both the conditions and conduct an
A/B testing for our users during the user acceptance testing phase. We built both the models and
tested the time it took to fill the form. We went ahead with the design that took less time. Although
this process took more manhours but we were able to deliver on our end goal and solve the conflict
using empirical data.

21. How important is work life balance to you? How will you ensure a proper work life balance is
maintained?
Answer: Work life balance is pretty important for me as it ensures that I am the most productive
during work. It ensures that I am able to concentrate on other aspects of life as well and give time to
my family. I will ensure a proper work life balance by setting proper goals for the day and
estimating the amount of time it will take to achieve that goal and ensure that I complete those tasks
within the estimated time. I will also be flexible to accommodate ad-hoc tasks in my schedule
while also giving proper time to follow my hobbies as they are the perfect tool to energize me for the
day. I will continuously keep making adjustments in my time boundaries based on learnings from
 past events to optimize my time scheduling and ensure a proper balance between work and personal
activities.

22. Share the details of one of your key projects (challenging in nature), significant learnings from
the project, recommendations made, and recommendations accepted and implemented as well
as those not implemented. (Try to explain in as non-technical terms as possible without losing
its significance. This is to test how you address work issues. However, instead of highlighting
the issue itself, focus on how you tackled it. Quantify the outcomes of the project, if possible )
Answer: One of the most key projects I worked on was making a propensity model to target product
exchange customers for mobiles in Flipkart. For this I was working very closely with the exchange
team and one of the major tasks was to decide the features need to be fed in the AI model. I was
in regular meetings with the head of the exchange team trying to explain features I had selected
and the rationale behind it. I was not able to convey my message because I was explaining in a
qualitative manner and not in a quantitative manner and the head recommended me to use
charts. Hence, I came up with an idea to represent the covariance between the features and the
outcome to convey my point, It succeeded but now there was discussion related to inclusion of
other features other than ones on my list and removal of other features which I did include. I proved
the non-inclusion and inclusion by plotting the covariance chart of all the features and proving my
point . Finally, we decided on a set of 13 features and I made the model to target the customers
and we were able to increase the adoption of product exchange feature by 18% using this
targeting model to give the customers better incentives.

23. Give details of the position you held (or the last job) and the responsibilities you had
undertaken as part of an organization/club/committee. What was your primary purpose
behind your decision to be associated with this entity?
Answer During my last role I worked as a development engineer in the Financial Markets team at
Standard Chartered Bank and serviced clients present in Hong Kong, Singapore, India, UK
and the US. I was part of the One Sales Team helping them to maintain existing approval
workflows, enhance system performance to reduce latency and downtime, digitalize offline
workflows and regularly deliver these changes to stakeholders on time. I worked on both backend
and frontend systems and regularly connected with stakeholders to understand their pain-
points and resolve them through code changes. My main motivation for joining this role was to
get a better understanding of the internal working of banks and the markets they operate in.
 Standard Chartered provided me with an opportunity to gain this knowledge while leveraging the
technical knowledge I had learned in my college.

24. Describe a project in which you worked with data and used analytics to drive the project to the
implementation stage. (Mention only if you have handled a data analytics project. If not,
identify any data related concepts you have tackled in your work ex or UG and relate it to the
project outcome)
Answer: While I was at Flipkart, an experiment had been conducted by the logistics team where they
had reduced the delivered time or reduced the SLA of large electronics items like heaters and geysers
by 25-30% during winter season. This whole experiment was termed as Project Cold, the logistics
team wanted me to figure out the impact of this experiment on conversion of customers and also
recommend cities for the upcoming summer season to target for faster SLA and also forecast the
expected increase in conversion. For the first part of the project I tried to find a linear relation
between conversion and SLA while keeping other things constant such as Price of good, city tier,
average GMV of the city. I identified cities where there was a strong positive relation between the
two and selected these cities for the second part of the project. For these particular cities I identified
the relation between SLA and conversion for summer products for the past 3 years at a particular
price level and was able to recommend cities for faster SLA and potential increase in conversion by
looking at the past data and leveraging the previous experiment.