Mohit Dave is an alumnus of IRMA. He started his career in rural management and allied disciplines with the State Bank of India under its Youth for India (YFI) fellowship program. Mohit went on to pursue the two-year PGDM (RM) program from IRMA (2015-17). He coordinated exciting assignments such as the annual alumni reunion (Milaap 2016), the first social entrepreneurship mission to Singapore (SIF YSE 2016) and TEDx event. He was recently selected for the ‘Anubhav’ program which is the flagship lecture series of the Harris School of Public Policy in India. His work also includes compiling case studies on the contribution of cooperatives to SDGs, data mapping, studying legal frameworks, and conducting thematic research on various aspects of cooperatives in the region.

Institute of Rural Management, Anand

What was your specialization and which field are you working in? 

I specialised in rural management. I am currently working in international development. My role is to promote cooperative principles and methods in Asia and the Pacific region. Some of the key activities where I have been involved are conducting training programs for co-op leaders and management, building partnerships, resource mobilization, production of publications and dissemination of information on co-ops.

Do you feel the college prepared you to enter the workforce? 

Yes. I was able to connect well with the workforce. Given my hands-on experience in knowledge generation and dissemination through various academic networks at IRMA, I was better positioned to appreciate the nuances of my work and showcase positive impact in a relatively short time span. 

How has been the Alumni engagement? How closely are you associated with the college? 

The “Institute of Rural Management Alumni Association" is a registered body of ~3000+ alumni. It acts as a forum for interaction for the alumni of the Institute. Most alumni that I have interacted with are very supportive and are a great resource for advice on career progression. I have been closely associated with the institute ever since I graduated in 2017. I was able to attend a few academic activities and executive training programs, both online and offline. I continue to engage with some of the faculties on campus on a regular basis. 

What were the most positive aspects of your time at your college? 

One of the positive aspects was that I was able to deep-dive into the current social sector landscape in India to understand emerging trends and future outlook. This gave me a broad perspective on different career streams and how to go about my own! The institute also helped me in building the skills to effectively understand management – man (human resources), minutes (time) and money (financial resources)! I had a good time learning about social entrepreneurship and was recognized as a Young Social Entrepreneur by the Singapore International Foundation. I also had an opportunity to intern in West Africa and conduct a primary study of the Republic of Benin’s agriculture ecosystem.

According to you, to what extent does the reputation of college matter once you enter the workforce? 

For me, the reputation of IRMA did matter as I entered the workforce. We are seen as India's bright young minds who can join hands with rural communities, empathize with their struggles and connect with their aspirations. I was selected by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy for the Anubhav Lecture Series (ALS) in 2019. Designed for the professional development of young individuals working at the grassroots level in South Asia, ALS is a set of weekend-based sessions delivered by industry leaders over a period of 2-3 months. IRMA’s reputation played a key role in my selection and interactions at ALS.

What is your opinion about the Campus and Extracurricular Activities and their value after leaving the college? 

Getting involved in clubs and societies, volunteering and undertaking part-time assignments were a great ways to meet new people, enjoy my time at IRMA and strike a healthy balance between studies and social life. It also made me a better candidate for the workforce, by giving lots of practical examples which I later went on to actually utilize on the job! Extra-curricular activities also helped me learn about myself and develop and use my skills and knowledge in different contexts. I think such activities are an essential element of the whole experience.

What makes your college an ideal choice for engineering students? 

I am not sure if IRMA would be an ideal choice for engineering students alone! It has a good diversity of student backgrounds.

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How would you rate the exposure provided to you by the institute? 

I would rate a 9/10. I knew I wanted to work in the third sector. The different platforms and avenues provided at IRMA, beyond academia, really appealed to me. 

How would you rate the placement activities at your college? 

I would rate an 8/10. There may be some scope to improve on the differentiators for the private sector and development sector organizations (NGOs, Cooperatives, and Government Development Agencies). 

What packages were offered to you? Who were the top recruiters? 

For our batch, the average salary offered was around INR 11 lakhs. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation was the single largest recruiter. Multinational organizations such as KPMG, Tolaram, ITC, Godrej Agro, Kancor, ICICI bank, Yes Bank, Fullerton, Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society – JEEVIKA, etc. were among the top recruiters. 

Have you encountered a particular academic challenge during your years in college? If so, what was it and how did you handle it? 

My biggest challenge as a student was being the student! Sitting through the conventional lectures was sometimes difficult. My mind and body were at loggerheads, and I couldn't wait to get out of my seat, move around, share my thoughts, and interact with my peers. I handled it by focusing all my energy on listening and note-taking. It helped keep my mind busy and my body moving, and I ended up with some great notes!

Are there any accomplishments that you are particularly proud of with respect to your time in college? 

I guess it could be the volume of work I was able to undertake. Annual alumni reunion, a TEDx event, three impactful internships, a series of pitches at international business plan competitions and all of this while meeting timelines for regular assignments! My schedule was a big change from graduate school, and standards were also much higher. I tackled this in a few different ways: I looked for opportunities to join study groups, met with my professors for advice on where to focus my attention, and set up a structured schedule to make sure I was putting in the required time and prioritizing well. This resulted in maintaining a decent 2.7 GPA, opportunities for networking and experimenting with business ideas which effectively helped cover my tuition fees!

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When did you join the college?/ batch year/ which exam did you take?

2015 – Batch 36. I took CAT and Issues of Social Concern (ISC).