Piyush Kumar is living his dream – he owns a garment manufacturing and export business, which he named ‘Magic Asia’. Piyush, a Jaipuria Institute of Management alumni and member of PGDM batch 2006-08, always had his sights set on achieving his entrepreneurial goals: “I always had this dream that I have to do something of my own. However, I began my career with Blue Star Air-conditioning through a campus placement. I was a fresh graduate, and I learned a lot from my seniors. After that, I moved to Panasonic and grew to the position of Area Manager. Armed with this experience, I decided to set up my own business”.

Piyush appreciates the need for a good institute, a program with a lot of opportunity and accomplished faculty; however, he believes success actually lies in the hands of the aspirant. He likens the process to being provided with a launch-pad. After the initial thrust, the rocket, he says, has to travel the trajectory on its own. “I think an MBA is a necessity today; but the fact is that one needs to have a degree from a good college, supported by good faculty,” he tells us. “More importantly, however, is the desire to learn, which comes from within and helps a person succeed. I believe that to move up to the next level, you need to have a thrust within.”

Piyush believes that it’s easy for students to forget that learning is actually what a student does and experiences through work rather than theory alone.“Assignments and projects are the best way to learn during a program like PGDM,” he says. “I still remember my Summer Internship Project where we were asked to make a presentation on what we learned after completing the SIP. It has stayed with me, and I believe it was one of the most important takeaways from my time at the institute.” College life, Piyush says, gave him opportunities to explore his own potential. For instance, he never thought he had the capability to organize a SPIC MACAY event in Jaipuria. “It was the first such event at the institute and I was surprised to be assigned to it,” he says. “I coordinated the entire process and learned a lot from it”. Piyush describes his journey so far as an exciting roller coaster ride that, to say the least, has been fantastic. This roller coaster ride has landed him at the pinnacle of his career as an entrepreneur. And, students and alumni alike could learn a lot from his experiences and advice.