IIM Indore IPM: A Few Samples on “Why IPM?”

IIM Indore IPM interview process should have been the run-of-the-mill face-to-face Interview & WAT Procedure. Thanks to COVID-19, we are witnessing an unprecedented situation. And the IIM Indore IPM process is going to be no different in being different this time.

What does the IIM Indore IPM process look like now?

The process has been broken down into two parts. The first part involves two standard questions, apart from personal details, academic information (like exam scores, etc).

The two questions:

1. Scholastic Achievements, Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities in District, State, and National Levels. 

2. Why do you wish you pursue Management Education via IPM & what are your career plans?

This article will give you two examples of two people – Ram Kumar and Shyam Kumar – who have written their answers for the IIM Indore’s IPM Interview Procedure Stage 1.

Sample 1

Candidate name: Ram Kumar

Scholastic Achievements, Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities in District, State, and National Levels

• CBSE Clusters – Placed 2nd 
• District Championship – Chennai District Badminton Association – Placed 3rd
• Tamil Nadu State Level Badminton Tournament – Quarter Finals
• E-Cell – Young Entrepreneurs Meet – Project: Signs and Symbols in Marketing Campaigns

Why do you wish you pursue Management Education via IPM & What are your career plans

I’ve always wanted to become a marketing manager. Marketing is all about ideas, communication and vision. To position and promote the spirit and brand of an organization by creating marketing campaigns is an exciting prospect in my mind. 

I was very excited to learn about the inception of the IPM programme and the possibility of kickstarting my marketing career right after my 12th. With the 5 years of knowledge and experience I would gain in the programme, I believe I would be ideally trained for a career in management. I’ve always lived my life to be the best I can be and have shunned the idea of a ‘rat race’. Even in badminton tournaments, I played for the sake of the love of the game and not to defeat anyone else. I believe I can bring forth this energy into my marketing campaigns and aim for excellence rather than a predefined goal of outsmarting competitors. 

Semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, plays a huge role in marketing and that has been extremely captivating for me. Being in charge of sustainable and inclusive marketing campaigns in terms of representation of sex, gender, skin-tone, and cultures is one of my long-term goals. There is a dearth of such campaigns within our country. 

In order to create and execute these campaigns, I need to have a strong base in my management skills. This is why I wish to pursue your highly esteemed programme. I believe that media and marketing should be responsible for the impacts they have on society and not become entangled solely in the world of driving up sales numbers and conversions (although I concede that such metrics are indeed crucial). 

Sample 2

Candidate name: Shyam Kumar

Scholastic Achievements, Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities in District, State, and National Levels

• Cuddalore district topper in the 12th grade Board examinations conducted by the Tamil Nadu State Board of Secondary Education. (Score: 1180/1200, Percentage: 98.33%)
• Secured Rank 694 in the SLSTSE-2005 (State Level Science Talent Search Examination) and was granted the Tamil Nadu State Government’s Scholarship.

Why do you wish you pursue Management Education via IPM & What are your career plans

The yearning to pursue Management Education started when my school inaugurated the Entrepreneurship Club. Many business people, entrepreneurs and managers visited the Club and delivered guest lectures. Their speeches motivated me to look out for opportunities in Management Education. Naturally, when I came to know about IPM, I decided to give it a try.

I believe Management Education can be learnt from experience and formal education. At this point, I think it is best if I start with the formal education route. I wish to be a part of the entrepreneurial fraternity in the future. Formal Management Education at this point would prove to be a strong foundation.

During my higher secondary schooling, I have had the opportunity to captain the school’s cricket team. This journey taught me the importance of being a good manager who leads from the front. Cricket is one of the aspects that made me start thinking like a leader.

My brief stint as the School Pupil Leader, where I had the opportunity to work with the School Leadership Team has given me more reasons to take up Management Education. The Principal and the Correspondent of my school are both B-school graduates; they have been my role models from the time I got admitted into the school. It would be unfair if I leave it at the ‘getting inspired’ stage; hence, I wish to pursue the 5-year Integrated Programme in Management.

These 5 years, I am sure, are going to be my transformative years where I learn a lot on business ethics, management, leadership and more. These learnings would help my entrepreneurial aspirations of starting up a business on my own.

Best wishes for the IIM Indore IPM selection process!

Rajesh Balasubramanian takes the CAT every year and is a 4-time CAT 100 percentiler. He likes few things more than teaching Math and insists to this day that he is a better teacher than exam-taker.