IIT Kanpur Interview – From Fashion Dreams to Business Plans: This MBA Aspirant's Bold Vision
Candidate Profile
- Background: Undergraduate in Fashion Technology with a passion for apparel design and branding
- Work Experience: Around 1 year in the clothing and retail domain (including internships)
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 91%
- 12th Grade: 93%
- Undergraduate CGPA: 8.1
Group Discussion Round
Topic: Should government regulate the marketing and sales of junk foods, especially for kids?
Format:
- 10 participants
- 45 seconds each for initial statements, followed by an open discussion
- Duration: 10–15 minutes
📌 Tip: In GDs like these, stay focused, bring in relevant data or examples (e.g., childhood obesity trends), and show structure in your points. Don't interrupt others, but do build on or respectfully challenge their ideas.
Interview Panel
- Panel Composition: 2 Male Interviewers
- Duration: 10–15 minutes
Interview Questions & Candidate's Approach
🔹 Icebreaker & Career Motivation
🟢 M1: Quickly tell me about yourself.
📌 Tip: Keep your introduction concise but compelling. Connect your background to your MBA goals early on.
🟢 M1: Why MBA, and why now?
📌 Tip: Clearly link your entrepreneurial aspirations to the need for formal business training. Show how an MBA bridges your creative strengths with managerial expertise.
🔹 Business Acumen & Entrepreneurial Thinking
🟢 M1: You want to open a clothing line—how would you start right now?
📌 Tip: Show practical thinking. Mention aspects like niche identification, sourcing, pricing strategy, brand positioning, and initial marketing plans.
🟢 M1: What will differentiate your brand from existing ones?
📌 Tip: Think about USP (Unique Selling Proposition)—whether it's sustainability, inclusivity, design innovation, or affordability.
🟢 M1: Estimate stock levels required at launch, and for 3 months, 1 year, 2 years.
📌 Tip: You don't need perfect numbers—focus on logical assumptions, demand forecasting, and inventory strategy.
🔹 Marketing & Brand Strategy
🟢 M1: Some marketing-related questions.
📌 Tip: Brush up on basic marketing frameworks (4Ps, STP, AIDA). Apply them to your own business idea to make your answers relatable.
🔹 Quantitative Aptitude & Everyday Math
🟢 M2: Solve basic math questions on discounting, averages, and speed-distance.
📌 Tip: These are quick checks on your mental math. Stay calm, verbalize your thought process, and practice beforehand.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Be ready to defend your entrepreneurial dream with structure and logic
- ✅ Expect practical business and estimation problems
- ✅ Brush up on high-school-level math—it's often a quick differentiator
- ✅ Use personal examples to make your answers memorable
- ✅ Keep your answers authentic, confident, and goal-oriented
Disclaimer
🔍 The above interview experience is based on real candidate interactions collected from various sources. To ensure privacy, some details such as location, industry specifics, and numerical figures have been altered. However, the core questions and insights remain authentic. These stories are intended for educational purposes and do not claim to represent official views of any institution. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
📢 Stay tuned for more first-hand B-school interview experiences and expert tips!
📢 Stay tuned for more first-hand B-school interview experiences and expert tips!
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