Abhishek Chandra
Class of 2008






Tell us a little about your family background/ history. How has it influenced you?
My father is one of the best Mathematicians in India and almost everyone who is into education knows him. He has authored more than 30 books in Mathematics. He is a Professor at Patna University.
My mother is a homemaker. My elder brother is a graduate from IIT Kanpur and is currently my business partner too, while my younger brother is a graduate from Manipal Institute of Technology and is currently working with Wipro. My wife is a graduate in biochemistry and an MBA. She used to work in a leading pharmaceutical company handling its entire corporate marketing. Now, she runs her own firm.
My father’s profile and my elder brother’s admission into an IIT had put me under tremendous pressure to qualify IIT’s Joint Entrance Examination in my first attempt.
I have always been surrounded by reputed academicians since my birth, and this drew me close to the field of education. This is why all my entrepreneurial ventures till now have been in the educational sector.

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects).
I have remained among the toppers in school and was ranked 3rd in my state in my Higher Secondary Examination. At IIT Roorkee, I received merit scholarship, won 1st prize at Concept Car Design Contest, captained my Squash team to a gold medal win and Cricket team to silver medal win in annual sports tournaments, won silver medal in caroms and more.
While at Larsen & Toubro Limited, I had conceptualised and designed two structures for the defense sector that were first of their kinds in the world. I was rated the topmost performer among my peers and was selected into the management leadership program of the company within nine months of my employment. I also delivered presentations on work done by a senior colleague (who was absent due to unavoidable circumstances) and helped L&T bag a MOU of USD 20 million. 

I was in the Dean’s merit list (core terms) at ISB.
I have already set-up three firms (from the scratch) each of which is running successfully. I have also authored best-selling books like CBSE Physics For Class 10th, Vectors & 3-D Geometry For JEE Main and Advanced (IIT-JEE), A Text Book of 3-D Coordinate Geometry For JEE Main and Advanced, Mathematics for JEE Main, and have co-authored a fiction title called Emoticons – Short Stories on Emotions.

Tell us about your profile prior to attending ISB and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression.
I was a mechanical engineering graduate from IIT Roorkee. After my graduation,
I joined Larsen & Toubro Limited as a graduate engineer trainee but was soon selected for the fast-track management leadership program and was made the project leader.
I was also managing an educational training institute in Delhi since the time I started my course at IIT. I had already written a book in Mathematics for IIT-JEE aspirants by then. I had also started earning money by doing freelance projects.
After ISB, I joined Oliver Wyman in its Dubai office as a management consultant. After working there for about six months, I started my publishing firm called Eduwiser Publishing Group. Since then, I have started two other firms in the educational sector. All three firms are doing great with Eduwiser considered one of the highest quality brands in the educational publishing market. As an author, I have written best-selling books like CBSE Physics For Class 10th, Vectors & 3-D Geometry For JEE Main and Advanced (IIT-JEE), A Text Book of 3-D Coordinate Geometry For JEE Main and Advanced, Mathematics for JEE Main, and have co-authored a fiction title called Emoticons – Short Stories on Emotions. The books – CBSE Physics For Class 10th and Vectors & 3-D Geometry are rated no. 1 among their respective competitors by the teachers/professors across the country.

How do you think your time at ISB has contributed to your career and personal growth?
It has equipped me with everything I was missing prior to joining ISB, in order to take up any business challenge. ISB has given me knowledge of different areas like marketing, finance, operations, HR, etc. without which I could not have set-up my ventures. With ISB in my CV, I have an enviable brand association that has helped me in my entrepreneurial venture. Wherever I go to meet clients, the clients treat me with respect.
After ISB, I have always had a structured way of thinking and this has helped me a lot. I was also an introvert and did not mingle with people easily but ISB has changed me for the better. However, my structured approach even in personal matters often irritates my family members.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
It constantly bombards me with new challenges each time stretching my envelope of capabilities, enriching my experience and making me an even better person, both professionally and personally.

Briefly describe a typical day at work, in a way that illuminates the kind of challenges and opportunities your role involves.
As an entrepreneur, my work hours are not normal. I wake up at 4.00 am, set the day’s agenda and start working (mostly on writing books). At about 7 am, I go to the gym and while exercising, work on the manuscript of my novels. I reach office at 10 am and start with briefing my sales team across the country for their respective client meetings. From 11 to 12 noon, I review manuscripts from prospective authors. From 12 noon to 1.30 pm, I look at my production department’s work on our to-be-published books and also do the final proof reading. From 2 pm to 3 pm, I call important clients or have meetings with them. From 3 pm to 4 pm, I look after the operational (printing, deliveries, etc.) and human resources aspects of my firms. From 4 to 5 pm, I talk to authors of books (which we are going to publish) to discuss product attributes to make the books best-sellers. When I am not talking to authors during this time, I personally call up our distributors and retailers to address any issue they may have. From 5 to 6 pm, I review the financial accounting of all my offices. From 6 to 7 pm, I review all the sales data received from different offices and email each office its respective course of action.Then at home, from 10 pm to 12 midnight, I write my own textbooks, novels and articles for different websites.

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Are there any trends that you can identify?
Digitisation is the newest thing that is happening with e-book sales picking up faster than one’s expectations. We have already ventured into it.
The publishing companies’ CEOs who do not manage to change and upgrade themselves to the e-book platforms, will have to reduce their scale because of declining traditional book sales. The future will see launch of start-ups dealing with e-book and other digital content creation.

What was the main highlight or most memorable aspect of your programme at the ISB?
One of the highest paying jobs with so little work experience (my ISB mates who had disparaged me because I was one of the youngest in my class, received a befitting reply) and a family-like alumni network.

If you could offer a word of advice to the current class at ISB, what would it be?
Do not ignore networking.

How do you feel you can contribute to ISB?
I’d like to deliver lectures on Entrepreneurship, and help increase brand awareness of ISB.