Saurabh Kaura
Class of 2007
 

 

Tell us a little about your family background/ history. How has it influenced you?
I grew up in a campus environment since both my parents are Professors at IIT Roorkee. Vacations were largely spent on the IIT Delhi campus since my grandfather was teaching there. Coming from such an academic background, I was strongly influenced to carry on the family legacy. With access to extensive sports facilities, I also discovered a love for team sports. Growing up in this unique ecosystem shaped me in two defining ways – it has given me the free-spirited nature to explore my interests and has also helped me develop a never say die attitude with the ability to bounce back from setbacks. I also did three years of schooling in Canada which provided me with great exposure to a different culture.

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects).
Personal:
I created and launched the first predecessor to currently popular social apps such as Tinder and Woo. It was a pilot project to test the waters in this space and is called Mixedsignals.in.
I was invited to serve in an advisory capacity to brainstorm on expansion plans for the Department of Management Studies at IIT Delhi. I also serve informally as a guide for IIT students interested in the finance industry and give them perspective on how to plan their post-IIT career path.
My mentorship role as a coach to the IIT Delhi basketball team is a personal accomplishment that is very close to my heart. I have been coaching the team 3-4 days a week for the last 7-8 years.
Professional:
While at NISG, I had the opportunity to make a quantifiable social impact through large-scale e-governance projects with the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Rural Affairs. I have worked directly on the Adhaar project, the e-enablement of India Trade Promotion Organization, Business process re-engineering of Foreigners Division and conducting Socio-economic and Caste Census of India.
With the Anglo Indian Group I am working closely with heritage global brands such as MCC and Lord’s Cricket Club to establish their presence in India.

Tell us about your profile prior to attending ISB and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression.
After graduating with a B.Tech. from IIT Delhi in 2003, I worked with Feedback Ventures, a management consulting firm in Delhi and subsequently with Manthan Services, a KPO in Bangalore. ISB was the “game changer” propelling me to think in new directions. Post ISB I worked for a few years with NISG, a PPP between the Government and NASSCOM. I served in a consulting role helping to strategize on and implement large egovernance projects for Central Government such as MHA, MoRD, ITPO. While I greatly enjoyed this role I continued to harbor a love for finance. Two years ago I connected with a classmate from ISB and eventually ended up joining
a new venture he was involved with - the Anglo Indian Group. We specialize in Real Estate PE and Investments and are currently involved with bringing the Lord’s MCC cricket brand to India including MCC Lord’s residences, Members only clubs, MCC Cricket academies and MCC Lord’s Apparel and Merchandise. Career wise, I am very satisfied to be in a position that brings together my interests of finance, operations and sports in a high impact high-energy environment with an exponential growth potential.
 
How do you think your time at ISB has contributed to your career and personal growth?
I felt at home right from the start in the close-knit campus environment at ISB and
I think I was able to really take advantage of the community culture. Interacting closely with top class faculty and my amazing cohort helped me to amalgamate my business learning and look beyond the myopic outlook I had towards the business world. From a career perspective, the in depth knowledge of finance and its applications that I gained has held me in good stead. I also learned a lot of the softer skills that engineering graduates often undervalue but that are undeniably essential in managerial leadership.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
I definitely have a strong entrepreneurial streak so the opportunity to work on an exciting new venture with a global flavor gets me charged up every day. I am lucky to be working in a small dynamic team with co-workers that I can relate to. Brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other keeps me on my toes. Working in a start-up environment, the opportunities to learn and grow are virtually limitless as one is creatively challenged on a continuous basis. I enjoy working across functions on all aspects of the business beyond just my core expertise.

Briefly describe a typical day at work, in a way that illuminates the kind of challenges and opportunities your role involves.
10.00 : Meeting with our web developer for the MCC Lord’s Club website and ecommerce portal. Conference call with apparel manufacturer for logo design and sample range to go onto the website.
12.00 : Follow-up meeting with our real estate development partner to go through the detailed financial model we had sent them a week earlier. Discussion on how our project concept dovetails into their own plans. Fine-tuning IRR and return assumptions. 16.00 : Phone call with a top school in the NCR on MCC cricket academies (coaching camp) at their campus. Finalizing program and dates and then coordinating with the coaches in MCC Lord’s London.
17.30: Skype call with our CEO in London to finalize the Investor presentation for fund raising and plan the week ahead.
18.30: Head out to the IIT Delhi Campus for a game of basketball with the Institute team.
22.00: Fine tuning the financial model we just pitched to a major Real Estate PE player
Challenges and Opportunities:
Managing multiple aspects and stakeholders (time management & prioritizing) – real estate, ecommerce, cricket and finance.
Steep learning curve: In-depth understanding of multiple industries – online fashion, real estate and sports management - in a short period of time.

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Are there any trends that you can identify?
I would say we ARE the next new thing in the industry since we are doing a very fresh concept that has never been done before. We are in the process of building cricket-based communities in upto 12 cities in India. The idea is to create a luxury lifestyle brand integrating complementary aspects from real estate to sports facilities, retail and exclusive clubs for the cricket enthusiast. We are defining the shift from hospitality based residences to lifestyle based residences and believe that this is the emerging trend for the future.

What was the main highlight or most memorable aspect of your programme at the ISB?
ISB was defined by a perfect mix of high caliber academics and an energetic peer group. Coming from a completely non-business background, each day was an uphill, sometimes frustrating, climb but overall extremely stimulating and inspirational. I had a group of 10 buddies referred to as ‘the bench’ and we not only played basketball together but also had daily discussions on everything from financial engineering to operations management on the SV Benches. I learnt so much just from listening to their diverse experiences. It was at ISB that I discovered my passion for strategy and finance under the excellent guidance of professors such as Prof. Rakesh Vohra, Prof. Sandeep Juneja, Prof. Sanjiv Das, and Prof. Amit Bubna.

If you could offer a word of advice to the current class at ISB, what would it be?
My advice would be to step outside of one’s comfort zone and explore new avenues, whether through clubs, competitions, social events or academics. This is possibly the only break from professional life for a long time to come so utilize it to the fullest! Tackle your weakest areas and develop a well-rounded personality – it will be invaluable in the future. And never underestimate the value of building a strong peer network – I have personally got my biggest career break through this network.

How do you feel you can contribute to ISB?
We should all be collectively working towards building a strong ISB community beyond the confines of the campus. We need to create platforms to connect alums with similar interests and goals across batches. I think it makes sense to have theme-based clubs for alums so that they can continue to learn and grow together within their interest areas. I am a strong supporter of building community spirit through team events so I would like to contribute in a personal capacity by organizing regular sports events for alums.
Through an organically evolving process, there is so much that the class of 2014 can learn from the class of 2007 and vice versa! The current batches can keep alumni in touch with the latest research and case studies, while alumni should be easily accessible to share their experiences with current students. Having played an active mentorship role for younger students at IIT Delhi, I am confident that I can contribute in a similar capacity within the ISB community.