Chandan Agrawal
Class of 2009


 

Throughout his career, Chandan Agrawal (The Chairman’s Office, Aditya Birla Group) has stayed true to the advice passed down by his grandfather (a modest businessman from Rajasthan): “focus on the basics, and maintain patient focus through the ups and downs.”

Chandan did not initially land the ‘dream job’ he wanted after ISB. He returned to consulting with the firm he had been with prior to ISB and only two years later did he join the offices of Mr. Birla to work closely with him. “It’s the best thing that happened for my professional growth,” Chandan says.

Chandan enjoys the diversity of situations he experiences daily in his line of work. “Working with the Chairman’s office provides a nuanced view of how successful promoters think about growth and shape their businesses to succeed over long horizons – more importantly, observing how they read and deal with people is personally very enriching. [I benefit from the multiple perspectives] of peers within the Chairman’s office – between the five of us, we have more than 50 years of diverse consulting experience to bring to any decision.”

According to Chandan, one of the most interesting trends in his business is the use of aluminum (versus steel). “This is one of the biggest affirmations that the sustainability of our environment (light weight automotive vehicles) is not just a good tag line,” he says, “but a reality for business.”

His advice to ISB students is: “Focus on answering the question ‘Who do I want to be?’. You will never get so much time for reflection again!”

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