Rahul Jain
Class of 2013
Co-founder, Doctor Moo Organic Milk




Previous Occupation: Investment Banker with Deutsche Bank
Present Occupation: Entrepreneur (www.doctormoo.in)
Sector: Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) — Dairy
Work Experience: 3 years pre-ISB
Interests – Professional/Personal
Professional: Brand building, new product launch and supply chain/ operations
Personal: Travelling, sports and reading.

Can you tell us a little about your family background/ history?
I come from a family business background. We have retail franchises of some of the top apparel brands such as Reebok, Levi’s, Blackberrys, Yishion, etc., in Delhi. We also have a stockbroking business in Delhi.

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects).
I graduated from IIT Bombay and joined Deutsche Bank as an analyst. Within six months, I was transferred to the Singapore office to work on one of the biggest restructuring trades for Deutsche Bank with a portfolio size of US$1 billion. I worked with senior management on this project and successfully generated a profit of more than US$40 million on it.
Post-ISB, I launched my own venture, Doctor Moo Organic Milk, along with another ISB alumnus and co-founder Anmol Trikannad. After a successful launch in Mumbai, we have had many accolades coming our way, including being invited as guest speakers to many conferences and receiving extensive coverage in all the major newspapers.
Today we count some of the biggest industrialists in India among our customers.

Tell us about your profile pre-ISB, and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression.
I was working in Deutsche Bank in the Global Markets team as a fixed income derivative structurer. Post-ISB, I decided to venture out on my own, which was a major change in my professional life.

Describe your fondest memory at ISB.
My fondest memories of ISB are of group assignments like Markstrat, which required us to work on almost every aspect of starting a business, including strategy, pricing, team work, dispute resolutions, leadership, quick decision making, etc.
I also particularly enjoyed the 2008 lounge parties because they gave us a chance to interact with a lot more people on campus and make friends for a lifetime.

In your personal life, how have you changed post-ISB? Do you see yourself doing something differently because you went to ISB? What has left a lasting impression?
ISB impacted my life in a big way and helped me firm up my decision to venture out on my own. I took a very bold step into entrepreneurship immediately after ISB and it was a risky move. However, through resources, networks and the learnings provided by ISB, I gained the confidence to take this life-changing step and go through with it.

How do you think ISB has contributed to your career growth?
It provided me with a lot of networks and relevant knowledge about business (marketing, finance, negotiation, people handling, leadership, etc.) which have come in very handy during my journey as an entrepreneur

If you have to sum up ISB in one word:
Life-changing experience.

What was the main highlight of your programme at the ISB?
My networks with both fellow classmates and professors.

Word of advice for the current class?
Try and figure out what you want to do in life post-MBA as soon as you can and then mould your year at ISB accordingly. Try and get to know as many people as possible and avoid forming cliques with only a few selected people.

What was your favourite course/ class at ISB and why?
Negotiation Analysis by Professor Dishan Kamdar. This was one course which has been most useful to me in the course of starting my business. It taught me some very basic tactics that were required for going into any negotiation and coming out having got a good deal for the business.

Was there anyone during your time at ISB who acted as a mentor for you? Tell us a little about this relationship and why it was valuable.
I had two mentors during my time at ISB − Chakra (unfortunately, he expired in an accident during my year at ISB) and Dheeraj Batra.
Chakra was the mentor allocated to us for our PaEV (Planning an Entrepreneurial Venture) course and he helped us build the basic blocks for starting on an entrepreneurial journey and figuring out our business strategy.
Dheeraj worked with us when we got selected under the Ideo programme and he helped us develop an iterative approach to product development and brand building, which has proved invaluable to us going forward.

What are the areas in which you can contribute to ISB?
In due course, I would like to offer opportunities to ISB graduates to join a fast-growing startup and also encourage as many students as possible to take up entrepreneurship.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
I am following my passion and trying to make my vision come true. I am in the process of creating a brand and each passing day brings with it new opportunities and challenges, which make my job much more interesting.

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Any trends that you can see?
I consider my venture to be in the health food space which has huge potential in India. The organic market in India is very nascent at the moment, but is growing rapidly. In the next three to five years, with disposable incomes of Indians growing rapidly and with more health and quality awareness setting in, I expect the market to be potentially unlimited.