Kallol Kumar Mandal (PFM 2006-08) is working as Analyst at Deutsche Bank AG. He is managing the MSME (Micro Small & Medium Enterprise) portfolio of Deutsche Bank AG for its Surat location. Deutsche Bank AG is a German based MNC bank and has presence in India for the last 40 yrs. MSME has been the focus area of the Govt. for making India self-sufficient through the “Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”.
Kallol is working in the MSME space for around last 12 yrs.
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A. The journey has been more beautiful than the destination. Initially, I got placed with HDFC Bank in Agri loan division during placements in 2008. I think I got selected only because I said in the interview “I am open for ANY location in India”. I joined HDFC bank at Mumbai in product team and learned on the job from seniors and others. I was not at all comfortable with balance sheet analysis (which I am still learning). I believe if someone like me can work in a bank then anyone from IIFM can work in a bank comfortably.
I was initially into Agriculture product team of HDFC bank at Mumbai, then after an year the bank decided to trim down the product team and hence gave me two location as option, either join Sales team at Darjeeling or Baroda. I on the spot asked for a Baroda posting but my boss was surprised, that I didn’t choose Darjeeling even though I am from Bengal and it’s being a hill station also. So, my boss, asked me to call my dad and then finalize. I said ok and called dad. Dad said “If you want to enjoy go to Darjeeling BUT if you want to LEARN business then go to Gujarat”. So, at HDFC Bank after Mumbai, I worked at Ahmedabad, Baroda and Navsari.
Since I was into Agri loans and was still dealing with balance sheets so, thought of exploring more and wanted to enter the MSME space. Joined Yes Bank in 2011 in their MSME loan division and after spending more than 8 yrs at Yes bank joined Deutsche Bank AG in 2020.
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. Learning actually never stopped for me, maybe because I make lot of mistakes. First and foremost what I learned is to be adaptive to change and it is one of my sustainability tool. I also understood that a work environment is of prime importance and it’s the people you work with creates that micro work environment, so everyone around you plays an important role.
Other learning for me was to be up-to-date on the sector I am working as it creates lots of first impression with clients and people you interact with. And I feel dealing with tough situations has helped me learn better.
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A. I love interacting with people and I am bit curious to know about their journey. My job role provides me an opportunity to do so with MSME entrepreneurs. At the same time it loads me with responsibilities to make those interactions fruitful. The KYC “Know Your Customers” is an important part of the banking process. The opportunity to interact with different kind of business people gives me an insight into different kinds of business which I feel keep me curious enough to love my job round the year. As a sector MSME is the growth engine of Indian Economy and further it has a big role to play in making India “Atma Nirbhar (Self Reliant)”, so it feels like good that work I am doing has some relevance to it.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. IIFM has played an important part, whatever I am doing today has its root to IIFM. The different Club/Committee/Mess/SAAC culture at IIFM helps you understand that in an organization there are also many different kinds of departments and the coordination is so important in whatever you do in life.
The deadlines for assignments at IIFM prepares you for your project deadlines while in job and even the rating/appraisals are so much linked with the Bell curve.
The PPTs prepares you to understand that it’s not only important to work but the presentation is equally important. Basically IIFM equips you with the required knowledge along with that teaches you to coordinate among different people and departments which will be useful everywhere.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.
A. I think biggest influencers in my careers are my teachers & my friends (includes seniors, juniors & batch mates). My advice to younger batches would be to dive deep into whatever sector they want to choose as a career and have an adaptive approach. I believe hard work and learning never goes waste. I am still using many of the things which I learned at IIFM.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
The breakfast at the mess, the GBMs, the different clubs activities (Adventure/Sports/Movie/Mess/Literary/ Placement etc), spending the Holis-Diwalis together, the litti chokka parties, the jungle trips on Sundays in that old bus, the fresher’s party the farewell parties, the new year and birthday celebrations, the cricket/football/volleyball sessions, the activities during Kalpaturu, the lucky prizes, the competition for marks for class participation, the visit to professors cabin and even to their homes, the group formations for assignments, the president election, the Placement committee, the questions asked by friends after you complete a presentation, the calculation of OGPA, the exam time tensions, the visit to Allahabad bank to withdraw stipend, the trip to Bhopal’s different markets, the field trips, the OTs, the guest lectures, the selection of electives, the placement interviews and the GBM to decide the criteria of Dream Card during placements…IIFM was special dream which lasted 2 yrs at a stretch…
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share.
This can be a 2 page response, if I have to mention the names because from my roomie to my batch mates, from my seniors to my juniors and with faculties, I have a memorable experience with most of them. I guess people reading this space will definitely recall those special memories along with many of my short comings. I would say, I was lucky enough to find such batch mates, seniors, juniors and faculties that given a chance I would like to spend those 2 yrs at IIFM with same set of people. IIFM is special for me only because of the people over there.
Q. As an alumnus, what’s your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. Would say these 2 yrs are going to be among the best days of your life. Like most alumni of IIFM you are going to call IIFM as the 2nd home in some profile just the way I am expressing it here today. So, be sure that the place has magic and you just need to ignite yourself enough to experience the magic because you will be the part of the magic which you all are going to create. Be ready for everything, be positive, Learn-Live-Laugh.
Q. What is your typical day at the office?
A. My day at office is just like everyone’s else. Reach on time, check mails, reply mails, finish the pending work before the deadline, go for client meetings, work on new projects, do some balance sheet ratio analysis (stressing on this part because this is one thing which I neglected at IIFM to my own peril), update on the happening in the banking sector and how my bank is responding the the changes of the sector, and another important part of day in office- office gossips without which NO office day is complete and during this pandemic the office environment is being missed the most.
Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family, and anything else you want to add
A. Weekend is total me time. I love to meet people on weekends (hope they too feel the same), do a bit of cycling, bit interested in learning calligraphy, love to roam around the city and click some pictures to post on social media and share with friends. Explore new eating joints and do a bit of shopping on weekends specially of Pre-used, Re-used kinds. Have some plants at my balcony so just check if they are still happy staying with me. Along with that do a bit of reading (business newspapers). My parents stays in Bengal and I normally visit them during Durga Puja and other time they visit me at Surat, but in 2020 it didn’t happen.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors
A. I am not an avid reader, but liked these books – The Kite Runner, Start Up Nation, I too had a Dream, A life (APJ Abdul Kalam)
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
A. I would be happy to contribute in any which way possible.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?
A. Though I visited IIFM last in Aug-2019, what I felt that with increased digitization the human interaction has taken a back seat and I somehow felt that the vibrancy inside the campus was on a bit of pause mode, just want to see the campus more vibrant. This pandemic has impacted the campus life and I pray that things gets normal and the missed fun of campus life gets compensated somehow somewhere.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. Since you have even taken my profile, so I think each one of us has something to offer. Would like to see profiles from the different sectors and different locations to get an insight about those sectors and places. Can we have profile of our faculties as well, just curious to know their journey.