Swayam Chowdhary (PFM 2010-12) is working as Assistant Director (Strategic Management) at New Mangalore Port Trust, one of the Major Ports under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Govt of India. He leads the strategy cell that prepares action plans for improving various facets of the port – cargo volumes, infrastructure, operations, connectivity, brand perception, etc. He also leads the business development cell that undertakes initiatives for increasing cargo handled at the port and port-led industrialization.
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role? What were some of the key milestones in this journey?
A. The journey has been so exciting that often I find it difficult to level up. I have always adopted a short-term career view, rather than the typical incremental approach. This has kept me agile and responsive towards my contemporary interests and professional and personal requirements.
I had joined IIFM with a clear goal of entering a sector where I could explore nature – preferably, wildlife conservation or ecotourism. Ashwin sir’s (PFM 2009-11) move to Jungle Lodges & Resorts (JLR) motivated me to go for the same. I managed ecotourism camps with Rs 1.7-2 crore toplines for a couple of years, while trying to find means to get into wildlife conservation. Although I heard from some of the biggest names in that sector that I couldn’t get in, thankfully Advait sir was a constant motivation fuelling my perseverance.
Finally, I managed to land the role of Research Associate with Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) at Biligiri Ranganatha Temple Tiger Reserve, where I prepared the first ten-year Tiger Conservation Plan for the reserve within 2 months. My boss, the Director of the Tiger Reserve, would proudly tell the officers in KFD that he held me as a prisoner at his guest house to get the plan completed and approved from NTCA at the eleventh hour. I also conducted the first scientific, independent camera trapping exercise by KFD across a complete tiger reserve, which led to collaboration with Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, Nature Conservation Foundation for data analysis and culminated into my first and only peer-reviewed journal article. The success led to the deployment of similar working models in other tiger reserves and the implementation of many ideas that we had incubated then, including the formation of a Tiger Cell to undertake tiger monitoring.
By then, the need had aroused for me to move towards a financially sustainable job. I shifted back to JLR to sharpen my functional skills while searching for a corporate job. My BE in Computer Engg and experience in working at the field level with state govt organizations helped me land an IT role with Bosch, where I worked on product development of an app for capturing and maintaining electronic health data and collaborated with 3 implementation partners to conduct health camps to capture the data for more than 6000 students in 30+ schools in rural Telangana. While working there, I felt although I was putting in hours, my impact was limited and I could do more. Therefore, while working (and traveling to remote field locations) from 6.30 am to 7.30 pm on weekdays, I started preparing for my next step towards middle management – an MBA.
I got into the one-year Postgraduate Programme in Management at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. That one year was as grueling as it was eye-opening. During the paltry minutes of reflection spread across days of sleepless nights (due to heavy coursework), I got a strong intuitive reaffirmation that nature is where my heart lies, and that would be my final destination. I also co-founded Wildlife & Animal Welfare Enthusiasts – the only Special Interest Group related to nature at ISB.
My one year at ISB coincided with the first time the then Ministry of Shipping decided to recruit MBAs from IIM A, B, C, and ISB for the ports sector. The complexity and scale of impact of the sector and the proximity of the New Mangalore Port to the beautiful forests of the Western Ghats led me to my current role.
Mostly, I have worked in strategy, operations, and business development functions, almost always going hand-in-hand with change management, across 4 sectors (ecotourism, wildlife conservation, IT, and ports) now. I’ve enjoyed most of it, and am looking forward to at least 2 sectoral and 1 functional shift before landing something related to my calling.
Q. What were some of the key learnings in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. You can do anything you want to – When I wanted to get into wildlife conservation, I was told I couldn’t. When I wanted to get into a good corporate role, I was told I couldn’t. When I wanted to get into ISB with only a couple of months left for preparation before the application cycle, I was told I couldn’t. And many other times. As it turns out, I could and I did, only because I really wanted to do each of those. I believe in these words written by Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”. I have experienced that if you feel that focus and commitment to get somewhere, people around you and people who could help you in whatever small way possible to get there can feel it too. And, it makes all the difference.
Therefore, people are very important – Of course, family and friends are always there for you and one should make time for them. I have learned the importance of professional and extra-curricular networking (by not doing great at it), which is extremely important for getting opportunities as well as access to resources. And, for any project in any field, there would be people at the core.
Happiness exists in meaning, not in the comfort zone – Many times we become a prisoner in a golden cage built up by convenience of our comfort zones. It’s easy to mistake that convenience with happiness at times. But if you look deeper, you would feel the need to do something meaningful, whether on a professional front or personal, and what you feel when you accomplish such goals is happiness in different forms. I have been on both sides of the line to learn this – Pursue meaning, happiness will come to you!
Quality matters and attitude matters more – Even in workplaces where politics (actual politics), flattery, and credit-hogging are the most important instruments for attaining perceived success, I have thrived well without using any of them only by remaining sincere and delivering what others could not or would not. Although I wouldn’t get praise in open forums, everyone knew and did talk well about my work.
Find time to introspect – For all the above, you would have to stop once in a while and talk to yourself to find out how you are feeling, where you are, and what you want. Our emotions and thoughts can act as the fuel to our dreams and as our biggest hindrances too. Introspection helps clear the mind and propel you towards the required action.
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A. It would be the amazing mix of learning and impact this role provides. The port, being a critical node in international as well as national trade routes, exposes me to complex supply chains, processes, a myriad of stakeholders, and huge information gaps. The port handles a total of 36-42 million metric tons across more than 100 commodities with a long tail and thus, gives me a platform to create a positive impact on the EXIM trade of India, on multiple sectors/industries and hundreds of businesses (most of them MSMEs) in the port’s hinterland, and also, on 25k+ cruise passengers visiting the port every year. The cherry on the top is the constant involvement in brainstorming initiatives and providing inputs on policies and policy-level decisions.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. IIFM was the springboard from which I could launch towards my dream job. I learned immensely in terms of hard skills – basics of management, which are critical for any role in any sector.
I developed a new perspective as a result of exposure to a wide variety of subjects, experiences during the summer internship and field visits, and views of faculty and fellow students in a time-constrained environment. Each faculty member has their individual nuanced views and I learned a great deal from there – about work quality in classes for one subject, application focus in another, critical thinking, storytelling, and many other things. The environment at IIFM helped me learn about and fine-tune various aspects of my thinking – time management, problem solving, risk management, teamwork, bias identification, etc.
Another important behavioral learning was about the importance of interpersonal relationships and outreach. Within a few months of joining JLR, I had learned working in Kannada, a completely new language for a Punjabi, to be able to communicate with my staff, peers, and external stakeholders as well. Even today, people get pleasantly surprised by my Kannada and it always forms a great first impression and naturally makes them more receptive.
Q. Who are the biggest influences in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?
A. I have had the great fortune of finding support everywhere – IIFM batchmates, professors, my bosses, and friends.
My advice to freshers and IIFM graduates would be to set long-term goals based upon what they like doing and not by benchmarking against what others do or what society wants them to do, plot a plan to reach there, and dive in. They must develop a clear understanding of the basic concepts of their subjects (looking beyond marks and grades) and work hard on the skills that would help them no matter what their role or sector is – problem-solving, communication, interpersonal skills, etc. And, enjoy the journey, for it’s rare that you enjoy reaching your destination if you haven’t enjoyed the journey.
(The IIFM Stay.. relive the nostalgia)
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. There are so many amazing memories from those days and most of them are still so vivid – my stupid answers to some questions during my IIFM interview, entering the mess the first time, making friendships for a lifetime, playing football, the meeting with Angam Niumai to create a football league, nature walks, the first time I went alone to the grasslands behind the football ground, watching sunsets sitting with the campus dogs, and the night walks and bonfires in the campus.
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?
A. Of course, it’s the whole ecosystem that I tapped into. But, the friends I made during IIFM are the biggest takeaway. They have always been there to guide and support me in both – personal and professional matters. Apart from them, it would be the perspective that I developed, that has become a part of my intuition.
Q. The best buddies/seniors/faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A. Since playing football was one of my favorite things to do at IIFM, the list of friends would be a long one and would include my batch mates, seniors, and juniors. Darshan Patil, Mradul Choubey, Karthik, Vijit, and Varun Dutt from my batch were my best friends at IIFM. Among the faculty, Advait sirand Ujjal sir were always of great support.
I can write a long book on the tidbits – a Saw-scaled viper refusing to bite my chappal-clad feet on a moonless night in the grasslands, Zeeshan and I walking right into a cave during a leopard capture operation by the MP Forest Department inside the campus, the ghostly experience we had on a Friday the 13th night in Andheri Gali, the time I slept off next to 5 dogs in the grasslands and woke up to find 2 jackals near me, and the crazy times during my SI – Karthik, Ramanshu and I walking for more than half an hour in pitch dark to reach our accommodation inside Periyar Tiger Reserve, and many others. I can just keep going on and on.
Q. As an alumnus, what’s your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?
A. First and foremost, do not go to IIFM due to a lack of other opportunities. Come to IIFM IFF what IIFM provides aligns with your purpose. If you are not clear about your purpose, then come to IIFM if you would be open to explore and figure out things as you go through the journey while being at peace with what IIFM provides. IIFM is a beautifully unique place that blends lots of things into the experience it provides. It would be a waste if you join IIFM and then criticize the programme solely because it is not the same as the other MBAs.
Second, get into everything – study, play, network, party, have passion projects, because it’s the combination of all these that would give you wide exposure and develop cross-functional skills. Every subject, every interaction, every occasion where you put yourself out there is a great opportunity – for learning and for having fun.
Enjoy your time there. Also, be gentle to the dogs, and take care of the grasslands – they are lively and the best place to meditate.
Q. What is your typical day at the office?
A. Even during covid-induced lockdowns, a day at the office starts at 9.30 am with quick visits to my whiteboard to check the major works and timelines, and to my daily schedule in excel to plan the workday. This is the only fixed part of the day, as the rest of the day involves planned external and unplanned internal meetings related to a broad range of topics, calls with key accounts, working on new business proposals or following up about the old ones, replying to the Ministry with inputs, comments or action plans, preparing collaterals (mostly, PPTs) for important meetings, and keeping a tab on the latest happenings related to trade and supply chains locally as well as on national and international levels, and planning to react to them when required. The day typically ends at 7.30 pm.
Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add
A. I live alone in Mangaluru, which is an amazing travel destination. Although mostly I head out for herping in monsoons and bird watching during the rest of the year, I also go on long drives to some of the most beautiful places in the Western Ghats near me – Coorg, Chikmagaluru, Agumbe, Kudremukha, etc and along the coast too. I do some amateur photography, generally of birds, spiders, frogs and insects as well.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors
A. I am an avid book collector but haven’t read much. The Alchemist and Atlas Shrugged are my favorite books, and Birds of the Indian Subcontinent would be my most referred book.
I love the works of Guy Ritchie, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Christian Bale, Keanu Reeves, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Hardy, are among favorite actors. Snatch, The Departed, Pulp Fiction, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Kirik Party (Kannada) are among my favorite movies. Breaking Bad, Suits, The Mentalist, Sherlock, Peaky Blinders and Vikings are my favorite series.
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 am always available for interactions regarding career-related topics, specific functions or skills that I have, and also, life in general. I would be keen on collaborating for any startups/startup ideas, as a passion project, and I am sector-agnostic about that.
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. I haven’t visited IIFM for long. I do know a couple of things though. Right after I passed out, IIFM started getting wildlife conservation organizations for placement and I feel envious.
Also, I heard that companies such as Byju’s are visiting for campus placements, which I have a mixed feeling about. It is a good value-add for a typical MBA college, but not in line with the core profile of IIFM.
A great positive change is a recently heightened focus on alumni engagement and brand enhancement. Given the impending disengagement by MoEFCC, there would be a new direction the institute would take and new opportunities that would arise.
(Who is next?)
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/ interviewed here?
A. Among the alumni that haven’t been interviewed yet, I am really impressed by three alumni’s careers in particular – Kunal Sharma (worked with Keystone Foundation, JLR, GIZ, WTI and now Assistant Professor with Azim Premji University), Salma Nahid (been working with JLR in remote locations under difficult circumstances for more than a decade) and Mradul Choubey (worked with MP Forest Department, TERI, EY, Deloitte and now working with The Nature Conservancy).