Ankit Malani (PFM 2010-12) is a development sector professional with 10 years of experience in the socio-economic development landscape across SE Asia, esp. in the domains of Vocational Education & Training, Entrepreneurship, Livelihood, and Impact Investment, across a spectrum of functions. Ankit is currently working as a Technical Advisor-GIZ to Indo-German Initiative for Technical Education (IGnITE) project. IGnITE aims to bring a systemic change in India’s skilling environment to create Industry Ready technicians using the German Dual VET methodology.
Ankit is a sports enthusiast and in his free time enjoys playing table tennis.
Social Media:
Twitter: @malaniankit
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ankit-malani
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malani__ankit/
Q) How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A) I would like to thank IIFMIGHT In Focus team for giving me the opportunity to share my journey and experience here.
My journey has been a real roller coaster ride and I have enjoyed every bit of it. As it may / or would have started for many of you, my journey as a professional started with campus placement. I was selected by Aditya Birla Group as a part of their Emerging Leadership program with 3 other peers. This also included the opportunity of secondment to Laos! As a fresher who had just set foot in the corporate world, I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. Needless to say, the secondment was one hell of a learning experience, with unknown geographies, language, culture, and really difficult work profile.
Now when I look back, I feel that this phase was one of the most difficult one in my career, so far. However, the grooming we had at IIFM (especially field trips and summer internship at IWMI) helped me survive this. This stint enriched me with solid experience in Social Forestry, R&D, and livelihood generation. My next stint was with Creative Agri Solutions where I was involved in value chain analysis and Agri consulting. This enriched my research capabilities (both primary and secondary) and I got to interact with some great researchers from The World Bank as a part of my project.
Moving on, I was fortunate to get an opportunity to work for a prestigious organization like the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) which is a nodal agency in the field of skill development. In NSDC, I led CSR & Industry Partnerships, helping the companies set up a bouquet of Skill Development Solutions. I was directly responsible for managing a big portfolio of CSR funding from leading Public Sector Units and Private Sector Companies. After serving a fruitful tenure of 5 yrs with NSDC, currently, I am working with GIZ and contributing towards improving the employability of ITIs through various initiatives like Enhanced pedagogy, In-plant training, Continuous industry interface, Green skills, etc.
Q) What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A)
- Led the Government flagship program of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) at NSDC.
- Successfully managed the budget of INR 250 Cr portfolio of CSR funding from leading PSUs and private companies
- Represented Indian Contingent as Team leader in World Skills Abu Dhabi 2017 (where India won one Silver, one Bronze medal, and nine Medallions of Excellence, impressing the world with its talent and artistry)
- Gained exposure by visiting Singapore and acquired knowledge on best practices available in the field of vocational training
Q) What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A) My current role gives me ample opportunity to contribute to the Skill India Mission and improve the employability of youth. It’s really satisfying to make an impact on the end beneficiaries and at the same time work with nodal agencies that provide opportunities for policy-level changes. I personally also enjoy stakeholder management which forms an integral part of my work profile.
Q) Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A) I am really proud to be an IIFMite. IIFM provided me with the right attitude to work in the development sector and taught me the way of making an impact at the ground level. The orientation trip, field trips, internship, alumni interaction, etc helped in character building and IIFM is a huge part of my identity wherever I go today.
Q) What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?
A) I would like to advise all the upcoming freshers and IIFM graduates on the following two broad aspects which have always helped me in my journey:
- Fighting spirit: The development sector is not a cakewalk, so one needs to continue fighting in what they want to achieve within the spheres of the development sector. Our country, being a developing country, has a lot of scope and opportunity in different areas and sectors. However, given the general attitude of various stakeholders (like government, MNC, etc), it’s not going to be easy to make an impact along with achieving your professional goals. This is when our true mettle will be tested and if we don’t quit, we will eventually, make our way by making a real impact.
- Avoid Shortcuts: As you would have heard, there are no shortcuts to success. So, if you truly want to have a fulfilling career as a young graduate, it is important to remember this mantra and do every bit of your work with hard work, sincerity, and determination. Additional efforts to write blogs, white papers, and articles about your experiences will never be wasted and will help you in your short-term and long-term goals.
Q) What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A) So many of them, right from an orientation field trip, table tennis matches with Prof Biswas (Bengal vs Rest of India ? ), Kalptaru, Sadguru chai with Madhuram’s samosa, 29 card games with THE GANG, Sunday Biryani, High-intensity cricket world cup in the TV room with chappals in hand, Volleyball match at NLIU….and many more.
Q) In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, and alumni. Anything else!!) or takeaway from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A) I have made some of my best friends who are my support system and best cheerleaders. They are also the first ones to criticize my actions and give solid advice on any matter whether personal or professional. Also, I have interacted with some of our alumni and have benefitted immensely from their knowledge, guidance, and help.
Q) The best friends/seniors/faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share.
A) I am really lucky to find good friends right from our orientation Field Trip (proudly known as Group 3 Rocks!) which included Akshat Nagar, Amit Singh, Arnab Dey, and Isha Ayyer. We all opted for the same specialization (Conservation and Livelihood), participated in each other’s club activities, and were constantly debating on where to spend time in the evenings (Sports club vs Cave vs Bhopal Darshan). I will always cherish those days and conversations which has developed me as an individual. I was blessed to develop such strong bonding within a span of 2 years of post graduation.
Also, I thoroughly enjoyed lectures by Bijalwan sir, Dharni sir, and CSR sir.
Q) As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?
A) Don’t expect IIFM to be a typical B-school with cut-throat competition in all facets of professional life and don’t make the mistake of comparing yourself with others. Enjoy your stay at IIFM thoroughly as it’s going to be life-changing. Try to make the best out of orientation trips, field trips, internships, various club activities, and alumni interactions. The development sector is not rocket science but is a great mix of integrity, exploring synergies, interpersonal skills, and focus on end beneficiaries. Ultimately, we all will get opportunities to make some real impact.
Q) What is your typical day at the office?
A) GIZ works with a really lean team structure, so one needs to wear multiple hats all the time. My typical day may vary from capacity building for the project team, report writing, content development, stakeholder management (including German/Indian ministries, State government, Vocational institutes, sector skill councils, implementing agencies, and others), etc. Due to pandemics, life has been on virtual mode for my entire stint till now with GIZ. With the relaxation in the pandemic situation, I am hoping that field visits would re-commence and there will be more action in days to come.
Q) And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family, and anything else you want to add
A) I am really lucky to be part of GIZ, which provides a great work-life balance. I am a sports enthusiast and can be found at Dwarka (Delhi) sports club playing table tennis on most of the weekend mornings. I stay in Gurgaon with my wife and both of us love to travel or simply stay at home, binge-watching a new series.
Q) Favorite Books, movies, authors.
A) I am not a great reader, but love watching movies and series. A few of my all-time favorites are 3 Idiots, Moneyball, Ford v Ferrari, The Terminal, The Shawshank Redemption, Suits, Friends, etc.
Q) IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, and students?
A) I am in touch with a lot of IIFMites, especially fresh graduates, and always feel happy to guide them or explore synergies for them. I would be happy to mentor especially those who want to explore opportunities in Skill development/Vocational education. In fact, it’s a bit strange that so far we haven’t put targeted efforts in the sector, be it at MSDE, NSDC, SSCs, implementing partners, and consulting…
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) The overall network is growing leaps and bounds. I am really happy to see so many Alumni meets and interactions these days. The overall efforts have increased tremendously and are far more organized. This must improve the visibility and brand value of IIFM in years to come.
Q) Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A) Although there are many batchmates who are excelling in their respective sectors. It would be great to hear the experiences of Akshat Nagar (PFM 12), S Deepak (PFM 12), Lalit Kumar (PFM 12), and Varun Mohan (PFM 12). I would love to know more about my seniors including Nakul Dogra (PFM 11), Santosh Singh (PFM 06), and Amit Vatsyayan (PFM 01)