LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/in/anirudha-pandav
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM so far?
A. My journey, post IIFM, has been exciting with a lot of new opportunities and challenges. From the beginning, I was keen to work in the environmental consultancy domain. After graduating from IIFM, I got an opportunity to work in NABARD consultancy services.
That was an enriching experience as I worked in the various disciplines such as watershed management, rural energy and climate change adaptation. I also had the opportunity of executing projects in the various regions of India. This experience encouraged me to explore new dimensions of Sustainability and understand the international level dynamics and the best practices. So, I pursued Master’s in Environmental Management from the Netherlands and also had an opportunity of working with a company in assessing the climate change compliance.
I wanted to get a bit more experience working there and gain practical insights at the international level for applying them in the Indian context. However, due to COVID Pandemic, I had to return soon. That was a testing period as with many of us. Then, I started working as a Lead Consultant in a sustainability start-up which gave me all freedom to apply my skills and insights in addressing the ground level problems. I feel happy to have contributed to the growth of our organization and being able to make a positive impact. I look forward to continuing my efforts and acquire new knowledge to build a sustainable society.
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. I believe that a career in sustainability domain is a great joy if you are passionate about environmental sustainability and truly care for the environment. That should be the starting point for making the career choice. The next thing, I would like to share that sustainability is highly evolving field and we must strive to keep ourselves updated. At times, we may need to make transitions in the job roles, and we should be bold enough to adapt to them.
Q. What is the most satisfying part in your career?
A. There are a couple of things in my career which I feel very satisfied about. Firstly, I have had the opportunity to work on the diverse aspects of sustainability and being able to get the exposure to the different regions of the country as well as the international level. Secondly, the career transitioning during the COVID period was challenging and I feel happy to have successfully achieved that owning to extensive networking.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. Undoubtedly, the learning at IIFM has been instrumental in my professional journey. Most importantly, it helped me in developing a passion towards sustainability and building a multi-disciplinary thinking which is crucial to approach a problem.
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. For me, the love for the nature and passion to contribute to environmental sustainability have been the biggest drivers in my career. Further, I would like to humbly advice the IIFM graduates to identify your inner drive and pursue a career in that domain. IIFM offers varied career opportunities, and it is not necessary to follow the same path for everyone. It would be really helpful for you if can do that as soon as possible and start making efforts in that direction by building network and acquiring knowledge.
Q. How did you decide to go for higher studies post IIFM? And how was the experience?
A. The decision to go for higher studies post IIFM was not pre-determined. It came out during my first job where I felt deeply motivated to explore new dimensions of Sustainability and understand the international level dynamics. I gathered that EU is a frontrunner in terms of environmental policies and I was intrigued to know their best practices which can be applied in the Indian context. The experience of pursuing Masters in the University of Twente at Netherlands was phenomenal in gaining the practical tools and insights which I am able to apply in my professional life. The University of Twente is a public technical university located in Enschede, Netherlands.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. Honestly, everything at IIFM is memorable starting from its campus, faculty, friends, play grounds, student clubs, field trips etc. But my favorite memories include the beautiful campus scenery during the monsoon season and the cricket tournament on the basketball court (I am not sure whether that happens now)!
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. For me, the biggest contributors were the Professors more than the courses. Their passion, wisdom and the mode of student engagement really helped me to build the foundation of my professional journey.
Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM?
A. To name a few, I was really inspired by Yogesh Dubey Sir, Madguni Sir, Dharani Sir and Madhu Verma Ma’am.
Q. As an alumni, what’s your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. I think, it is very important to note that IIFM is not just an MBA programme like other universities. It is a tailored programme designed for the students interested in the fields of development and environmental sustainability. So, joining IIFM just for the sake of location or fees will not really help! I would like to advise all the aspirants of IIFM to identify your inner interest possibly before joining the IIFM. This will help you in channelising your energy and time during the course to build knowledge and network in that domain.
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? Your engagement with IIFM Placement or OT/SI?
A. I would be happy to share with the Placement Committee any internship/ placement openings that are there in my network.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there?
A. I think IIFM has considerably changed most importantly because of the additional degree of PGDSM on top of PGDFM. This is definitely broadening the outlook of the course for the recruiters. Besides, I also feel that the students in the current batches are more proactive in networking. In some time in the future, I would be happy to have an interaction with the students to understand their views and aspirations and engage with them.