XAT Percentile: 99.99 Profile: 8/7/8, GEF Work Experience: 19 months (as of the interview date) Best Call: XLRI BM (did not apply to HRM)

Group Discussion (GD) & Written Ability Test (WAT) Topic: Data privacy has become a business commodity rather than a fundamental right. GD Performance: Ranked myself 5th out of 6 participants. Other candidates were highly articulate and seemed well-practiced. WAT Performance: Average. Since WAT followed the GD, I covered key points discussed during the GD. The panel was actively watching our expressions. I made eye contact with one of the panelists during GD, which helped control my nervousness.

Personal Interview (PI) Panel Composition: M1: Neutral M2: Slightly stress-inducing M3: Sweet, in his late 40s or early 50s Interview Atmosphere: The most professional setting I’ve experienced in an interview. Panelists had excellent mannerisms, adding to my nervousness.

Interview Transcript:

M1: You work at X? Me: Yes.

M3: Is it a government job? Me: No, sir, it’s a corporate job.

M3: Are you on contract? Me: No, sir, my organization has taken over the management, development, and operations.

M3: What model does your organization operate on? Me: The PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model. (Stumbled a little due to nervousness.)

M3: (smiling) Don’t be nervous, it’s just an interaction. Have a toffee or cookie if you like.

M2: Yes, we have two kinds—yellow and pink. Which one do you want? Me: Pink.

M2: Why? Me: Sir, I associate pink with some of my favorite fruits like watermelon and strawberry, and I feel the toffee will be flavored accordingly.

M1: What is your role? Me: (Told my designation and department.)

M1: What do you do? Me: (Started explaining the scope of my department.)

M1: No, what are your specific responsibilities? Me: (Explained in detail; M1 seemed impressed.)

M1: If you were to hire someone for your team, what factors would you consider? Me: It depends on the role. If it’s repetitive, I’d focus on efficiency. Otherwise, I’d assess required skills. The candidate should have worked up to 80% of the job’s potential, and the remaining 20% can be learned on the job.

M1: If you have two candidates—one highly skilled but expecting a higher salary and another less skilled but expecting a lower salary—whom would you hire? Me: I would define a minimum requirement. If the lower-salaried candidate meets it, I’d hire them. If not, I’d go for the skilled candidate.

M1: How much revenue does your organization generate? Me: (Answered.)

M1: How much profit? Me: (Answered.)

(A few more work-related questions followed.)

M2: Sell XLRI over IIMA. Give me five reasons. Me: (Asked for a few seconds to think.) 1. XLRI is the oldest B-school in India. 2. XLRI has produced world-renowned leaders like Leena Nair, the current Global CEO of Chanel.

M2: IIMA has also produced top leaders. What else? Me: XLRI’s flagship HRM program is unparalleled.

M3: But you didn’t apply for HRM? Me: No, sir. BM is a more suitable choice for me.

M2: Then you’re not in a position to sell the HRM program. Give another reason. Me: XLRI is located in Jamshedpur, India’s first fully planned city, known as the Steel City of India.

M2: Would you like to work for Tata Steel? Me: Yes, sir.

M2: If you were offered a job at McKinsey and Tata Steel post-MBA, which would you prefer? Me: McKinsey.

M2: Then how does Tata Steel benefit you? Me: It’s a large organization with valuable networks. Collaborations with Tata Steel could lead to business opportunities.

M2: Continue. Me: XLRI selects candidates through XAT, which has a Decision-Making section, showing its focus on selecting individuals capable of making better decisions—an essential leadership quality.

M2: But IIMA also teaches decision-making.

Martial Arts & Leadership

M2: You practice karate? Me: Yes, sir.

M2: Which style? Me: Japanese Shotokan.

M2: Have you heard of Tai Chi? Sell karate over Tai Chi. Me: (Didn’t know much about Tai Chi, so I focused on karate.) Karate is about self-defense without weapons. It teaches discipline, respect, and values.

M2: Have you heard of Kalaripayattu? Me: Yes, sir. It’s an Indian martial art.

M2: If you come to JSR and start a karate club, but 50% of students practice Kalaripayattu, how will you convince them to join karate? Me: I’d emphasize practical self-defense. In real-life situations, you might not have access to weapons.

M2: But they love their style and don’t want to switch. Give another reason. Me: Karate improves flexibility, agility, and overall health.

M2: But they have black belts in Kalaripayattu and national medals. (Found this funny since I am a black belt with national medals myself.) Me: Sir, I’d encourage them to try another style for variety.

M2: They don’t have time. Think emotionally. Me: I’d offer free demo sessions to let them experience it.

M2: No, think more emotionally. (I struggled to answer, so M2 moved on.)

Mathematical Thinking & AI Discussion

M3: what should I ask you? What are you really good at? Me: Sir, I’m really good at my job.

M3: But M1 already asked work-related questions. What else? Me: I’m really good at math.

M3: How is that useful? Me: It helps me make strategic decisions quickly.

M3: How could this strength negatively impact you? Me: Sometimes, I rely on instinct instead of calculations because I’m used to being right, which occasionally leads to mistakes.

M3: Have you done that in this interview? (Laughs as I stay silent.)

M3: AI can now generate music and books. Why do we need humans? Me: The emotional effect isn’t the same. People prefer real-time experiences.

M2: Tell me a recent AI-related issue. Me: AI is replacing repetitive task jobs.

M2: No, something else. Me: AI could become uncontrollable and harmful.

M2: No, think emotionally. (Struggled to answer.)

M2: Think from a gender perspective. Me: AI tools have been found to give sexist responses due to biases in their training data.

M2: Who will prevent AI from going rogue? Someone with better morals must intervene.

Final Questions

M3: What do you like? Me: Adventure sports.

M3: What brings a smile to your face? Me: Skydiving—I really want to try it.

M2: I’ve done it. It’s not as good as you think—you puke your guts out. (I smiled.)

M3: Don’t be nervous. We were just having a conversation.

Me: XLRI is my dream college.

M1: Hopefully, you come to Jamshedpur and get to skydive there.

M2: What’s your CAT score? Me: 98.87, sir.

M2: Okay, thank you.

(Interview ends.)