Essay – 1#:- Innovation or doing things differently it is said is a key to future success. Could substantiate or negate this idea based on your experience. Please provide examples from your own experience - either examples of your own innovation or examples of others whom you have worked with. (300 words max)

As a metallurgical engineer, with a passion for bringing in procedural improvements, I can say with honesty that innovation is a way of life for me. I have always considered 'green' viability and environmental impact as vital as natural materials and minerals and metals are nature's gift to entire communities. Helping to improve processes leading to less wastage, more output and efficiency and a decreased carbon footprint are three determinants that have guided my professional endeavors from the start.

The Pre hardening project that was the most challenging project ever undertaken by my company xxx India is an example. The project required me to create a stabilizer bar of a certain shape, hardness and strength which is a suspension component for vehicles. The old process had a huge bottleneck-'correction' step that the management wanted to eliminate as it required expensive and trained labor. Many teams in the past had unsuccessfully tried out many techniques, by replacing bar material, process parameters, different steps in the process, fixturing methods etc but nothing worked.

I came with the new idea of putting in a minor process of stress relieving and initiated it. It took 1.5 years to perfect and had to I travel to the company headquarters in xxx. I finally succeeded and eliminated the bottleneck. Overcoming the fears, lack of confidence of the senior members of my team was a major challenge.

Relying on my technical expertise and innovative mindset, I approached the project with a fresh outlook and open mind and incorporated a cheaper but necessary minor process that is 99% automatic. I eliminated the manual involvement and dependence on labor and the new" bending i.e. post hardening bending is a lot more sensitive than before. I worked in coordination with other departments and ultimately lead a change that has shaved the cost overruns substantially and also been a major procedural improvement for the company.

Essay – 2#:- Applying to and enrolling in a Business School is an important career decision. look at your career to date, the choices you have made, the key influences behind those choices, your goals for the future and how you expect to benefit from the ISB experience in achieving your goals. (300 words max)

My ambitions are grounded in reality and based on my experiences in a wide spectrum of roles and technical phases. In the 2.6 years that I have spent at xxx I have gathered a insightful knowledge of processes and consistently bagged the 'best projects' awards for my path breaking new innovations.

Looking ahead, I would like to strengthen further on the strong base I have industriously built up and widen my domain and sectoral exposure. I aim to work as a consultant as this role shall enable me to align with various companies, projects and fields and provide the challenge, learning, global exposure and constant invigoration and action that I avidly desire.

A man of action and high spirit who is always seeking the next pinnacle, my long term career vision is set. I eventually have my sights focused on entrepreneurship. After gaining widespread experience of different facets of business, I will invest my learning in my own enterprise. ISB is a critical stop on the journey to this destination as I will find the skills, network and support these that shall power my career flight.

My year long sojourn will provide a tremendous learning opportunity with accelerated and immense learning. I will be able to give a tangible shape to my career aspirations after understanding the nuances, various requirements and potentials of economic models and enterprises at ISB.

ISB's strong curriculum, networking opportunities through exclusive access to influential business leaders and incisive academic milieu will give me a definitive edge and strong foundation in business fundamentals. The Wadhwani Centre for Entrepreneurship, many conferences, student led activities and seminars will provide much needed exposure. Leadership initiatives will teach me how to make the most of my limited resources and also provide me with invaluable network with the best in the business in India and abroad.

Essay – 3#:- One of the following: - (200 words max)
B) An instance when you went out of the ordinary to achieve something significant, but in hind sight feel you could have done better.

I hold integrity and personal morality in the highest esteem and the time I went beyond the ordinary was when I adhered to this value and pursued it to closure. This was during the Raw material supplier change. The old supplier shared a good relationship with middle management but compromised quality standards and charged a higher price than the market norms. I put my foot down against this practice and in meetings, had to encounter the strongest resistance from my seniors. I was given many warnings and was pressurized by allurements but I stood firm.

After I rejected material on accounts of bad quality, I faced many problems. I brought in a new party that supplied much better material at lower prices. Eventually, my entire management and colleagues acknowledged that I was right and this project was awarded as the ............................

On hindsight, I feel I could have resolved the issue in more amicable and smooth manner. I had to strongly resist the corrupt practices, but I could have done it in a manner that would not have created bad blood amongst my colleagues. Though my actions were prompted by good intentions and this was recognized on an organizational level, I could have used my persuasion and conflict management skills in a better way.

Essay – 4#:- (Optional) Please provide additional information, if any, that will significantly affect consideration of your application to the ISB. (200 words max)

One never realizes the significance of something in one's life until it is taken away. Living in the vicinity of IIT, xxx all my life, I always took it for granted that one day I would form a part of the elite group that graduates from that illustrious alma mater. It was only after my failure to qualify for the IIT in my first attempt that I realized how much I wanted to get in.

I prepared for my second shot like a man possessed. I realized the power of positive visualization when the result screenshot came even in my dreams. My burning desire to get through kept me going and I secured the coveted seat. This year changed me for life. I emerged as a much stronger individual who realized that one has to give one’s very best shot if one is to succeed in life.

Now, I realize my potential and volunteer for many nation building initiatives such as xxx electoral campaign where I campaigned in South Delhi. I feel inspired by community projects to chip in and have done .................. and participated in the xxxxxxxxxxxx" initiative and volunteered in many xxxxxx courses