MBA: THE PATH TO BE A CEO

The Bhawanipur Education Society College organised the seminar “MBA: The Path to Becoming a CEO” on March 16, 2026, at the Society Hall from 11:00 a.m. onwards. The anchor welcomed everyone and introduced the speaker, Mr. Siddharth Malik, Director of T.I.M.E. Kolkata, a graduate of IIT BHU with a PGDM from IIM Calcutta, who secured the 99.82 percentile in CAT 2012.

Mr. Malik conducted the entire session interactively with the audience. He began with the basics of what a CEO does, prompting a general murmur of responses. He went on to explain that gone are the days when businesses ran on immediate profitability, citing examples of Flipkart and Swiggy. Instead, businesses now raise funds through investors, as seen in platforms like Shark Tank. However, such investors evaluate the backgrounds of founders to determine whether their business is worth investing in. In such cases, graduating from a reputed B-school becomes crucial.

Furthermore, companies offer different placement packages based on the tier of the B-school; naturally, graduating from a better institution leads to higher positions. Once in such roles, important factors to consider include job satisfaction, job security, growth, salary package, importance, and social respect—each of which is enhanced by holding an MBA degree. He explained two types of fields: vertical and horizontal. Vertical fields require specialization within a specific sector, such as electrical engineering, whereas horizontal fields, like an MBA, can be applied across multiple sectors.

Responding to audience queries, he stated that having a 4-year honours degree over a 3-year graduate degree does not provide any additional advantage for admission into a top B-school. However, it is advisable to continue with the fourth year if one does not clear the CAT in the third year, as taking a drop year may reflect negatively during interview rounds.

He then moved on to the intricacies of entrance exams. He explained that one may secure the 99th percentile by scoring just 40–50% in the exam. He also presented spreadsheets showcasing placement statistics of institutions such as IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, which offer starting packages of around 30 LPA. Even Tier 2 institutions offer placements of approximately 19 LPA. He further elaborated on the components of entrance exams and the different types of entrance tests specific to various institutions, such as NMAT, SNAP, XAT, and MAT.

To conclude his presentation, Mr. Malik addressed common myths surrounding CAT and MBA programs—for instance, the misconception that one requires advanced mathematical aptitude, whereas in reality, mathematics up to the pre-Class 10 level is sufficient; or that securing a 99th percentile is mandatory for admission into IIMs.

He also spoke about the T.I.M.E. institute—a pan-India CAT coaching institute that has consistently produced thousands of IIM seat holders over its 30+ years of experience. Aspirants are guided by expert mentors and provided with extensive test series, including 25 AIMCATs, 25 SAMCATs, and over 175 practice tests, making it one of the largest mock test series in the country.

As students filled out the feedback forms, Mr. Malik addressed additional queries commonly raised during his sessions across institutions, ensuring that attendees left with a clearer and more refined understanding of the prospects and demands of pursuing an MBA.