1).

In approximately 400 words for all the questions that follow: (a) introduce yourself
and include an account of your early years i.e. where you grew up and the primary
and secondary schools you attended. How did you finance your secondary
education? (b) briefly describe how you envisage contributing to the future
development of your country/region after graduation and (c) Give the main reason
why an INSEAD MBA is relevant to your future career development.

Professionally I would describe myself as a corporate tax advisor, an accounts professor at a

non-profit educational orgnanization, a mentor to two start-ups engaged in online apparel
sales and corporate recruitment services, and a third generation family business
entrepreneur. My hobbies include writing financial articles, swimming and running
marathons. Being a firm believer in 'Karma' (i.e. the principle of causality where the intent
and actions of individuals influence their future), I have moulded myself over the years,
making empathy and resilience the central planks of my personality. I was privileged to have
completed my schooling from Vidya Niketan School, Bangalore ('VNS') at a cost of around
€50 per annum, due to the good fortune of having an aunt as a faculty member at my
school, thereby making me eligible to an 80% fee exemption per annum.

Subsequently, I went to St Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore where the fees

ranged from €325-375 per annum and was again borne by my parents. I went on to join
Ernst & Young's ('EY') corporate tax practice as an 'Articled Trainee'. I received a stipend of
€100-225 per month for the first three years of my training period. After clearing the
Chartered Accountancy ('CA') exam, I spent a year and half at EY at a salary of €800 per
month for the first 10 months and €1,100 per month for the remaining period, respectively.
Post this, my entrepreneurial ambitions took over and pushed me to join XYZ Enterprises,
my traditional family business engaged in textile retail. Due to a 33-year family dispute, there
were court restraining orders on usage of the family assets. I played the lead role in the out
of court settlement of the family dispute. This is how I begun making my late grandfather's
dream to venture into real estate a reality. I negotiated our first joint development agreement
with a real estate developer in Bangalore.

Post graduation, due to the commercial feasibility, growth potential, and startling need for
senior citizen housing facilities in India, I aspire to venture into senior citizen housing
development in Tier 2/ 3 Indian cities. Given my aspirations of full-scale real estate
development, I believe INSEAD's elective courses on 'Corporate Entrepreneurship' and
Effective Fundraising for Entrepreneurs' are tailor made for existing firms exploring new
business practices and exploring techniques to seek/ engage potential business investors/
partners, respectively.

2).In approximately 350 words provide a concise but accurate description of your
financial circumstances as well as your budget for the year at INSEAD. How do you
expect to finance your studies if you do not obtain a scholarship from INSEAD? Why
INSEAD should consider you for a need-based scholarship? What amount do you
consider appropriate? Please do not forget to submit a number of supporting
documents as required.

I am a Round-1 admit to INSEAD and I have estimated my MBA cost at approx. €85,000. As
a family business entrepreneur, I do not take a salary but withdraw money upto approx.
€10,000 from the business on a need basis, without having much to set aside for a rainy
day.

Till a few weeks ago, I was actually at ease about funding my MBA vide my family business'
internal accruals and an educational loan amounting to €50,000 and €35,000, respectively.
The aforesaid internal accruals included a 'non-refundable' security deposit amount which
my family acquired through a real estate development project, in our capacity as
landowners. The development project was progressing as scheduled but we are suddenly
facing a roadblock from the Government as it is imposing restrictions on the size/ scale of
our project. Given this, the security deposit amount which the real estate developer has
given my family is now termed as a 'refundable' deposit, based on the terms of our JD
agreement. The security deposit amount was going to fund my MBA expenses to the extent
of €40,000, along with my family's other fixed deposits and the educational loan. However,
with the deposit amount now being termed refundable, it would not be possible for me to
immediately use the same (as primary funds or collateral security) to fund my education; that
would lead to serious breach of contract/ legal complications. I have been trying to avail of a
larger loan but the Indian banks and financial institutions have not been forthcoming in
granting me more than what I have already availed.

Due to the above, I am now falling short of approx. €25,000 for my course fee and I am now
in an urgent need of funds. In the event I am unable to obtain a scholarship, I am afraid I will
have to resort to borrowing from certain unscrupulous, individual money lenders at interest
rates ranging from 18% to 25%. Alternatively, I might have to request INSEAD to defer my
admission to the next intake by which time I am hoping I can make appropriate monetary
arrangements.

3).Only if you would like to be considered for the IAF Special Profile scholarships,
please answer the following question in no more than 400 words: Briefly describe an
instance or aspect in your life to date that has made you stand out amongst your
peers or that you consider exceptional in one way or another.

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”

—Carl Gustav Jung, Psychologist

Although it is fairly usual to take 2-3 attempts to clear the Chartered Accountancy (CA) final
exam, I am the ONLY person I know who persevered for FIVE ATTEMPTS! Cracking the CA
exam is the achievement I am most proud of because I found success after a two-and-a-half
year period of struggle and failure.

The first two times I attempted the exam I was overconfident and therefore took the exam
lightly. When the results were announced it was like being hit by a train; I failed 6 papers and
5 papers (out of 8) in each attempt, respectively. Despite my shameful performance, not
being the only one in the boat comforted me. Subsequently, the CA exam board dropped the
nation-wide pass rate to 3%, allowing only 300 out of 10,000 candidates to clear the exam; I
wasn't one of them. The thought of going through the grind again made me cringe but when
my senior colleagues at work expressed to me that they felt my efforts were "half-hearted", I
felt the need to fight the exam, just to prove them wrong.

By my fourth attempt, I was extremely low on self-esteem and after burning the mid-night
lamp for months, I failed, AGAIN! By now everyone at EY, even my junior colleagues, had
cleared the exam and many had even been promoted above me. My earlier supportive
friends and family too began asking me what my "alternate career plans" were.

I had almost given up until one day a salesman at a bookstore, where I usually purchased
my text books, said to me "Here you go, the usual CA books right?" An absolute stranger
perceived me to be a 'serial failure'. The shift in perception from a university topper to a
recognized failure made me bounce back and give it another go. For 6 months I buried
myself in books and raced through each paper, finally overcoming my nemesis once and for
all.
This experience taught me to give people a second chance to prove themselves, as I was
given several despite failing initially. Additionally, I learnt that the biggest hurdle in our path
to success is our own mind and if we can overcome our own inhibitions, we can achieve
anything we wish to. This self-realisation made this instance exceptional for me.