Graduate Blog / Graduate Life

Philanthropy with a dash of Bollywood Flair – Ashutosh Pandit MBA ’18

Jovial, hard-working, and proactive are just three of the many adjectives that define Ashutosh Pandit. His quirky and innovative side came out in full force in his application video for the post of the Director of International Relations at the Graduate Student Council. It struck a chord with everyone who voted for him, and ever since then “Ash” (as he’s fondly referred to by his peers here) has come up with one innovative idea after another. I have had the good fortune of working with him for a semester at the GSC, and having gotten to know him better has been a humbling experience.

Here’s Ashutosh’s story, in his own words:

Ashutosh Pandit, pictured here with his wife Megha at the Latin American Club Halloween Party

What is one life event that has left an indelible impression on your personality?

I have had some amazing experiences as part of my undergraduate program in India. One of them that left a lasting and deep impact on me was the ‘Grama Seva’ or the ‘Village Service Program’. As part of this, along with my classmates, I went to some of the remotest villages in India. We provided the villagers with the most essential needs such as free food and clothes. But when the villagers, who lived in dire circumstances, received these meager gifts, they were thrilled and showered on us enormous blessings. We had made their day. Some of them cried tears of joy and said things like, “Our own children have forgotten us, but you boys always care for us”. This was not just an isolated incident, but I have had this experience every single day, for seven consecutive years, while serving in over 150 villages.
This experience taught me two important things, which I always try and remember – True happiness is in making others happy, and we must ‘Count our blessings’ every single moment of our lives!

How has the MBA Experience shaped you in conjunction with that life event?

I was thrilled to see Babson giving so much importance to SEERS activities. I feel extremely fortunate to be part of a class wherein so many of my classmates want to be entrepreneurs in the social sector. I used to think that social entrepreneurship can survive only with donations and support of philanthropic people. However, after listening to various professors, attending various on-campus events and living with some awesome classmates, I am increasingly convinced that social value can be generated along with economic value. In fact, in order to be sustainable, this is the only way out! I plan to have an Ed-tech startup in the years to come, and Babson is giving me the tools for the same.

How has Babson’s collaborative environment impacted you?

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. After having heard so much about the competitive American culture, I was overwhelmed by the collaborative environment here. It is not just in words, but in every aspect of life. Be it the classes, group projects, on campus events, clubs or the Graduate Student Council; be it a student or a faculty, every one is always there for you. Babson is truly like a home away from home, a place where one can see in practise – ‘Brotherhood of man and Fatherhood of God’!

Ashutosh, on his wedding reception, with his wife Megha, and one of India’s biggest film stars – Amitabh Bachchan

Ashutosh was previously a national-level cricket player and a professional actor, and wants to ensure that there is an avenue at Babson for these activities. He has already put plans in motion to create a Babson Graduate Cricket Team, which should be in place by next semester. Thereafter, his next attempt is to organize a short-film forum at Babson, and screen a Babson film at the same.

Ashutosh Pandit is a 1st year MBA Student in the Class of 2018 at Babson College, where he is the Director of International Relations at the Graduate Student Council. He is also the Chair of the Case Certification Program at the Babson Consulting Club.  He has previously worked as a relationship manager at HDFC Bank (a National Bank in India), and then co-founded an online events management platform – EventZBook.com – before joining Babson in August 2016. He lives on campus with his wife, Megha, who is an instrumental part of the Babson Partners’ Club.

Guest Writer: Prateek Chakrabarty

prateekHometown: New Delhi, India
Education: Amity University, New Delhi
Previous Experience: Technology Consulting – Indian Tobacco Company; Marketing and Advertising – Koenig Solutions Ltd.
Activities: VP Club Management, Graduate Student Council; Head Coach, MBA Soccer Club
Favorite Babson Entrepreneur: Courtney Wilson, Founder – Dropzone for Veterans