Ques. Would you please introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Surabhi Parida. Although I was raised in Delhi, I was born in Odisha. I earned my honors degree in Economics from Hansraj College, which is also known as "Shahrukh Khan College." I've always had a strong interest in public policy, research, and consultancy, and this focus has shaped my internships at places like NITI Aayog, EY and FICCI.
Of all my hobbies, singing is my favorite. However, during college, I also developed a love for writing. Since then, I’ve had several of my works published in ‘ThePrint’, ‘World Economics Forum’ as well as ‘Business Standard”. Currently, I’m working as a Junior Research Analyst at RESO, formerly known as Gulf Researcher.
Ques. Given that you participated in numerous business competitions, how did your first business plan competition go?
Being a member of the first ever team of our college's Consulting Society, “The Impact Project”, was the starting point. My first business concept was a start-up idea on sustainable fashion. Two of my juniors from the same society reached out to me to take part in the competition. We had the opportunity to present this idea at the United Nations Hult Prize Mumbai Summit, where we represented our college on an international platform. That was my initial foray into business concepts.
Ques. What was your first business plan competition experience like?
We had not anticipated obtaining this degree of success, but the team and our plan allowed for everything to go off without a hitch. In addition to seeking mentorship, we conducted a great deal of primary and secondary research. Ultimately, our team's efforts paid off, and everything turned out rather nicely for us.
Ques. Which is the biggest victory in the business plan competition, in your opinion?
One of my greatest victories was winning the business proposal competition at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies. We competed against many teams from IIT and IIM who came with their respective business ideas. Winning a B-Plan competition hosted by a business college itself was a huge confidence booster for us.
Ques. Do you encounter any difficulties when competing?
Of course, one can't deny the fact that everyone faces some or the other kind of obstacles in life. In my case, it was with respect to syncing schedules with teammates and making sure everyone is in loop. For things to run well, we must communicate everything to our teammates. And it's important to have transparency between everyone.
Ques. We are aware that a business plan requires a strategy. How did you make sure that your teammates were informed of your strategy?
Regarding the approach, each member of the team was given a topic to research on their own. Each person developed a unique concept and shared it with the group, just as we did with the judges. By doing this, we ensured that everyone’s idea was being addressed, acknowledged and discussed. Speaking about each concept separately is what really helped. That is how we cooperated and communicated with each other in a respectful manner.
Ques. You took part in the Hult Prize competition; describe it and your experience there?
Hult Prize is a nationwide student organization that supports young entrepreneurs by encouraging them to take part in B-Plan Competitions. The winning team ultimately receives funding to develop their business idea. Several colleges have this society to represent that organization and conduct the competition at a college level first as an elimination round. That's how we were able to learn that we could take part in this particular competition. As far as Delhi University is concerned, three to four teams among several colleges, including Hansraj College were chosen. Since I've always loved public policy and consulting, this opportunity was quite exciting. The combination helped me test my potential. And, it actually proved to be one of the greatest learning experiences that shaped who I am today.
Ques. What insights did this competition offer you?
I’ve come to realize that I want a career in research and consulting because I genuinely enjoy these fields. I’ve also discovered how much I enjoy presenting. Right now, my primary focus is to build a career in consulting itself.
Ques. We get criticism, feedback from teammates as well as judges when we perform something. How did you respond to a circumstance like that?
When we started participating in competitions, initially things didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. I might not have been a better person if I had not faced the criticism and feedbacks. Situations like these shaped who I am now. I viewed criticism as a tool for personal growth and development rather than as something to be avoided.
Ques. What abilities did this competition help you acquire, and how do you intend to employ these abilities in your actual work going forward?
Many people overlook resilience, but it's a crucial quality for both our personal and professional lives. Another ability was proactiveness. I would ensure that after every presentation, I go and personally talk to judges for any feedback irrespective of the final results. In addition, I gained the skill of cooperation and communication. As for my hard skills, I learnt how to create PowerPoint presentations using Excel, which, I believe is a universal skill that everyone should learn.
Ques. Could you describe your volunteer work and how Delhi University's "Girl Up" project came to be led by you?
I'll illustrate this with a tale. So, I had earlier applied for Girl Up Hansraj, but regrettably I was not selected. I didn't give up and I decided to try again. But, this time around, I applied for Girl Up Delhi University and got selected. I started as a member of the Project Department. I discovered that even as members, we need to take initiatives. From the very beginning, I made sure to put forth any idea that came across my mind. There was one already existing idea, “The Pink Booth Project” that hadn't been executed. Here comes the beauty of being proactive. I initiated to lead that project. Pink Booths act as a facilitator between the victim and the main police station. No one knew about it, so I took the initiative to light up this project. I along with my teammate interviewed over 10 police officers to highlight women's safety, taking into account how socioeconomic and cultural factors play a role. Additionally, I along with my co-heads also organized a successful pad donation drive, distributing more than 2,000 sanitary pads to underserved women in Shakti Nagar and GTB. On top of that, I conducted English teaching sessions to improve language proficiency and mentored over 40 children as part of the 'Language Unites' initiative in collaboration with Bal Jyoti NGO and Robin Hood Academy. Being proactive is very important, and it greatly assisted me in leading projects.
Ques. You took many initiatives as a member but what initiative did you take as the project head?
As the Project Head, we give our members the driving seat. We give them freedom to lead the projects, encouraging them to initiate ideas, carrying the legacy. So, more projects like Pink Booths, Pad Donation Drives and Collaborations with NGOs can be executed. Our role becomes more of a manager that ensures every project is being carried out in a disciplined timeline.
Ques. As you talk about internships at major companies like FICCI, NITI Aayog, and EY, could you kindly explain these internships and the most important lessons you took away from them?
I'll start with my summer internship experience at FICCI. I worked with two departments. One with the International Division and the other with the Renewable Department. In the International Division, I was part of the team organizing the Sixth India-Arab Partnership Conference. I created detailed profiles for each minister from various regions. In the Renewable Energy Division, my tasks were similar, involving multiple conferences. The main lesson I took away from FICCI was the importance of work ethic and meeting deadlines.
At NITI Aayog, I interned in the vertical of the State Support Mission. This mission aims to create State Institutes for Transformation. In simple words, creating small NITI Aayogs at the state level.
I had the opportunity to collaborate with Sattva Consulting, where I played a key role in building a knowledge repository. This involved diving deep into over 120 documents focused on farmer support. I also authored a research paper exploring the economic impacts of climate change on Himachal Pradesh's horticulture sector. I learned about the institute's operations and produced a research paper on the impact of climate change on Himachal Pradesh's political system from an economic perspective.
Lastly, at EY, I participated in the CAFTA competition with Krishna Golyan. After winning at the national level, we had the opportunity to intern with EY. Our role was to conduct a benchmark study for insurance companies
Key lessons from this experience included being proactive, communicating effectively, being transparent, maintaining a strong work ethic, and being punctual. These lessons gained were uniform across all these internships.
Ques. You mentioned that you fell in love with writing during your college years. How did you discover this passion, and what sparked your interest in writing?
I never wrote much in school, but when I started college, I began writing for various internships. My first role was as a content writer for a company known as “Economikly” which was a great fit given my interest in economics. This internship gave me the chance to explore writing, and I quickly discovered that I loved it. By the end of the internship, I realized writing was something I wanted to continue further.
The time I started my internship at FICCI, I met a great mentor who is also an avid writer. She guided me at every step of the way. Writing was one of the major aspects in my role at FICCI and hence, my work was regularly reviewed which helped me improve. I was always vocal and enthusiastic about getting articles published. My mentor recognized my enthusiasm and we wrote an article together which eventually got published in The World Economic Forum.
Our initial piece was about the air pollution market. The story didn't end here. I co-wrote another article on the species stock exchange market, with Krishna and Charbi Gelian, published by Business Standard.
Ques. Could you specifically mention the theme you used in the article?
I’m really passionate about climate change and sustainability. If you look at my articles, you’ll see that they primarily focus on these topics, along with their public policies. For instance, my article on air pollution is related to climate change and sustainability, and the piece on the species stock exchange also revolves around sustainability.
Ques. Do you have any particular milestone that you are looking forward to or any future aspirations you have as of now?
Right now, I’m focused on growing within my current organization. I’ve developed a strong appreciation for my work and I am aiming to advance in the fields of public policy and consultancy.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1) National Winner: Blue Print Battle B Plan Competition
2) National Winner: EY CAFTA CC 2023 - Understanding Global Financial Markets
3) National Winner: Skyquest’23 Case Challenge, United Airlines
4) National Winner: SRCC The Next Big Thing B Plan Competition
5) National Winner: On Campus Hult Prize Challenge 2023
6) National Winner: INVICTA Strategy Case Challenge
7) National Winner: Case De Perte Corporate Strategy Case Challenge
8) Project Head of Girl Up Delhi University
9) Client Services Director of The Impact Project - Hansraj Chapter
10) Project Intern - International Division at FICCI
11) Summer Intern at EY
12) Junior Research Analyst at Reso
13) Author of Articles published by World Economic Forum, ThePrint, Business Standard and Public Policy Network
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