Educational Experience
B Com (Honours) - Shri Shikshayatan College, Calcutta

Major in accountancy - Calcutta University

Higher Systems Management - NIIT

Post graduate diploma in business management - Management and Technological Institute of India

Post graduate diploma in travel and tourism management - Institute of Modern Management (I.M.M.)

Professional Experience
I've been with MEL since January 2001 as the general manager. May 2000 - January 2001
I was an assistant manager (training), at Pentasoft Technologies in their western regional office in Mumbai for eight months. I was involved in formulating and implementing marketing strategies for this geographical area in order to develop the market for the career opportunities offered by the company.

November 1999 - March 2000
With Aptech Ltd (Asset International's Regional Head office at Calcutta) I was an assistant manager (marketing) for the eastern region. I was responsible for making Asset's services the preferred choice of all target segments, focusing mainly on corporate houses, costing and budgeting of corporate training programs at the local as well as at the national levels.

January 1998-November 1999
I was a senior developer relations executive at Advanced Technology Labs in Kolkata. I was responsible for formulating and implementing marketing and sales strategies to achieve group targets. I also looked after event management, seminars, market promotion for brand building and adopting promotional strategies. We also held workshops through appropriate presentations and discussions by experts.

January1996 - July 1997
I was the marketing coordinator and education counsellor at Australia Connections. With the advent of the Indian government's open market policies Australia Connections, for the first time in India, in alliance with the Australian Tourism Commission ventured on to project Australia as a tourist destination for affluent Indian travellers.

Moreover, Holmes College in Melbourne, tied up with Australia Connections to initiate the smooth passage of Indian students to Australia for higher education.

I was in charge of counselling, formulating and implementing marketing strategies for the eastern region. Interacting with the media, publicity and advertising establishments to effectively sell Project Australia was part of my responsibility.

I also conducted and organised travel shows and seminars. My administrative duties comprised MIS reports, collection and management of databases, preparing various reports on a daily/weekly basis, handling student/tourist grievances, building relations and sorting out problem areas.

Job Profile
I have been with MEL since January 2001 and have been given independent responsibility of heading a team of counselors, faculty, marketing and placement executives. I also interact with the students and provide guidance to them in the field of the IT industry.

I am the driving force for targets and deadlines to be met, for maintaining high motivation levels among the center managers, faculty and staff. I do this by delegating work assignments and keeping a close track of the day to day progress.

I also interact with the media, publicity and advertising establishments to formulate effective strategies to get maximum mileage in creating awareness among the student and professional community about our institution.

Keeping full information of competition and market trends and introducing more courses related to the demands of the IT industry is a part of my job profile. I also strategise policies, policy development, promotion and coordination with franchisees.

I look after the costing and budgeting of corporate training programmes at the local as well as at the national levels.

Marketing as career choice
It was the obvious choice as I had completed a diploma in business management specialising in marketing.

I think I made the right choice as it certainly is a challenging field with achievements flowing, once the right kind of effort is put in; and thus providing the motivation to perform better with each assignment.

Right and wrong about current marketing scenario
The problem lies with over-promising to customers/clients due to their high expectations, which is the direct result of a highly competitive market. This competition may be due to high performance as well as the co-existence of a parallel illegitimate market.

These promises and commitments made by marketing professionals become impossible to fulfill hence causing fear and deception for this profession in the minds of the common people, which then forms a vicious circle.

Hence, with my experience, over the years I have found that it is best to work with an organisation whose product you believe in and thus marketing becomes a pleasure and achievements in the field become a practice, because fulfilling promises and commitments is the key to success.

Five years from now
Five years from now I see myself running my own "successful" business with me being the BOSS. With all the years of experience that one gathers, it would be an obvious choice for anybody who has the right proportion of self-confidence plus the belief.

Hobbies
My hobbies include reading which I love passionately but hardly get the time to do!

Also love swimming, horse-riding and basketball, which have been the activities that I have been associated with since my school days. Now, I take pleasure in seeing my little daughter excelling in them.

Idea of enjoyment
Long drives, eating out, hours of solitude to do all the reading I wish to and spending quality time with my daughter, Ankita.