Even as a kid, I was interested in everything mechanical- starting with cars and bikes, and even trucks, planes, road machinery and everything around the house. This led me to my B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Govt. Engineering College, Thrissur, Kerala. So far, I had always thought I would be an engineer, and would love to be working in an auto major. After my engineering, I did a short stint at an automobile dealership in my hometown for a few months. But it was during the final semesters of engineering I came to understand marketing a lot better, and decided I wanted to pivot into this field. The curiosity about how people interact with products and brands and decide which one to finally buy sparked something totally new in me. And so I did my MBA with a majors in Marketing and minors in Operations from Goa Institute of Management.

I began my post MBA career in the automobile industry, serving in the marketing teams of two of India’s top brands in the auto sector- Ashok Leyland and MRF Tyres. I accepted the campus placement offer from Ashok Leyland, and joined the HO in Chennai. My first project was a year long customer survey project in Indore, to understand why customers choose either AL or the competitor’s product.  My roles and responsibilities involved getting a deep understanding of the customer’s needs, and converting those needs into actionable solutions at the physical product and service level. This was through direct interaction with all the stakeholders- the owners of the vehicles themselves, who actually owned the vehicle, the drivers who operated the vehicles, mechanics (service center, garage, and roadside independent mechanics), parts retailers, tyre and puncture mechanics, and even managers and staff at logistic companies. A deep dive into how they interacted with the vehicles gave a lot of insight into how the product, service and communication has to be structured for maximum effectiveness. Over my career, I was part of multiple teams, including corporate communications, new product development etc.

I have been part of the corporate team managing the brand’s participation in multiple expos, handling multiple responsibilities from coordinating with the organisers, stall and exhibit arrangements and manning the stalls.

I have also been part of teams conducting training programs for internal and external stakeholders, customer clinics and workshops. It is a matter of pride for me that I could take the product I was assigned (tubeless tyres for heavy vehicles) on joining MRF from about 400 per month to 2000 per month.

I also had a brief stint in the software field. I shifted to Hyderabad and joined ABSYZ Software Consulting, a Salesforce implementation partner firm as a domain expert for the auto domain. I gained a fair knowledge of how software industry works, and contributed as a Business Analyst to a few projects.

I took a career break in 2023, to take a break, and also reskill myself. I did an online Post-Graduate Program in Data Science and Business Analytics from Great Learning, and also acquired certifications in Business Analysis and the Salesforce Admin Certification. I have been constantly learning and doing courses on digital marketing and social media usage from online sources.

Besides work, I am an avid traveller, and have been a keen motorcycle rider. I am part of a few riding groups, and have done multiple long and short rides all over India on my bike, a Gixxer 250.

I also enjoy reading, watching movies and series on OTT, comedy shows and exploring food.

I am also a keen student of marital arts, and have been a student of Krav Maga and MMA for some time now. I had also learnt Taekwondo for a very short time, and had also learnt Kalaripayattu basics. I try to keep consistently going to the gym, and running 10k marathons in a losing battle against my own tummy fat.