Tete-a-tete with Abhik Pramanick, IIM Ahmedabad 2012 Batch

“Sometimes it’s important to take a pause, step back and introspect; Professional career is a marathon, not a 100 mts race”

Abhik Pramanick, 2012 Batch IIM-A, is currently building a global B2B online marketplace for aluminium industry at Alcircle Pte Ltd. Before that he had 3 years of experience at Olacabs managing P&L and 4 years of experience at Bharti Airtel in different verticals of Marketing & Sales. Exposure in different verticals and industry is his area of expertise.

Q1. Tell us something about your journey so far?

I started my professional career at Bharti Airtel in 2012. Being a fresher, just passed out from MBA school, the experience I gathered in Sales at Airtel has given me immense learning which is helping me till date. Such an experience at the beginning of your career makes you a lot more hands on and close to reality. Later I joined the marketing team as Product Manager in the Data & Device team and went to manage independent vertical as well. After spending time at both Sales & Marketing, I joined Olacabs as Category Manager to gain more holistic exposure to business and started managing P&L. Working in a start-up ecosystem provided the perfect platform for learning and large team management. Finally last year, I joined AlCircle to launch a B2B online marketplace for the Aluminium Value Chain; this is a first of its kind initiative in this industry globally. Starting this project from scratch and now seeing this going into the execution live, has been tremendous source of learning for me.

Moving to different roles and verticals into different industries has helped me to gain a lot of exposure in understanding how different business works. Being flexible, agile and high adoptability is probably the mantra of my journey so far!

Q2. Tell us something about your experience in IIM Ahmedabad. How has that experience helped in shaping you as a professional?

IIM A experience is more special to me because that’s the first time I went out of Kolkata. Both the academic and non-academic life at campus was great. Two things I really liked during my 2 years were – the dorm culture and the case study method. Students stay is smaller hostels at campus which we call “dorms” and due to lesser students in one dorm, helped them bond with each other. I made a lot of good friends for life at campus which I didn’t expect before. Also, from an academic perspective, I found the case study method as very unique and helpful. Instead of studying theory in books, case study method prepares a student to take up the real life challenges in the practical world.

Overall, my 2 years at IIM-A is full of memories that I still cherish and my earnest request to all existing and future students will be to enjoy the days as much as possible coz it’s all about making memories as you grow in life.

Q3. Tell us something about your daily work routine. How do you manage your stress levels in workplace which every professional faces these days?

Personally I am a big believer of pursuing your hobbies even in the hardest of times. I am a big fan of Manchester United and I follow EPL very closely, so I ensure that I make enough time out from my daily routine to watch and follow football regularly. I am a binge-racer of TV series as well. Apart from this, I do spend time with friends and family and I believe this is the biggest stress-reliever someone can have in life. Do take time out to spend time with your loved ones, follow your hobbies. Finally, last but certainly not the least, go out. Travel. I have been maintaining a routine of minimum 4 travels a year since last 15 years!

Q4. What or who has been the biggest influence in your career so far? How do you balance your personal and professional career?

My biggest influence has been my friends & family. They have been my biggest source of strength through hard times and also success is meaningless in life if you don’t have anyone to share that with. I consider myself lucky to still be surrounded by people with whom I can share both my success as well as failure. & frankly, this belief that professional career is not above your life is the biggest source of balance between my personal and professional career. While I do value professional career growth a lot, but I don’t think people should value it more than life, more than family.

Q5. Which is the biggest challenge you have faced so far? What are your future plans?

The biggest challenge I have faced so far is to survive 8 years of professional career in Kolkata. We all are aware about the job scenario in Kolkata lately and in such a situation, getting the job you want with your desired role, has been tough. However it’s not geographic constraint I am bound to, it’s more of amalgamation of choice and opportunities so far.

Q6. How has the lockdown impacted you as a professional?

Lockdown has impacted us all in some way or other. Professionally I was never exposed to work from home to this extent and now that we all have been forced to embrace this, I am finding it a great tool to increase productivity with a greater work-life balance. The lockdown phase has been a great eye-opener for all business to identify their set of employees who can be trusted, who can take responsibility. We all have seen businesses suffer, surviving, fighting existential crisis. This should make us stronger and better equipped for future. Above all, I would like to mention two things –

1. This pandemic has accelerated digitization to a greater extent & across geography. Probably what would have taken another 10 years’ time to happen; this lockdown has reduced that to 10 odd months. More and more business, people and everyone is now adapting to digital technologies everywhere.
2. The 80nm virus has taught the entire world the importance of health and impact on nature. Now we know what we all can achieve if we change our lifestyle & thus in one way, this has presented us with an opportunity to change for good!

Q7. You have worked across different sectors from telecom to travel to food to AI. What will be your advice to young professionals and MBA students?

My two cents to all young professionals & MBA students would be – 

1. Always keep your focus on learning. New role, new technology, new skills. Just imagine, 20 years back we could not even imagine having a smartphone, 10 years back it was hard to imagine ordering your food online. You never know what would happen in next 5/10 years. Keep yourself updated, constantly learning.
2. Sometimes it’s important to take a pause, step back and introspect; Professional career is a marathon, not a 100 mts race.

Q8. How important is to pursue your passion ? How can our readers connect with you ?

It’s almost everyone’s dream to associate passion with professional life. However very few lucky people can materialize it in real world. I do dream about working someday for Manchester United! 😀 Believe me, if somehow, you get the opportunity to get a job in a company or industry of your passion, don’t think twice, just grab it immediately.

I am not much active in Facebook, but you can always get in touch with me in all other social media profiles.

FB – https://www.facebook.com/abhik.pramanick

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhik-pramanick-09203a24/

Instagram – abhik_pramanick

Q9. Any suggestions for IdeasMakeMarket.com?

This is such an awesome concept and it’s good to know that they have been able to sustain this for so long now. Wish them all the very best, keep growing. Godspeed.

Tags: abhik IIMA success