Sunny Manglani had his eyes set on taking his family business to a higher level and widening its reach. Contrary to popular advice, which suggested that MBA wasn’t required to head down the entrepreneurial road, he decided to take the plunge. He did his PGDM with specialization in Retail Management from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow in 2015. Today the alum tells us how vital the program has been in his entrepreneurial journey. 

Going against popular advice 

Sunny’s family runs a thriving garment business with a retail outlet in Lucknow. His well wishers were of the opinion that a PGDM program wouldn’t necessarily help him with the plans he had for his business. But he decided to go ahead and pursue the program. “I think I have realized the true significance of the program only after I completed it. I realized that education is meant for your all round development. An entrepreneur might not need to have specific knowledge in Finance or HR but MBA makes you a complete package,” he asserts. 

Making a bid to boost the business 

Soon after completing his PGDM from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, Sunny entered his family business. Though technically it’s a second generation business for him, he counts it as a first generation experience because he has much bigger and new plans for it. “My dream is to change the entire operations of the business from traditional to a more modernized and organized setup. I am working on it and also planning to multiply the number of stores. I feel I am confident and equipped for the challenge thanks to my grooming at the B School,” he adds. 

Welcome to the real world 

Sunny admits that life as an entrepreneur is filled with challenges that are very different from his student days. However he misses his student years at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow as they were a stepping stone for what followed. He also remembers being a part of the core committer of the student excellence council, which gave him immense exposure. “I believe the two years at the B School are a huge lesson in crisis management. It’s something you are going to rely on in your corporate career or as an entrepreneur. So learn from every experience you will get here,” he concludes.