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CONTENTS
4
Introduction
5
Preparation for Summers Selection Process
9
Interview Experience
17
Summer’s Experience 2009
69
Summer’s Experience 2008
126
Internship Experience 2009
ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 2

Foreword
This document has been prepared by ICON – the Consulting Club of IIM Bangalore.
The purpose of this document is to assist the students of IIM Bangalore in their preparation for case
interviews conducted by consulting firms during placements.
This case book documents the interview experiences of students across various consulting firms. The
aim of sharing these experiences is to inform students about the case-interview experiences of past
batches, and to accordingly help them prepare for their placements. The experiences listed below
are not necessarily the best way in to handle case interviews. They only serve to give students an
idea as to what to expect when they walk into a case interview. Every individual could have his / her
own unique way of tackling consulting interviews, each of which could be correct.
All contributions to this document are by students of the class of 2010 and 2011 who appeared for
interviews of consulting firms on campus during their summer placements. The interview
experiences are sorted firm-wise.
Special thanks to all the contributors and all the very best to students of the subsequent batches!

1. INTRODUCTION
Consulting industry remains one of the most sought out options to start, and
forge out, a management career across the globe. It presents the unique
combination of solving complex business problems and an opportunity to work
across diverse set of industries.
A host of consulting firms visit IIM Bangalore campus every year for the campus
recruitment process. In recent years, focus has shifted from the final
placements to summers. This shift offers a dual advantage to students
1. Helps students get a flavor of the consulting industry, thus giving an

opportunity to gauge one’s aptitude for consulting and aids informed
decision‐making during the final placements
2. Presents an opportunity to get a PPO (Pre Placement Offer) which
effectively does away with the need for final placements for students
focused on consulting as a career choice
There are over 20 consulting firms participating in the recruitment process at

IIM Bangalore across various domains such as strategy consulting, operations
consulting, IT consulting and analytics. Though the summer selection
processes of these firms might differ slightly in the specifics, it has several
common aspects, thus making it possible to generalize the preparation process
for the same
ICON, the consulting club of IIM Bangalore, in its constant endeavor to

provide IIMB students with valuable insights into the fascinating world of
consulting, has undertaken to develop an exhaustive preparation process
specifically aimed at summer selection for consulting firms. This guide, a part of
this initiative, explores four major consulting firms, namely McKinsey & Co.,
BCG, A T Kearney and Bain & Co.
The objectives of this guide are:
1. To lay down the recommended preparation process for consulting summers

selection
2. To capture interview experiences of consulting summer interns from the
previous year, along with typical questions asked in the interview and
model solutions for select cases
3. To obtain summers experience feedback from consulting summer interns
to help students get first hand information on the kind of work they can expect
during their summers

2. PREPARATION FOR SUMMER’S SELECTION PROCESS
Selection process for consulting firms has several distinct features of its own,
and as such, the preparation for the same demands a differential flavor to it as
well.
The selection procedure for the four major consulting firms explored in this
guide is almost completely based on resumes based short‐listing and a
subsequent elaborate interview process. Only one of these four firms,
McKinsey, conducted an analytical ability test after the resume short‐listing
process; the role it played in the final selection process remains unclear.
Hence, interviews remain the focal point for the preparation process. Below is a
step‐by‐step process for the same, evolved after combining together interview
preparation recommendations from all the summer interns from these
consulting firms.
WHAT TO PREPARE
A typical interview for a consulting firm is a mix of “case” and “fit”.
a. Case Preparation – Cases are arguably the most important aspect of any
consulting interview. A good performance in a case puts you in a very
favorable position with the firm; an excellent one virtually guarantees an
offer.
A typical case is a business situation, requiring strategy formulation in

order to fix a problem or enhance efficiency (optimization). It can vary
from a detailed problem statement, supported by several facts to a
one‐liner conceptual statement with a very broad problem description
along with few, if any, facts available.
Case interviews are designed to help the interviewer assess the

candidate on the following parameters
i. Thinking process – The interviewer constantly evaluates the

candidate as the latter thinks through the problem
ii. Structuring – This involves breaking down the problem into simple,
logical components and structuring a broad approach framework.
iii. Analytical and Quantitative skills – A typical case problem

requires application of basic quantitative concepts, achieved
through an analytical approach to the problem in hand
iv. Demeanor – In addition to the above, interviewer also judges the

candidate on his poise and maturity.
Finally, cases also provide the candidate a flavor of the consulting world
in terms of kind of work they can expect in the industry.
b. Fit Questions – The objective of these questions is to determine the

degree of fit between the candidate and the firm.
This part of the interview serves the following purposes:
i. Helps interviewer know more about the candidate, his life‐story and
ambitions ii. Explore candidate’s interests, and how they “fit”
with those of firms
ii. Assess how coherently the candidate can present himself in a
conversation
In parallel to the above aspects, the candidate is continuously assessed

on his communications skills as well.
Typically, a very good performance in both parts, i.e. case and fit, is
essential for a final offer. Very strong performance in one section
can compensate for average performance in the other to a certain
extent; but a minimum decent show in both aspects of the interview
is mandatory to be considered for the next round/final offer.
HOW TO PREPARE
a. Case Preparation
i. Resources
‐ Wharton’s and Kellogg’s case books available on ICON website
‐ Case examples provided on McKinsey, BCG websites
ii. Case Study group
‐ Typically, a group of 3 – 4 PGP‐I students to discuss cases and

conduct case interviews among themselves.
‐ A thorough preparation of 10‐15 cases is recommended through this

mode.

Ideally, all members should be focused on consulting as the career
option. It ensures consistent, enthusiastic participation from all
members throughout the preparation period.
‐ Diversity/uniformity in academic background and work

experience within a team do not matter
‐ What indeed matters is group dynamics, the amount of trust

members have in each other, so as to pass honest feedback to
others and accept the same in a constructive manner. The
purpose is lost if members do not believe in other members’
sense of judgment and ability to pass on accurate feedback
‐ A couple of cases can be prepared with some other case study

groups to break the monotony and, in the process, obtain varied
feedback
iii. Miscellaneous
‐ Mock interviews and case workshops are also conducted by

PGP‐II students, typically the summer interns from consulting
firms
‐ Self‐study of solved cases, when group activity is not possible, is beneficial
‐ Knowledge of basic statistics, such as population counts, can

prove to be enormously helpful
‐ One should not quit until he or she becomes 100% confident in case
analysis
‐ Sector research, especially those in which interviewers specialize, can

come in handy.
‐ Equally important is to gain basic understanding of the sectors in

which the candidate has undertaken any academic projects in the
past
b. Fit Questions
i. Typical questions preparation
‐ A list of ~40 questions is generally circulated by the Placement

committee towards the end of Term‐I
‐ Interview questions from summer interview process of previous

year should also be prepared. Available in the next section of
this guide
ii. Company Research

It’s recommended to obtain a basic knowledge of the company
operations, its history, culture and vision. It helps in aligning
one’s responses on appropriate lines as well as asking relevant
questions during the interview
‐ Vault guides and other consulting gyaan available on ICON website
‐ Limited help from mentors appointed by consulting firms (for

shortlisted candidates only)
‐ Company’s websites (and neutral sources as Wikipedia!)
WHEN TO PREPARE
a. Case preparation
‐ Case study groups kick in at the start of Term‐II, translating

into 15 – 20 days of preparation before commencement of
summers’ selection process
‐ Forming the group early on saves time and energy spent

unnecessarily in search of appropriate team members later on
b. Fit questions
‐ Preparation of fit questions requires several iterations. Hence,

it is advisable to have the first draft ready as soon as possible
‐ It is recommended to start preparations during the Inter‐term break

(between Term‐I and Term‐II)

3. INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE
The selection process has following stages:
1. Resume short listing
• All heads are looked at, and the base criteria need to be passed in each
of the heads. The base criterion depends on the batch strength and is
not an absolute cut‐off. After crossing the base cut‐off, 1‐2 spikes looked
at. A Spike is defined as a unique attribute in a resume ‐ something that
is not shared by anyone else in the batch
2. Interviews
• Number of interviews varies across candidates and companies
Company No. of interviews

BCG 1‐5
McKinsey Min: 3, Max:5
ATK 3‐5
Bain 2‐6
The interviews for all consulting firms are mostly case based
• These are not stress interviews. The interviewer directs the

candidate through the cases, providing leads and hints
As discussed in the last section, a typical consulting interview has two parts –
“fit” and “case”. Generally, a consulting interview lasts for ~40‐45 minutes, with
following being the breakup
• Fit Interview: 15 – 20 minutes
• Case Interview: 20 – 30 minutes

FIT INTER V I E W
• Fit Interview involves personal questions – Typically of the kind “About

yourself”, “Why do you want to join a consulting firm?” etc
• A typical consulting interview starts with a few personal questions, lasting for 5 – 10
minutes
• This initial phase is used to establish rapport. These questions are used to
gauge whether the candidate fits the company culture
• Personal questions can also be asked during and after the case, hence be
prepared for a question when you are least expecting it
• The interviewer forms an impression of the candidate after going through

the resume and tries to verify it during the interview based on the
candidate’s responses to these questions
• The fit questions are not directly addressed, but are asked through a
chat session, where the interviewer will try to understand the kind of
person one is. You are less likely to be asked direct questions like “How will
you fit in the company culture?” Instead, if a certain consulting firm stresses
on a team culture, you will be judged on how good a team player you are
DOS AND DON’ TS OF A FIT INTER V IEW
DOs:
• Adopt a calm and composed manner throughout the interview –

Consultants spend a lot of time in a direct contact with the client where this
aspect of the personality is very essential
• Be yourself – projecting a false image of being someone else does not work.
The person on the other side of the table is a seasoned player and would
easily spot pretence
• Present a coherent picture of yourself in an articulate manner
• Be confident – Nothing would compensate for shaky responses and a fumbling tone
• Display a good knowledge of the firm, and how it fits in your career goals

• Be honest – Admit if you don’t have knowledge of the topic interviewer wants to
discuss
• Express your own expectations and interests with respect to the firm
DONTs:
• Get defensive when the interviewer presents a counter argument
• Feign interest in subjects just to impress the interviewer – artificial poses don’t carry
weight
• Appear confused about joining a consulting firm – your career aims should be
clearly outlined
• Narrate stories that present contradictory images of who you are
• Appear ignorant about the position or the firm for which you are interviewing
CASE INTERVIEWS:
CASE:
• The case is given as a 3‐5 statement caselet
• The caselet is either number based or strategy based. (Guesstimates

may be given either as a part of number based or strategy based case)
• The caselet gives the objective of the case
APPROACH
• Take 1‐3 minutes to structure your thoughts. You are not judged
on the final solution that you recommend; but on your approach
to solve the problem
• Make sure that you have touched upon all the areas concerned to the problem

• Make the session interactive by asking questions, instead of taking it as a test. The
interviewer would guide you to the solution by giving hints if you approach is wrong
• Industry knowledge is not required ‐ ask them questions about the industry, which
are relevant to the case
• Making assumptions is a necessity ‐ always confirm their validity
• Try to have your own approach to the problem. The standard frameworks can act as
a guideline. They would not like rehearsed problem solving approaches
• Have your own style of how you are going to approach cases (top‐down, bottom‐up
etc.)
• During the course of your interview if interviewer introduces extra information, you
can take time to restructure your approach.
• Industry knowledge on few important sectors as telecom, IT will be helpful.
• Take your mistakes easily. Be calm and try to address the problem based on the
hints provided to rectify any error made.
Parameter Importance
Personal Questions Very Important
Communication Skills Very Important
Approach to problem Solving Very Important
Final Solution To the case Important
Stress Levels Low
Guidance by the Interviewer Medium
Sample Cases
Caselet: A Mobile Handset Manufacturing Company, that has 60% market share want to
strengthen their position and understand where the growth will come from in the next 5 years.
Candidate(C): The market can be broadly classified on two parameters:
• GSM/CDMA
• Organised/Unorganised
Out of these, in India, a large part of the market is captured by the organized GSM
segment.
Interviewer (I): Your assumption is correct. The client manufactures only GSM handsets.
So let’s consider only the organized GSM market.
C: Within GSM, we can segment the market according to
• The price of the handsets (Low end to high end)
• The technology of the handsets
But the technology of the handsets is parallel to its cost.
I: Fair assumption. Use the price parameter
C: Looking at the price parameter, the handsets can be divided into:
• Advanced Handsets: typical high priced handsets with PDA, e‐mail etc.
• Middle Level: Handsets with good features like colour display, camera etc.
• Entry Level: These are basic low priced handsets (B/W display, no
additional features) which a customer would buy initially when he starts
using a mobile phone
The urban market is currently saturated; people are currently in the middle level segment and
will move on to the advanced handset segment.
The growth can come from the entry level market, if the rural market is targeted for the entry
level handsets.
I: The rural market is huge in India. How will you identify the potential customers?
C: We could evaluate the rural areas on three parameters:
1. Purchase power
These could be the rural areas which either have a rich

agricultural base or have industrial areas.
2. Need for mobile phones
a. The need for mobile phones already exists in most

regions. It will also occur in similar places. So a right
target will be a place which has the need and also the
money to afford it.
b. Places like Punjab, where farmers are prosperous; or

Surat, where they have industrial areas, can be the
targets, as people will have the need as well as the
money to afford the mobile phones
3. Network Coverage by service provider
a. Currently there is good network coverage from

service providers at all urban joints. So if we target
the rural areas adjoining the urban areas, even these
will have coverage, which means it will be easier to get
coverage for these handsets
I: Are there any other rural areas apart from the ones in proximity of urban points which can be
targeted?
C: We could also include the rural areas adjoining the highways and railway
networks which have complete connectivity. These areas will automatically have
good connectivity too.
I: That should be fine.
PRACTICE CASES
• A Mobile Handset Manufacturing Company, which has 60% market

share want to strengthen their position and understand where the growth
will come from in the next 5 years
• A foreign bank wants to start credit card business in India. What options
would you suggest?
• An upcoming BPO wants to understand the manpower crunch (Supply is less
than demand) in the next five years
• An Indian youth channel wants to start a new music magazine. Is it a good
venture?
• A VC firm needs market size for institutions for music and creative skills (on
similar lines of NIIT for computer skills)
• Increasing efficiency and reducing costs for a call centre setup
• Selling strategy for condensed milk and packaged milk products in India
• Infosys is starting BPO services, how would you control the attrition rate?
• Estimate the market for platinum and diamond jewellery in India for a
European company.
• Feasibility of a corrugated cardboard carton manufacturer going into the
paper business (profitability analysis)
• A Telecom call‐center BPO couldn’t cope up with the amount of calls it was
getting. Figure out the multiple problems ailing the company and generate
methods to solve all of them
• There is a coffee shop on the ground floor of a 40 floor building. Guess its
monthly revenue
• A call centre wants to cut costs by 10 percent. What are the measures?
• Entertainment company in music, is planning to launch a magazine. Data
given such as expected readership of other magazines, industry growth,
competitor prices
• New heart hospital in New Delhi. It would cost X to set it up. What would be
the break‐even time for it?
• Call centre – cut costs per employee by 0.65$
• Tractor company is losing sales. 2 minute case. Write 5 possible reasons
• Chain of stores was losing business, identify the problem
• Petrol pumps, set up on highways. Suddenly, revenues were going down.
What might be possible reasons?
• How would you make quizzing a national pastime? You are a consultant to
the government
• Movie producer has come to you with four scripts. You need to choose one.
Which one and why? What are the parameters you will use to evaluate?
• Confectionary major is planning to get into India. Should he buy a factory that
is on offer, or should he enter on his own?
• TEM of mobile phones. Sales of your handsets have gone down. Your dealer
says that this is because competitors’ prices are better. What do you do?
• How much investment is required in infrastructure in India in the next 5‐6
years
• An Indian private bank wants to go global. Which countries should it focus on
and what should be its strategy?
• How much time would it take a 100 bed heart care hospital to break even
and how many customers would they require to do so
• A box manufacturing company which made a better quality cardboard box (at
a higher cost) as compared to local manufacturers. Analyze ways in which
they could cut costs and communicate the value proposition of their
product
• Various options that could be explored for a potential market entry
(acquisitions, tie‐ups, green‐field etc) of an international chocolate and
confectionery manufacturer in India.
• A mobile handset manufacturer which had a leading position in the

market but its retailers were threatening to shift to other brands because
they weren’t making as much money on the sale of this brand. Examine
possible reasons for this and suggest ways to overcome the problem
• Market Entry Strategy Case in Retail. Develop a 2 by 2 framework to evaluate
the prospects of 3 lines of retail business – Baby Care Products, Soft Clothing
like screens, bed spreads etc and Leather Accessories
• Guesstimate – demand for a Mosquito repellant band that can be worn on
the hand in India

4. SUMMER’S EXPERIENCE 2009
Company: A T Kearney Area Applied For: Management Consulting

Name: Abhimanyu Sahai Education (degree, college): B.Tech, IIT Delhi
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: ZS Associates
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Covering Letter (Y / N): N
Application Form (Y / N): N
Written Test (Y / N): N
Interviews
Stage No. Crucial Questions

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Guesstimate: Estimate the demand for natural gas in India.
– Major questions asked etc I decided to estimate based on major uses, one of which was
as a power-generation fuel. So the question turned to how
would you choose between a Coal-based and natural gas-
based power plant? And on the question of use as a
transport fuel, how would you estimate its demand as a
transport fuel in Delhi?
What went right / wrong? Choosing between Coal-based and natural gas-based plant:
Most important factor to consider was efficiency of the fuel.
Otherwise, listing all the major factors in choosing between
the fuels was important too: Cost of setting up specialised
plant, depreciation, maintenance, fuel prices, regulatory
practice for clean fuel etc. To estimate demand as transport
fuel, I began from number of buses in Delhi, estimated
average operating distance per bus and consumption of
natural gas per km (mileage). Also take into account autos,
and a small percentage of private vehicle owners who might
be tempted to convert to natural gas, subject to fuel costs
and engine overhaul costs.
Any other comments Purely case-based interview, no personals were asked.
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Case: Your client wants to purchase an aircraft. He can go in
– Major questions asked etc for a propeller plane or a jet plane. How will you help him to
choose?
What went right / wrong? Ask for major uses of aircraft. Answer: broad-based. Can be
used for chartered tourism, parcel services, goods hauling

etc. Then list all the advantages of one versus the other. Lots
of factors would come into play, but two were the most
important: Time taken (propeller aircrafts are slower) would
affect demand for corporate shuttling services, while runway
infrastructure (length and paved or unpaved) would affect
ability to operate in far-flung airfields. Bad thing was I
skimmed over both the time and infrastructure aspects
without specifying runway and corporate tourism, while
good thing was that I got it instantly when he said “you’re
missing out on two very important factors”.
Any other comments The first 15 minutes were an HR chat, and the interviewer, a
partner at Kearney, was very friendly. Asked about my
hobbies, staying at home vs. staying in hostel etc. Then he
suddenly turned slightly cold as he gave me the case. Might
have been mild stress, but nothing overtly so.
Please answer appropriately if you think the company paid attention to any of the following:
(1 – Least important to 5 – Most important). Please bold / underline the option you wish to select:
 Work Experience 1 2 3 4 5
 Past Academic Performance, Projects 1 2 3 4 5
 Hobbies, Interests, Achievements 1 2 3 4 5
 Area / Industry Awareness 1 2 3 4 5
 Stress in the Interview 1 2 3 4 5

Company: A T Kearney Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Mohamed Afsal Majeed Education (degree, college): B.Tech, NITC
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Analog Devices India Pvt. Ltd.
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Interviews
Phase No. Procedure Remarks

1 Case Interview 5 rounds; 2.5 hours

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Guesstimate: Demand for Cooking Gas(non-LPG) in Bangalore
– Major questions asked etc Personals: Hobbies
What went right / wrong? Cracked the Case. Considered all factors
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Guesstimate: Demand for Diapers in South India.
– Major questions asked etc Business Case: How should a client(diaper manufacturer)
operating in West India try to enter the market in South
India
What went right / wrong? Disaster!!! Screwed Up all the estimates. But the Case was
fairly OK
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview Guesstimate: No. Of mobile subscribers in Bangalore
– Major questions asked etc Term 1 courseware: Favourite Course in Term1 (I picked
ME). What is Giffen Good?
Personals: Why Consulting? Why ATK?
What went right / wrong? Followed a good structure for Guesstimates.
Fortunate enough to recall what was taught in Term1
4
Brief Description of Case / Interview Business Case: A client offering small aircrafts at lease.
– Major questions asked etc Should he choose a propeller engine or Jet?
General Gyaan: Opinion about Kerala Model of Development
What went right / wrong? Though I took the wrong approach initially, I was able to
crack it with some help
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview Personals: Why Consulting? Why ATK? Strengths,

– Major questions asked etc Weaknesses, Passion, Another passion, What value can
you add to ATK? How are you different from other
applicants?
General Gyaan: Pick a sector (I picked Semiconductor).
What is photovoltaic cell? Why is it relevant now?
Pick another sector (I picked Telecom).
Fate of Telecom sector. Three reasons why I should Invest in
Airtel. Three reasons why I shouldn’t. So should I invest?
What went right / wrong? Had a fair idea about both the sectors; produced some good
points.
Please answer appropriately if you think the company paid attention to any of the following (1 –
Least important to 5 – Most important). Please bold / underline the option you wish to select:

Company: A T Kearney Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Nishant Nishchal Education (degree, college): B.Tech(ECE), NIT
Warangal
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Freescale Semiconductor India Pvt.
Ltd.
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Interviews

1. 4 case based interviews with All the interviews started with few personal
personal questions asked in questions followed by cases. Cases were real life
between cases based on the area of work of the
interviewer. Cases were based mostly on
strategy with a bit of number crunching. Market
entry seemed to be the favourite, and for that it
was important to consider varied angles and
possibilities.

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview 1) Tell me about yourself.
– Major questions asked etc 2) Why consulting.
3) Case: An Oil and Gas company is planning to expand its
presence in India. Was asked to evaluate the market at
Bangalore. Was then asked to give out the complete
strategy that the company should adopt to establish itself at
this city
4) Was asked to identify the most important bottle-neck in
the strategy that I had proposed.
What went right / wrong? Rights: The evaluation part went great for the market size. I
had taken 2 possible markets and the values I got were
approximately equal to their real life estimate. The strategy
was appreciated too.
Wrongs: Missed a possible market for the company
Any other comments Do not worry at all if you know zilch about the sector for
which the case has been given. Apply common sense and
use your real life experiences.

2
Brief Description of Case / Interview 1) Tell me about yourself.
– Major questions asked etc 2) Why ATK
3) Case: Market entry strategy for a businessman who wants
to start a business of selling second hand Rolex watches.
What went right / wrong? Rights: Went really well. Took into account all the possibilities
that needed to be evaluated. Wrongs: None
Any other comments It is okay to disagree with the interviewer if you are sure that
your line of logic is correct. I did so and trust me it does no
harm. Just be polite and put your point across.
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview 1) Case: HDFC Bank is thinking of opening a branch at
– Major questions asked etc Bannerghatta Road. Evaluate.
What went right / wrong? Rights: The structure was important in this case as the
interviewer was not interested in going into details. The
interviewer approved of the structure that I had made.
Wrongs: Tried to go into details of a couple of things and the
interviewer had to stop me.
Any other comments None
4
Brief Description of Case / Interview 1) Tell me about your college experience.
– Major questions asked etc 2) Why consulting as a career.
3) Few things about cricket.
4) Few questions about my work experience
5) Case: (Saw my resume which had quite some amount of
work on the semiconductor industry) Was asked how would
I evaluate whether a company should enter in the
Semiconductor industry or not
What went right / wrong? Rights: Went really well. Got a bit lucky I must say. One, I
had worked a fair bit in the semiconductor industry, and
two, I had been working on an ICON project for a
semiconductor company where we were evaluating the
ecosystem. So spoke for around 15 minutes on the industry
and there were no questions in between or after.
Wrongs: None
Any other comments Be thorough with personals.
Please answer appropriately if you think the company paid attention to any of the following
(1 –Least important to 5 – Most important). Please bold / underline the option you wish to select:

Company: Alvarez & Marsal Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Nobal Preet Singh Education (degree, college): B.Tech, IITR
Work-Ex (months): 46 Company: ST Microelectronics Pvt. Ltd.
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Interviews (please answer in as much detail as possible)

1 Only one round of interview Personals and a small case based interview

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Started with ‘Tell me about yourself’
– Major questions asked etc
What went right / wrong?
Any other comments
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview There was a small case after that on ‘A manufacturing
– Major questions asked etc company is facing some profitability issues. You are going to
meet the management of the company for the first time.
What all aspects would you study/consider before meeting
them’?
What went right / wrong? I tried to structure and exhaust all possible things needed to
be considered. The interviewer then picked up one option
and asked me to further analyse it.
Any other comments Was a very open ended case without any details of even the
product or industry. They were only looking for the structure
to the case solution.
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview In the third part of the interview I asked them few questions
– Major questions asked etc about the company and their projects etc.
Any other comments


Company: Alvarez & Marsal Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Shekhar Gurav Education (degree, college): BE from VJTI
Work-Ex (months): 22 Company: Deloitte Consulting
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 Single Interview Both personals and Case combined

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Focus on personals was evident
– Major questions asked etc Two cases: 1. From my work-ex: Was asked that if a co wants
to implement SAP, how should I consult them?
2. Strategy case: Was asked to suggest a pricing strategy for
a huge FMCG company i.e. to earn profits through better
pricing alone
What went right / wrong? Strong Personals.
Any other comments The cases were not like the ones we practice for consults.
They were abstract and used for testing how many angles
you can explore.

Company: Bain & Company Area Applied For: Consultancy
Name: D Deepthi Education (degree, college): B Tech, IIT
Kharagpur
Work-Ex (months): Nil Company: N.A.
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Covering Letter (Y / N): Y

Cover letter & Resume Dinner Be truthful, interact with seniors, be personal
3 case interviews, 1 with partner Try and meet everyone and clear your doubts
1. Checked for structure,
2. Ability to generate ideas, options
3. Ability to take decisions and present
before client

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview VC is looking for investing in an internet services firm.
– Major questions asked etc Should he or not?
What went right / wrong? Structure. After I listed down the structure, the interviewer
asked me to focus on three areas. So it was very helpful and
time saving
Any other comments They are very nice people. Try to make you comfortable and
break the ice
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview US pharmaceutical distributor wants to enter India. What
– Major questions asked etc should they do? How should they enter if at all they should
What went right / wrong? It took me some time to figure out that he was looking for
other ways to enter India than just a distributor, but I came
up with the right answer. Math part was being checked. I
was very much prepared for this and did not hesitate to get
to numbers.
Any other comments
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview US based company, Path Labs, wants to come to India. Three
– Major questions asked etc types of labs. Explore each one. Should they enter? Make a
one minute pitch for the client

What went right / wrong? Structure and fast thinking
Any other comments This was with the partner and he liked my confidence and
my answer to why consulting and why not consulting( tricky
one –be prepared)
No. 1 would be case solving skills

Company: Bain & Company Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Maithri B Education (degree, college): BCA, Stella Maris
Work-Ex (months): 34 Company: Father’s company, Infosys
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 4 rounds – 4 cases + bit of No stress in any of the interviews. The
personals in the last 2 rounds interviewers were very encouraging.

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Case was about whether a PE firm should invest in a co that
– Major questions asked etc has come out with new WiMesh technology for internet
services that has not been provided elsewhere in the world.
What went right / wrong? What went right was that I asked all possible right questions
and my solution matched with what the firm actually did.
What went wrong was that there were a few aspects of the
technology where I made assumptions and I shouldn’t have.
(was told by the interviewer of the same too  )
Any other comments
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview A pathology lab based in the US is looking to enter India.
– Major questions asked etc They have 3 different units. Should they enter India, and if
they do, what kind of entry strategy should they use.
What went right / wrong? Right – My structure was the best for this case, as well as my
option generation. Most of the parts the interviewer wanted
me to expand upon involved only option generation. Wrong
– nothing I can think of.
Any other comments
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview PE firm looking to evaluate an investment in a for- profit
– Major questions asked etc education company.
What went right / wrong? Right – My structure helped again, I could pick the areas to
go in depth into and validated them with strong reasons.
The case as more to do with reasoning out why I was
choosing one option over the rest. Was also asked a couple

of personals at the beginning , which went well. Wrong –
Can’t think of anything, the interviewer was very
encouraging and didn’t stop me anywhere.
Any other comments Personals – Tell me about yourself, what are your interests
4
Brief Description of Case / Interview US based distributor of pharma drugs is facing a profitability
– Major questions asked etc issue due to problems with supply chain. Was asked to find
out the problem. Then case was extended to whether the
firm should enter India or not- do an analysis. Was also
asked a few personals.
What went right / wrong? Right – I cracked the supply chain problem reasonably well.
The case was number intensive but I handled it well. The
personals went really well as I was enthusiastic about what I
said. Wrong – I did not understand what I was asked to look
at in a few places. So had to stop at points and re do my
options and calculations. Option generation was the worst
for this case. I think the interviewer gave more options than
I put down!
Any other comments Personals – Again, what my areas of interest are, what
motivates me, why I chose to work in my father’s company,
about the work I did there.

Company: Bain & Company Area Applied For:
Name: Tejasvi Ravi Education (degree, college): B.Com, Stella Maris
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 3 case interviews

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Evaluate an investment in a for-profit education company
What went right / wrong? Right : Setting a structure to it. Asking questions covering all
aspects of demand, growth, competition, etc. Just checking
thought processes.
Wrong: Nothing obvious
Any other comments Standard profitability and sustainability case.
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Market entry of a US clinical lab company into the Indian
– Major questions asked etc Market.
What went right / wrong? Right: hitting on customer segmentation and how to target
each segment separately. Motivations for entry were
different and it was a test of business judgement.
Any other comments
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview Evaluating different pricing strategies for an excavator
– Major questions asked etc company
What went right / wrong? Right: Analysis of what factors would affect pricing and the
customer perception of different pricing strategies.
Any other comments Highly number intensive case


Name: B. Prashant Education (degree, college): B.Tech NIT Trichy
Work-Ex (months): 11 Company: Texas Instruments
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1-3 3 Case Interviews

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Started with questions regarding life changing experiences,
– Major questions asked etc and some things I have learned out of it. General questions
about how I was doing (my face probably told him I was not
doing great at all). But gave me enough time to settle down
completely- made sure I was ready, and then gave me the
case.
This case was about a for-profit company working in the arts

and crafts training sector. Analyze the market for the sector,
while laying emphasis on how I should forecast trends for
the next few years. I was told to add all the details I must to
the case as I proceeded, by making relevant assumptions.
- So I started by giving details regarding the work the

company could possibly be doing. Said they could be
into pottery making, artisanship, painting, bangle
making, weaving, cookery, sculpting etc.
- Geographic spread to consider: made an assumption
that this works only in Bangalore.
- For the purpose of the analysis, I considered only
the market for sculpting.
- Factors that could affect market trends I could point
out were- population growth (immigrant and local),
income trends, government policies and grants to
the sector, employment opportunities post the
course, presence of art fairs and emporia, exports,

tourism related sales, patronage trends, tie ups with
a major brand that could help promote the
products, availability of staff to teach.
- For the forecast bit, I suggested using regression
analysis that could relate sales in the last several
years to some of the factors listed out.
- Was asked at this stage to tell me what would
happen if I said next year only the population of the
state were to change, with no significant change in
the other parameters. So I said, we could probably
do a dy/dx and then if delta x was small enough then
we could find the product and that would be the
overall change to the equation. Shree seemed
satisfied with this explanation.
- Was asked to list out all factors that I shall have to
consider before investing. I said I shall look at the
cash flows, growth potential, sustainability, the
investment (initial and routine), the risks involved
that would determine the discounting, the gestation
period, the opportunity cost of capital and the
window of the investment itself.
- For the costs involved, was asked to list out which
ones were fixed and which of these were variable.
Then was asked to do a preliminary revenue-cost
analysis. And was asked if it would be a good thing
to invest in such a business. I did some back of the
envelope calculations (once again I was told I
wouldn’t be given any figures, and I could go ahead
and make my assumptions). Did some rough
calculations, and said beyond a breakeven point, the
industry seemed a great place to be in. So, if we
could ensure we could have a minimum number of
enrolments, we could go ahead.
- Was asked about the nature of the fixed and
variable costs involved in this industry- my guess as
to the ratio of the two.
- Focus on recommendations to look at for improving
the profits.
- Asked me to give a quick one minute summary of
what we had spoken about and we were done.
What went right / wrong? - I was nervous to begin with- it was amazing I had an
interviewer who chose not to rip me apart there,
since that would have been awfully easy. Instead he
let me settle down, and gather my thoughts before
proceeding.
- Very offbeat case (was it one?), was allowed
complete control over what was going on- and
allowed to take the direction I wanted to.
- He seemed happy about my understanding of

regression (helped that we had just finished going
through with that for the midterms).
- Recommendations and cost consideration aspects
were strong and the first principles analysis to
whether to invest or not.
- A precise one minute summary.
Any other comments Good overall feel to the interview. The first interview
seemed like it was to get me grafted into the Bain process.
Interviewer was genuinely friendly and sincere. And we had
a lot to smile about right through.
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Started off with the standard ‘Why Consulting’ question
– Major questions asked etc (finally). Helped that I had a script- which I stuck to, without
being interrupted. Covered multiple possibilities, all of which
I managed to tie it down to the nature of work I have been
doing all along, and how it simply fit into the larger scheme
of things for me.
General questions about monopoly and about which

monopolies I was familiar with. I mentioned Microsoft,
Google, natural monopolies, Tata and Ashok Leyland in large
trucks in India, CHEP (??- he was interested though in finding
out what they were into and stuff-ranted on for while about
the work they did), Boeing and Airbus etc. Started
wondering after these. Thankfully Phil seemed happy
enough with the answer, though it seemed very routine.
Then he asked me about ground drilling and about a

manufacturer who was very famous for manufacture of that
kind of equipment. Mentioned Caterpillar.
This case then was about Caterpillar that was thinking of

reducing its price for some equipment from its current costs,
in an effort to increase its share over Hitachi, its closest
competitor market and mind share wise in the industry for
heavy equipment. List out the factors you shall consider
beforehand and then start your analysis.
- Brief questions about the industry itself

- Who are the market players and what their shares
are in the market. How has the market size itself
been growing?
- What is the life of the equipment?
- Mentioned about dealership model that Caterpillar
uses- about whether any changes have been seen in
that model of late- was told there were no changes
that had been made there.
- Then started off with the new price for the
Caterpillar equipment, and did a COGS analysis to

see if they still were making profits if they sold at the
new price without disturbing the dealer margins.
- Asked him the expected increase in the number of
new customers
- Mentioned about the consequent increase in spares
parts and after sales service the company shall enjoy
over the lifetime of the equipment, and that this
also needs to be factored in. Was given a percentage
of the revenue to work this figure out.
- At this stage was asked to draw out the graphical
analysis for a monopoly, and asked to explain using
graphs the situation. Spoke briefly about elasticity.
- Asked him if the COGS would need some revision
since there were greater economies of scale- and I
think that might have clinched this. Phil told me that
the cost of production would come down by a
percentage if we could sustain production at the
expected level of sales. So revised the profits based
on this.
- At this stage, I decided I shall conclude, when he told
me I need to consider the risk of what could happen
if the increase did not take place. I mentioned the
cost of unutilized factory resources, and about the
investment that might be lying idle. He seemed
happy enough, and asked me to summarize the case
here.
What went right / wrong? - He seemed very happy with a polished, albeit
rehearsed ‘why consulting’ answer
- Ate a lot into the real interview time discussing
monopolies and stuff
- Missed data that he had given once, asked for it
again, was reminded I had the data with me already
(I was numb by then mostly)
- He liked my understanding of the Caterpillar model
- The aspect about economies of scale was a catch he
liked- eyes lit up as I mentioned this.
- Not considering the risk involved was a miss, though,
he seemed okay with reminding me about this
- Was not listening enough (feedback given) and was
very talkative right through, to the point I was
missing out on inputs being given
Any other comments Non standard interview, since it had questions that I did not
expect at all up front. But in sync with the overall philosophy
of making the interviewee comfortable and drawing him out
slowly and steadily.
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview This case is about a diagnostic healthcare giant from the
– Major questions asked etc United States who was planning to enter India. The firm was
essentially into three businesses- retail laboratory chain,

drug testing and hospital laboratories. The first is the labs
we see on the roadside, the second is where the clinical drug
efficacy trials take place and the third is where you have
some labs that set up shop inside the hospital and get
patients to take their tests in house (hence pay a
commission for every patient they receive from the
hospital). Evaluate the Indian opportunity and decide
whether the company should invest. If it should, which arm
should it invest in? List out the factors you shall consider
first.
- Essentially, I told him that we could look at each

separately, and I would choose to look at retail
diagnostics, and then would look to modify the
earnings scheme when it comes (extrapolate) to the
hospital allied scheme and finally consider the drug
testing arm.
- Should we go into urban or rural areas?
- What are the FDI norms (are they applicable here)?
What are the other regulations that come under the
purview of the government when it comes to
healthcare?
- Disease pool that they need to deal with, pollution
and occupation hazards in the patient catchment
areas
- Since we’re dealing with a premium diagnostic
healthcare brand from the US, the line to consider
would be something for the urban areas- location
becomes important- threw in the thing about the
petrol pump effect- about how it is important to
choose a central location- the game theory concept
of how people might walk over to the closer
laboratory, if they have to take a relatively simple
test. This was a gamble.
- Will the equipment be contracted / leased or do
they have their own equipment that they
manufacture? Was told they manufacture their own
equipment.
- The import duties- how they shall apply on the
equipment that shall be brought over.
- The cost of reagents and how they might have
duties applicable on them as well.
- Any new R&D costs that might have to be incurred
- Income levels of the patients here compared to the
income levels in the US.
- Less stringent norms here applicable to the industry
when we compare the norms laid down by the FDA
and the Indian counterparts.
- The state government in the US insures through its

various schemes many patients and allows them to
recover the expenses, here that provision is not fully
in. So this could make a difference.
- The possibility of the government stepping in to
build a nationwide diagnostic chain, instead of
providing state insurance for the diagnosis.
- Risk of consolidation- right now highly fragmented
with few national brands in the sector.
What went right / wrong? - Even as I was mentioning all of these, it worked out
well that Ashish asked me to continue working on
the case, and excused himself
- Was a good thing he stopped there, since I was
losing structure, tired after seven rounds that day
- Was considering a lot of factors, which I was
throwing at him- little underlying structure holding it
together, could have put down all the factors neatly.
- Started off well, and picked up the arm I thought I
could do the most with
- The petrol pump example was appreciated by
Ashish, as was the awareness and presence to
include reagent costs and the insurance models in
the two countries
- Started doodling once Ashish was gone- was very
tired by then with the cases.
Any other comments Should have maintained composure through this interview-
felt I was falling behind with the sharpness and quality of
structuring and thinking. It could have helped if I had defined
the tree I was trying to draw out.

Name: Varun Saini Education (degree, college): B.Sc, Goa
University
Work-Ex (months): 70 Company: Indian Navy
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 Case Interview Market Entry
2 Case Interview Company Expansion
3 Case Interview Numbers

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Market entry case for a US based path lab. The interviewer
– Major questions asked etc wanted to concentrate on the positioning and marketing
aspects.
What went right / wrong? Covered all aspects of the case well.
Any other comments Few Personal questions regarding work ex were asked
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Expansion strategy for an educational institution. Had to
– Major questions asked etc develop a plan for expansion. The interviewer kept
introducing new constraints in the case.
What went right / wrong? Felt that could have gone more into details.
Any other comments
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview Numbers case regarding an excavator company. Had to
– Major questions asked etc calculate how the profits keep shifting as the selling price
and manufacturing costs are changed simultaneously.
What went right / wrong? Fumbled up the numbers a bit, but came back on track
quickly.
Any other comments


Company: Booz & Company Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Madhulika Kaul Education (degree, college): B.E., P.E.C.
Work-Ex (months):Nil Company: N.A.
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 Case Interview Typical Case Interview
2 Interview Focus on Economy

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview First round was about a market entry case of a joint venture
– Major questions asked etc between a mineral water company and a dairy company in
10 different countries. The case started with focus on the
generic factors for selecting the country and then using India
as an example. The case went into quite some detail
including deciding the feasibility of the entry depending on
the numbers. Finally, I was required to give a 30-second
elevator pitch to the CEO of the company about entering the
market or not. I was also asked why consulting and if I
wanted to ask any questions.
What went right / wrong? I think I gave all my answers confidently, promptly
confirming any assumptions that I was making. In the end, I
utilised the interaction to ask more about the firm.
Any other comments Case interview practice helped both with seniors and with
classmates.
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview The second round was with the Partner who asked me to
– Major questions asked etc justify my MBA given that I’m a fresher. Then I was asked to
suggest 4 major trends in the Indian economy in the next 5
years and my contribution to it. There was no case.
What went right / wrong? I think I was able to conduct a good dialogue with the
partner and justify my answers well.
Any other comments


Name: Sriram C Education (degree, college): B.Tech (ECE)
NIT Trichy
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 Two interviews One was a case and the other was a good
(Partner and India CEO) discussion on several issues. Around 30-35
minutes each.

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview A global packaged mineral water brand merged with a dairy
– Major questions asked etc products company recently. Should it enter India (for dairy
Products)?
It was a very interactive discussion with very little ink

wasted. The focus was on figuring out the drivers for the
dairy products market in India and later shifted to checking
whether India is the best destination.
What went right / wrong? Right – The comfort level with the partner and the case.
Any other comments
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview -The day zero process | recession and the company turnout
– Major questions asked etc -My interests | why consulting/Booz
- Why Bain?  (the other firm I had a shortlist from)
-How would an internship at Booz be different from other
firms
-What would be my dream project at Booz (Which turned
out to be an almost-case)
-General outlook for consulting in a few sectors
(governments/oil/aviation etc)
What went right / wrong? Right –Almost everything. We spoke at length about
governance and I guess my interest showed.
Any other comments


Name: Tejas Dave Education (degree, college): B.S.EE (University of
Texas, Dallas)
Work-Ex (months): 16 Company: Q Investments
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Interview was with the partner. There was no case
– Major questions asked etc administered during this round. It was a discussion on the
current status of Indian economy. Thereafter he wanted my
opinion on which are the sectors that show promise in the
next 3-5 years and what would be the driving factors as well
as impediments for progress. Background questions
regarding my education experience in USA and some
discussion on my work experience. The interview lasted for
about 30-35 minutes
What went right / wrong? There were times during the interview where I found it
difficult to come up with adequate reasons to back my
claims. The good thing was that it was more of a
conversation as opposed to an interview.
Any other comments Have some questions ready to ask at the end of the
interview
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Interview started with the usual “Tell me about yourself”
– Major questions asked etc Thereafter we discussed a case about a MNC bottled water
company having recently acquired a dairy company in Africa.
It wants to enter the dairy business and the task was to
suggest 10 countries in emerging economies that they can
enter and the parameters that need to be kept in mind while
deciding. The case ended with having to make a 2 line
recommendation to the CEO about their business prospects.
What went right / wrong? I missed some case facts early on which required the

interviewer to repeat them. However, half way through the
case we just switched to a qualitative discussion about the
company and its prospects.
Any other comments Conversational, no stress involved.

Company: Boston Consulting Group Area Applied For: Summer Intern- Consulting
Name: V Harikumar Education (degree, college): B.Tech Electronics
(VJTI)
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

Two interviews in all. Each The interviewers were very pleasant and take
interview started with a general pains to put you at ease. Smile and look relaxed.
question followed by a case Speak well. Communication skills matter.
followed by a chat with the
partner.

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview In my first interview, I was asked about my extra-curricular
– Major questions asked etc record which had impressed them. They asked me how I’ve
managed to maintain the balance so far and what I’ve done
in IIM B since I’ve joined. This was followed by a case on a
capital equipment manufacturer suffering losses. The case
basically had no clear-cut solution and the key was to
understand that the fault was with the company’s policy of
compromising on quality. The idea was to cover each
department and understand where the fault was.
What went right / wrong? The case went well. I covered all basics slowly but
thoroughly. Throughout I maintained composure and
stresses on good communication, which I think worked in
my favour.
Any other comments Although the interviewer tried confusing me once in
between, I kept cool and got to the conclusion. He was
happy and later we had a chat about similar such companies
he had worked for. I basically used the case as a tool to carry
on the conversation.
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview This one also started with an HR question. I was asked about
– Major questions asked etc what made me special from the remaining candidates on

campus. I gave a convincing answer. Try and make it as
different as possible. The case was on a health insurance
company suffering a fall in revenues. I did not have a very
good idea on the insurance sector and proceeded by asking
the basic questions.
What went right / wrong? The case involved quite a bit of calculations and I ensured I
did not goof up even if I was a little slow. I raised a point in
the case which was not required but still managed to
impress him. So, try and think about the case from a
complete angle. This will give you a lot of points, which even
if not necessary, shows you are thorough. I finally got to the
solution in around 10-15 minutes.
Any other comments I talked to the interviewer for quite some time even after
the interview about his life and work at BCG. Try and engage
in pleasant conversation as much as possible.

Company: Boston Consulting Group Area Applied For: Summer Intern- Consulting
Name: Gandharv Bakshi Education (degree, college): B.Tech CSc, IIT
Madras
Work-Ex (months): 46 Company: Tejas Networks
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

Case Interviews -2

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Case on Transportation of 5-year old Indian heavy
– Major questions asked etc equipment (useful for construction) manufacturer. Had Sales
in India and abroad and yet was running out of cash. Why?
What can be done?
What went right / wrong? Rights – wrote structure on paper, thought aloud, added
insights from my own experience.
Any other comments
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Case on a Mobile Handset manufacturer – Wanted a
– Major questions asked etc practical way to identify villages to target for its rural sales.
What went right / wrong? Rights – Considered all aspects (Demand, ease of setting
distribution channel etc.)
Wrongs – couldn’t come up with a satisfactory way of
measuring how ‘easy to reach’ a village might be for
distribution.
Any other comments The case was different in terms of it not fitting into any
existing structure.


Company: Deloitte Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Vikas Hinger Education (degree, college): B.Tech, NIT Calicut
Work-Ex (months): 24 Company: IBM India Private Limited
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 3 interviews 1. First, a case interview (panel of 2)
2. A fit interview (Panel of 1)
3. A telephonic interview (I had a case in this
round too)

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Started off with ‘About Me’ and a few questions based on
– Major questions asked etc what I said. Then it was a case based on a Pharma company
looking to enter into a new market and three questions
based on that. Start off by picking up cued from the case and
building on them. The panelists guided me in the right
direction and I think I asked relevant questions.
What went right / wrong? The fact that I asked questions at each stage went right. In
fact, I made a mistake and when the panellist pointed out, I
accepted it and corrected it. I kept ‘talking’.
Hadn’t practised cases. I wasn’t very confident with a case
interview. Could have given a better structure.
Any other comments Do practice cases from any of the case books available on
DC. Don’t blank out. Keep asking if you are in doubt. They
are not looking at the solution but the approach
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Had to wait for more than an hour before the second round.
– Major questions asked etc A fit interview. General questions like, ‘Walk me through
your resume’, ‘How are you fit in a consultant’s role’, ‘What
are you looking for in an internship’,
‘Strengths/Weaknesses’. A bit of stress, I would say
What went right / wrong? I was frank. Did not cook up stuff. I think I could have been
more articulate.
Any other comments Prepare answers but do not shoot them across. The panellist

will try to probe you on these questions. Also, do not give
open ended answers. Keep smiling... 
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview Again a 20 minute break... A telephonic interview. I heard
– Major questions asked etc from the previous candidates that it would be a fit interview
again. However, after the basic introduction, I was given a
guesstimate. I was taken aback, but gave an approach. He
stopped me in between and that was the end of the round. I
thought that I did not do well.
What went right / wrong? I took it as a conversation.
Any other comments Be prepared for anything as in the previous year there were
hardly any fit interviews and the cases were based on
financial cases. Don’t fake anything.

Name: Nishant Ojha Education (degree, college): B.Tech, IIT Kgp.
Work-Ex (months): 59 Company: TELCON
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

round too)

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview The first round was a case interview round. The case given
– Major questions asked etc was that of a Pharmaceutical company which is mainly into
medicines and medical equipments. It is seriously
considering the option of entering into the Vaccine market.
Now, you have been hired to help the organisation take a
decision on this issue, taking all the critical factors into
account. Within a minute or two, I had listed down some of
the key factors following which I kept asking him questions
which I felt would be relevant to my analysis and based on
the answers given by him , I ruled out a few of the factors
that I had listed down initially. After around 15 minutes of
this interview, he modified the case a little and then, gave
me two options: start with either India or China....with a few
assumptions (that I am unable to recall now)...now, I had to
apply all that I had said before and reach to a conclusion,
which I did in the next 10 minutes or so.
What went right / wrong? I really don’t have an answer to that question but what i can
tell is what went as per my plan and what didn’t. In the
beginning I took some time to list down the factors and so,
there was a disturbing silence in the room for around, I
think, 3-4 minutes which was more than what I had planned
for (around 2 minutes or so). However, once I started I could
connect most of my points and I think I was comprehensive

in my analysis.
Any other comments First and foremost, the interviewer was very cooperative in
terms of taking the case forward and this was very different
from the way I had mock sessions with my friends. Also, the
interviewer wasn’t very interested in an exhaustive.
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview This was, I think, more of a general discussion than an
– Major questions asked etc interview. There were three people sitting (one of them was
the interviewer from the first round) , of which only one
(probably the most senior one) kept talking to me while
others looked on. He started with general HR questions such
as Why consulting, why Deloitte etc. There was one question
where I was kind of caught a little off guard. He asked me to
comment on their first round process...as in I was asked to
rate the way the case interview was conducted. Also, some
of the HR questions had been asked in the first round too.
Maybe, they were trying to see if I am consistent or not. He
also asked me if I had any experience of working with
Consultants as a part of work in my last organisation. When I
answered “yes”, he asked me if, at any point of time, I felt it
a useless exercise (from the organisation’s perspective) to
hire external consultants instead of using the talent inside.
When answered with a “yes”, I was asked to explain with
reasons in support of the thought and also, against it. This
round lasted around 20 minutes.
Any other comments
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview It was a phone interview where I had to take the interviewer
– Major questions asked etc through my resume telling him some key points of my
resume (which he didn’t have at his end). Also, I had to clear
a few apprehensions that he had owing to my fairly long
work experience of around 5 years. He was a little
apprehensive as to how comfortable would I be in working
under people junior to me in terms of work ex. Also. Some of
the HR questions asked in round 2 were repeated too.
What went right / wrong? I think I could properly answer his apprehension related to
my work ex. I told him that I look at this way: Its (Consulting)
an entirely different area where I don’t have much of
experience and so, the issue of work ex doesn’t remain very
relevant to me. However, if I am able to use what I have
learned with my work experience and thus, deliver faster
and better results in the consultancy assignments that I am
given, I do hope that the organisation would certainly
recognise this and accordingly, acknowledge it.
Any other comments I found it really difficult to walk somebody through my
resume over a phone and that too, when he didn’t have a
copy of it. Also, it was really difficult for me to choose the
key point from my resume and tell somebody in that limited

time. I somehow managed that.

Name: Himanshu Nazkani Education (degree, college): B.Tech, IIT
Guwahati
Work-Ex (months): 22 months Company: Nvidia Graphics
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

round too)

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Interview started with general questions from resume. A
– Major questions asked etc standard 10-12 line written case on a company in
pharmaceutical industry was given. Case preparation is must
to be able to see the big picture at that time. Interviewer
was more interested in seeing how many options/critical
factors I could generate. Later on, he wanted me to pick out
the most critical factor and state reason for that ( convincing
him was a bit harder but he got very helpful towards the end
in deciding the most critical factor)
What went right / wrong? Right – Listening carefully to the interviewer, systematic
approach in the starting, being open minded during the
whole interview and applying commonsense helped a lot.
Wrong – Lack of case preparation, missed out a point while
reading the case and asked the same question (Probably this
worked in my favour too as he seemed to be amused about
asking a relevant question)
Any other comments Do as many cases with friends/seniors as you can. Reading
the case booklets is ok but mock case interviews are must
and help a lot.
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Telephonic interview. Was asked to go through my resume.
– Major questions asked etc No case interviews. Questions regarding PORs in college and

previous job were asked in details. A little bit personals.
What went right / wrong? Good academic record/achievements helped and confidence
in explaining PORs was the key
Any other comments Preparation of personals and going through each and every
part of the resume in details(PORs especially) is must
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview
Any other comments

Company: KPMG Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Amartya Singh Education (degree, college): B.Tech, NIT
Rourkela(CSE)
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Samsung Electronics India Pvt. Ltd.
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 1 case round intermingled with Went very well. Was taken by an IIMB alumnus.
questions on personals on work-ex
2 Questions on personals and work- Went average.
ex

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview Case on white LED Korean manufacturer wanting to enter
– Major questions asked etc Indian real estate market. The interviewer didn’t want the
solution, he wanted to know the structure of my solution
and how I had planned it. He kept the sheet on which I had
attempted the solution with him.
What went right / wrong? Right – The case went well. There was a question on
creativity which I believe I answered very well. There were
some other questions on my strength - my work experience
which were answered well
Wrong – The paper which he took had some scribbling which
I had done in some previous interviews. I should have been
more careful in using another paper.
Any other comments
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview The interview was based majorly on my work experience.
– Major questions asked etc There were other questions on off shoring trends and a
minor case as to how I would market an Indian IT company
to increase its demand in Europe.
What went right / wrong? Right – The work experience questions were answered well
Wrong – Somehow, I got confused between outsourcing and
off shoring.
Any other comments


Company: KPMG Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Shradha Sahu Education (degree, college): B.Tech, NIT
Allahabad
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Agnity India Pvt. Ltd.
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y

1 Only 1 interview – 2 small cases Cases were discussed with one alum of IIMB
and some personal questions and then HR person joined and talked about 2-3
personals

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview It started off with my responsibilities in my previous job. He
– Major questions asked etc also asked if consulting is an option or a chosen field. First
case was based on some ABC design company who wanted
to foray into product domain. It was mainly focussed on
what all things need to be analysed before making decisions
about what sector, what kind of product. Since I worked on
product development side he focussed on that area. Second
case was stating all parameters that a company will consider
for evaluating a software service provider. HR person asked
about challenges faced while working at one POR. He also
asked about my family background, siblings etc. It ended
with any questions for us
What went right / wrong? When they asked questions from my side I reflected my
strong interest in consulting and KPMG said I talked to my
seniors and they told me this and this so will it be same this
time as well. Also asked about PPO/PPI policy, possibility of
direct client interaction.
I misunderstood the first case and was taking it in different
direction but it was a stress free interview and he explained
me the case situation again
Any other comments


Company: McKinsey & Company Area Applied For: Consulting
Name: Abhishek Aggrawal Education (degree, college): B.Tech, IIT Delhi
Work-Ex (months): 33 Company: Grail Research (15 months); Monitor
Group (18 months)
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Covering Letter (Y / N): Y (on website though its optional)
Application Form (Y / N): Y (online)
Written Test (Y / N): Y (1 week prior to interview; DI type MCQ with
26 questions in 1 hour based on 3 caselets which
also required business decision. However,
practice test was shared beforehand)

1 2 rounds – First was case based Cases were easy; If you have done good amount
and some bit of personals. Second of practice you should sale through.
was a oral discussion on a case and Interviewers were friendly and sometimes gave
some bit of personals leads also.

1 Interview started by asking me about my work at Monitor
Group and why I want to join McKinsey. This took 10
minutes with an engaged discussion with the partner. At the
end of the case, also asked me about my passion
Brief Description of Case / Interview Case was about charting international expansion strategy for
– Major questions asked etc an Indian EPC player.
Laid down the structure; Interviewer seemed to like the
structure and with minimal discussion on the market
attractiveness evaluation moved straight on to mode of
entry. Asked for recommendations.
What went right / wrong? What went right was that I laid down a very detailed
structure at the start. After that I goofed up a bit but
interviewer gave leads and I fortunately caught the clues he
threw
Any other comments 20-25 minutes chilled out interview; contrary to the belief
that you need to behave aggressively in McKinsey interviews
2 Interview started by discussion on what all I have been doing
at IIMB. Then the interviewer told me not to use a pen paper
and just discussion on a small topic
Brief Description of Case / Interview The topic not exactly case was about how we can evaluate

– Major questions asked etc the markets that a Pharma company should enter.
I generated a lot of options that we could use as metrics to
evaluate attractiveness. The interviewer counter argued and
expected to counter him on his reasoning
What went right / wrong? What went right was that I completely was able to justify all
my arguments
Any other comments Only a 15 minutes interview, even more chilled out than 1st
one

Name: Arun Ramakrishnan Education (degree, college): BE (Univ. of
Mumbai), MS (Univ. of Maryland, College Park),
Mechanical Engineering
Work-Ex (months): 101 Company: LSI Logic (47), Broadcom (54)
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Application Form (Y / N): Y (Online)
Written Test (Y / N): Y (26-question multiple-choice exam conducted
at IIMB about one week prior to summer
placement week)

1 2 rounds (one with an EM and one The partner round wasn’t in a conference room
with a partner) – both case- and – we were strolling around near the MDC
personal-based entrance

1
Brief Description of Case / Interview The EM started out with about 15 minutes of personals
– Major questions asked etc followed by a case. Personals were standard – why did I
return to India, why MBA, why consulting. The case was on
airline ticketing – how would you divide the total cost of a 2-
leg airline ticket (each leg supported by a different airline)
between the two airlines. The last question was on
leadership – the EM asked me if I had ever led a project, and
I recounted an example from work.
What went right / wrong? I think the interviewer was impressed with my resume (at
least he told me so), so I was never under any pressure
during the interview
Any other comments Stress-free interview
2
Brief Description of Case / Interview Mostly personal and fit-based – most of the discussion
– Major questions asked etc revolved on whether I had any concerns about joining
McKinsey and what I was looking to gain from the
experience. Short-case (no notes allowed) – a large Indian
construction company would like to expand its operations
outside India – how would you structure your first meeting
with its top management?

What went right / wrong? I was very confident on why I wanted to do an MBA and join
consulting, so this probably worked in my favour
Any other comments

Name: Maria Cheryl Fernandez Education (degree, college): B.E. (EEE), College
of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Application Form (Y / N): Y
Written Test (Y / N): Y

1 1 Case interview + 1 HR interview

1
Brief Description of Case - Major This was a case that my interviewer had worked on in the
questions asked etc media space.
Case outline: A major media house that did not have any
prior experience in the newspaper segment was trying to
identify the correct target market to launch a local
newspaper. Chandigarh was selected for the pilot test and I
was asked to identify the most appropriate sector for the
same. I was asked to list out 3 key issues at the end that I felt
were the most important of all that I had listed out.
What went right / wrong? Managing to keep my cool helped me explore all possible
dimensions of the case.
Any other comments Take time to step back and summarize. It really does help.
You go over all that you’ve covered and you realise some
important aspects that you might have inadvertently missed
out.
2
Brief Description of HR Interview – Major accomplishments – my key learnings from them and
Major questions asked etc how they had impacted my personal and professional life.
Where I saw myself 5 years hence.
What I looked for in an organization.
How I coped with failure and helped others succeed despite
failures.
What went right / wrong? Be honest. Be yourself.
Any other comments This round turned out to be a surprise. My interviewer and I
went for a walk around the MDC  2 others also had
interviews.


Name: Sasha Cyrus Vesuvala Education (degree, college): B.E. (CSc), MIT
Manipal
Work-Ex (months): 22 Company: Fidelity Business Services
Pre – Process
Resume (Y / N): Y
Written Test (Y / N): Y

1 1 Case interview + 1 HR interview

1
Brief Description of Case - Major Case on Insurance industry. A general insurance company
questions asked etc has introduced a new insurance policy, which is not selling
too well. Analyze what could be the possible reasons and
suggest remedies.
What went right / wrong? Rights – I structured my thoughts decently, and explained to
the interviewer in a similar fashion. Apart from the initial
time taken to think, I engaged the partner in conversation
the rest of the time. Received positive feedback from
interviewer at the end for this.
Any other comments

2
Brief Description of HR Interview – HR Interview – Was asked about my travelling experiences,
Major questions asked etc what all I had done in IIM Bangalore so far, why I came back to
India etc. Very relaxed interview.
What went right / wrong? Rights – Was not too stressed, and spoke like a normal
conversation.
Any other comments
3
Brief Description of Case / Interview Partner round – Was asked 2 questions – 1) Describe an
– Major questions asked etc instance where you have failed but the team you’re working
with succeeded. 2) Describe your biggest failure and what you
learnt from it.
What went right / wrong? Wrongs – Got a bit frazzled with the questions since they
both dealt with personal failures.
Rights – Didn’t make up an answer. Both answers were

honest instances.
Any other comments

5. SUMMERS EXPERIENCE 2008
Company: A&M Area Applied for: Consulting

Name: Nishant Education (Degree, college): IIT K,
Electrical Engineering
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Inductis
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y with Cover Letter

Application Form (Y/N): N
Written Test (Details): N
Personal Interview
1. Only one round of Interview – Only two interviewers, one was a 2006 IIMB
One
pass out, another was some senior guy - around
case and personal questions
30 minutes interview
Interviews

1
What went The interview was very easy going, and it helped that it revolved a lot around
right? credit cards and the work I had done. I think I did well in the Case too, as in was
also on credit cards…identified the critical elements of card approval process
and criticality of credit information about customers.
2
What questions I asked about A&M’s views on working with the government sector in India.
did you ask to They said about the difficulties involved in terms of getting to the right people,
the panel? long delays, lack of critical infrastructure in many areas that hinders growth
opportunities and leaves less avenues for consultants to come in.

3.
General Fundae Typical case interview preparation and sound knowledge of the industry where
to crack you have worked is good enough preparation. Also its important know about
company the company and the type of work it has done in the past.
procedures;
DOs/DON’Ts;
Special
P
4.reparation:
Please provide I went through Oliver, Booz, ADL, Barclays, GS Quant, Trilogy… Oliver, Booz and
some insights on ADL had case interviews.. Oliver was more fin cases… Barclays was very
other processes general.. GS quant was 5-6 puzzles… Trilogy had one personal interview round
you went with a small case..and other was a new business idea round
through:
Please answer appropriately if you think the company paid attention to the following
(1 – Least important to 5 - most important) (Please Highlight/Encircle)
• Work Experience: 1 2 3 4 5
• Past Academic Performance, Projects: 1 2 3 4 5
• Hobbies, Interests, Achievements: 1 2 3 4 5
• Area/Industry Awareness: 1 2 3 4 5
• Stress in the interview: 1 2 3 4 5

Company: Alvarez & Marsal Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Saransh Tyagi Education (Degree, college): IIT R,
Mechanical
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Manhattan Associates
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y with SOP
Personal Interview

1. Single Interview (Both Tell me about yourself. Past work
personals and Case combined) experience and interests. Case can be
based on your interest or your job
experience.
Interviews

1
Major questions Tell me about yourself. People were interested in knowing about me and were
asked? trying to gauge my strengths and weaknesses?
A lot of questions on my job experience which was in the field of supply chain.
2
What went Went well. Depends upon how you want to drive your interview esp. if you have
right? job experience. Asked lot of questions on my previous job.
3
What went Nothing.
wrong?

4.
Case How would you improve the supply chain of a FMCG company already operating
in India? Which are the areas you would look out for improvement?
5.
What went They expected me to know the answer because of my past experience. I tried to
right? focus on inventory management, proper demand forecasting and reducing
transportation costs.
6.
What went Nothing.
wrong?
7.
What questions What is the scope of supply chain in India and whether the company is planning
did you ask to to enter into supply chain consulting? What would be the assignment during
the panel? internship?
8.
General Fundae Get some general gyaan on the company. I did not prepare anything special. Didn’t
to crack company get selected though ☺
procedures; Confidence and attitude are 2 key attributes. Don’t panic and smile a lot.
DOs/DON’Ts;
Special People on the other side are cool but they took only 1 candidate, so there is some
Preparation: fight.
(1 – least important to 5 - most important) (Please Highlight/Encircle)

Company: Arthur D Little Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Akshay Oleti Education (Degree, college): BITS,
Computer Science
Work-Ex (months): 33 Company: SAP Labs India
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Application Form (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
1. Back to back two cases with 2 different

people
Interviews

1
Major questions Looked through resume and wanted me to talk in brief about few points…asked
asked? about my internship at INSEAD and how I felt about Europe
Few puzzles (angle between hands of a clock etc.)
Few finance based questions (what is Beta, how will stocks react to market risks,
what innovations can you bring to banks)
Case on Profitability – totally question and answer based. I had to identify
why revenues were falling and costs were rising, what competitors would
do, how to analyze their financial statements.
2
What went Only thing he liked was my smile and my European internship.
right?

What went Every part of it. I even got basic puzzles wrong. He was not testing my skills, he
wrong? was doing an ADL fit-test
4.
Case Case on introducing an carnatic FM radio channel in Chennai – focus on market
sizing before moving on to costs.
5.
What went The case, my knowledge of the Chennai demographics helped me crack it.
right?
6.
What went Nothing.
wrong?
7.
What questions Why focus on specific countries and industries when the market is much bigger?
did you ask to
the panel?
8.
General Fundae The ADL interview tests the candidate at two levels:
to crack 1. Is the candidate intelligent enough? (knows the basics, can think on his/her
company feet)
procedures; 2. Would the candidate fit the company culture? (smile, confidence,
DOs/DON’Ts; international exposure)
Special I attended ADL very late in the day (4:30 PM). Their interviews went on till 6 PM
Preparation: and hence, there is no need to hurry to attend ADL interviews if you have higher
priorities in Day Z.
Keep your cool and make it through!

Company: Arthur D Little Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Deepu Chandran P.K. Education (Degree, college): NIT Calicut,
ECE
Work-Ex (months): 46 Months Company: Larsen & Toubro Limited
Pre-Process
Interviews

1
Major questions The first stage was a case interview. Case details: How would you advise a firm
asked? that wants to acquire a swiss watch making company. The Swiss watch company is a
family owned business with only one survivor who is really old. It makes premium
watches sold at $20,000/-
2
What went Analysed the problem on all fronts and gathered all relevant information for
right? valuation; detailed the approach; calculated the revenue and cost synergies as part of
valuation; Recommended a price and PMI starategies.
3
What went Could have detailed the risks associated in a better manner. Came up
wrong? with risks associated with PMI, technology transfer, competition etc. But I feel,
this could have been done in a better fashion.
4.
Next Round This round was mainly on lateral thinking, personals & trial puzzles. What will you
do
if glass in the world turned opaque in another 24 hours?
5.
What went Was able to remain clam and composed. Explained each and every step that I
right? undertook for solving each question.
6.

What went Took a long time to come up with a witty answer for the question based on
wrong? lateral thinking.
7.
What questions Why focus on specific countries and industries when the market is much bigger?
did you ask to
the panel?
8.
General Fundae The ADL interview tests the candidate at two levels:
to crack 1. Is the candidate intelligent enough? (knows the basics, can think on his/her
company feet)
procedures; 2. Would the candidate fit the company culture? (smile, confidence,
DOs/DON’Ts; international exposure)
Special I attended ADL very late in the day (4:30 PM). Their interviews went on till 6 PM
Preparation: and hence, there is no need to hurry to attend ADL interviews if you have higher
priorities in Day Z.
Keep your cool and make it through!
Please answer appropriately if you think the company paid attention to the following (1 - least
important to 5 - most important) (Please Highlight/Encircle)

Company: Bain & Co. Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Arunava Saha Dalal Education (Degree, college): IT-BHU,
Computer Science Engg
Work-Ex (months): 33 months Company: Nvidia Graphics Pvt Ltd
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
1. 6 rounds 5 case based and 1 Personals are very important and comes
personal out during the case interview process. All
cases were from real life practice; mixture of
huge number crunching, strategy, revenue,
guesstimates cases. I had experienced the entire
spectrum ☺
Interviews
Stage Crucial Questions
No.
1 Case – What are the different revenue streams of a typical credit card company in
India
Estimate the size in terms of number of credit cards in India
What went Biggest stroke of luck – I had prepared a similar case and was able to cover all
right?
aspects well.
What went One small part during estimation – a number which I had assumed seemed a bit off, so
wrong?
the interviewer asked to test my assumption. I re-visited the area and came up with a
better estimate

2 Tell me about yourself.
Case: A multi speciality clinic in south India wants to open a new hospital. Choices are
between Mumbai and Bangalore. Another choice is between the type of hospital –
cardio specialty or multi- specialty. What factors to look into?
Estimate – given the type of hospital to come up in Bangalore, estimate in one year the
no. of patients who will visit it
What went Again luck factor – interviewer gave me the case and went out for 5 mins ☺. In
right? that time span I could structure the entire problem, drew out the tree and
generated all possible MECE (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive)
options
What went Nothing
wrong?
3 Tell me about yourself
Case – one of the large pharmaceutical firms in US is trying to reduce costs by
looking into the maintenance of its labs. What factors to look into it
What went This was an entirely new case. However, what they always look for is clear
right? structure, which I was able to come up with
What went I was unable to clearly define metric of performance. I believe it‟s very important
wrong? to convey even simple quantitative metrics of how you would measure certain
intangibles like – productivity of maintenance crew of lab
4 Tell me about yourself.
Case – A retail store in upmarket mall is considering opening a coffee shop in
its premises. Lots of numbers thrown into and calculate the revenues of existing
and new model
What went All calculations, I explained while I was doing them, including an y assumptions.
right? It is very important to speak while you work through the problems, and the
interviewer kept giving me cues that I was on the right path
What went Towards the end, I gave a number of profit increases, but did not clearly explain
wrong? what that number was meant to be and the interviewer thought I had calculated
something wrong. Hence it‟s of utmost importance to communicate what numbers
you are giving and ask if they are looking for something else.

Case – A generator factory is trying to increase sales in India. What factors to
look into
What went Again, structure is of utmost importance. I could identify all specific n uances
right?
What went Nothing

wrong?

6 Finally a personals round – What do I like, Why consulting, What was experience
at Nvidia, extra currics, social service, why Bain blah blah blah
What went Everything – was sure I would get the offer by then and hence I was very relaxed
right?
What went Nothing
wrong?
What questions I asked specifically about Bain Capital, Bain Holdings, how Bain
did you ask to differentiates from its competitors.
the panel?
What went Nothing
wrong?
8
General fundae 1.Understand the company culture – talk extensively with seniors who interned
to crack there
company 2. Practise a lot of cases from different industries – seniors help a lot
procedures;; 3. Personals should be well prepared
DOs/DON’Ts; 4. Interest in the firm should be visible
Special
Preparation:
9
Please provide Oliverwyman – reason I couldn‟t get through was lack of structure on one of the
some insights cases
on other
processes you
went through:

Name: Navneet Chahal Education (Degree, college): IIT Roorkee,
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
Phase Procedure Remarks
No.
1. 4 rounds - 3 case based and 1 The cases were based on live projects that the
personal partners/managers had worked on in the past
year, hence were very comprehensive
in nature with a fair amount of
number crunching. The personals interview
was very chill for me „coz they had decided
to make an offer by then.
Interviews
1 Case – Profitability analysis of a generator set manufacturing company in India.

Discussed about the interviewer‟s experience in Bain while I was waiting
for the second round.
What went I was very comfortable with profitability cases and hence was able to crack this
quickly. Traditional approach of cost-benefit analysis & possible alternative
right?
sources of revenue. Was also asked to identify threats to the industry as a w hole
What went I was a little nervous but no major problems.
wrong?
2 Was given a case as soon as I sat down. Was a number intensive case from the
Retail
What went Everything ☺. This was my best case in the whole process. Was able to keep t he
sector. Was asked to advise the client on whether to open a coffee shop within the
interviewer hooked throughout, no extraneous questions asked and was able to
right?
suggest a solution
retail store which
or rather investthe
in interviewer
opening up atold me was
jewellery exactly what they did when
section.
the project was going on ☺ This one was pure case interview with lots of numbers
for estimating profit figures and other metrics. No personals.

What went Nothing
wrong?
3 Lots of general chit-chat about what a think about certain things. Some hypothetical
random questions which seemed like fillers but were definitely evaluative…mostly
resume related.
Case: A multi specialty clinic in south India wants to open a new hospital. Choices
are between Chennai and Madurai. Another choice is between the type of hospital –
cardio specialist or multi- specialty. What all factors should one look into? Was also
asked to Estimate – given the type of hospital to come up in Chennai, estimate in one
year the no. of patients who will visit it.
What went Solved the case quickly, was able to come up with a comprehensive action plan that
the interviewer liked. He told me that this is one of his favourite cases though he did
right?
not tell me what the client had actually done in the end.
What went Nothing.

wrong?
4 Finally a personals round – Chatted with the India head about almost everything
under the sun, right from basketball to what I think about Bain, what my career plans
are etc etc. Had talked to him during the dinner which he brought up again and
within 5 minutes was made an offer, so it did not really feel like an interview.
What went Nothing could go wrong here as I had already been told that they shall be making an
offer ☺
right?
What went Nothing
wrong?

5
What questions I asked the various partners about their experiences in Bain. That was about it.
did you ask to
the panel? .
What went Nothing
wrong?
6
General fundae 1. Understand the company culture – talk extensively with seniors who interned
to crack there
Special
Preparation:
7
Please provide None
some insights
on other
processes you
went through:

Name: Swati Jain Education (Degree, college): IIT Delhi,
Electrical Engg.
Work-Ex (months): 35 months Company: Inductis
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y ( there was a SOP to write )
Personal Interview
1. 4 short 15-20 minutes, case Since I was one of the first ones to go in Bain
based rounds knew that Bain was my first choice. I believe
that is why there were hardly any personals.
They wanted to know case solving
methodology, but not actually solve the case.
Interested in your thought process
Interviews
No.
1 Case based on credit cards in India. Different questions about sizing size and
marketing, but not a straightforward thing.
What went I have 3 years of experience in the credit card industry. On realizing that that was the
right? case, the interviewer decided to make the case tougher, so actually test me.
What went I think, for the fact that I had worked in credit cards, I could have avoided so me
wrong? mistakes. I ended up having a point of disagreement with interviewer and also ignored
some facts, which I thought were minor, but according to him not so minor. Had a small
discussion on that. Not sure if that was good or bad.
2 Case: A multi speciality clinic in south India wants to open a new hospital. Choices are
between Mumbai and Bangalore. Another choice is between the type of hospital –
cardio specialist or multi- specialty. What factors to look into Estimate – given the type
of hospital to come up in Bangalore, estimate in one year the no. of patients who will visit
it?

What went Did ok, nothing great, nothing bad. Interviewer asked if I had any questions ab out
right? Bain, to which I said no and that I was sure about Bain. He asked me another rand om
question in that much time. Later on I heard from someone at Bain – people should not
ask questions if they don‟t have any. It‟s alright to not have a question to ask! Must
have gone well, and I moved on the next round after this.
What went I think I harped on the same points more than once, cause of lack of points!
wrong?
3 Started with case – market entry strategy for a international pathology lab player.
Whether he should consider India, and if yes, how should he enter?
What went
right?
What went
wrong?
4 Started with Case – PE case – decision whether to buy a generator company. I was
asked to tell what are the questions I would ask before making the decision.
What went I structured properly in the beginning, highlighting three things I would look at. He
right? liked those 3 things and asked me to focus on one of them.
What went
wrong?

5
What questions I asked them nothing and told them I was sure about Bain. And I had all my
did you ask to questions answered during the sessions earlier, and from seniors and mentor!.
the panel?
What went Nothing
wrong?
6
General fundae 5. Understand the company culture – talk extensively with seniors who interned
to crack there
Special
Preparation:
7
Please provide None
some insights
on other
processes you
went through:

Name: Vernon Fernandez Education (Degree, college): BITS, Pilani,
Electronics & Electrical
Work-Ex (months): Nil Company:
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
1. 4 rounds - 4 case based
Interviews
No.
Case – our client manufactures gensets – what are the factors that will affect sales now?
And what do they need to look at in the future?
What went The interviewer gave me time to think, and then just asked me to go through my
right? thought processes – and state whatever I‟d written down. Seemed pleased.
What went Nothing apparent.
wrong?
2 Tell me about yourself; followed by a short description of himself…
What went The interviewer left the room for 5 min, during which I covered a page with all
right? possible things I wanted to ask, and could use in evaluating between choices. When he
returned – all I had to do was just read out my questions to him – that‟s it! ☺
Case: A multi speciality clinic in North India wants to open a new hospital. Choices are
What went Nothing
between Delhi and Chandigarh. Another choice is between the type of hospital – cardio
wrong? specialty or multi- specialty. What factors to look into?

3 Case: our client is a diagnostic laboratory chain in the US – they run all kinds of scans
for hospitals, private clinics etc. They have never been out of the US. Now they want to
expand into India. What should they look at, who should they target to get customers
and where should they open – metro or rural areas, and if metro – Delhi or Mumbai
What went I came up with lots of people for probable consumers, and he seemed to like how I
right? prioritized the customers to be targeted.
What went My reasons for why Delhi or Mumbai were not solid enough – I didn‟t substantiate
wrong? them – think this was why they decided to send me for a fourth round
4 How do credit cards work, where do the companies make their money – and estimate
the number of credit cards in India
What went Other than the first part, I have no idea what I did right here – any question I asked, all
right? he said was “I‟m not going to give you anything – you need to work out on your own –
but I want a final number in the end”
What went I had split up the population into different age groups, and completely forgot one group
wrong? while totaling up – he reminded me about it, because he could see my entire
flowchart…
(1 - Least important to 5 - most important) (Please Highlight/Encircle)

5
What questions I asked why my interviewer joined Bain, what did they feel about everyone else
did you ask to jumping on the „implementation‟ bandwagon…
the panel?
6
General fundae 1. Make sure you show interest in the company.

to crack 2. Be prepared with cases, be cool while doing it, they‟re helpful, but you
company shouldn‟t screw up too badly
procedures;; 3. Speak to all seniors, get an idea of the company culture
DOs/DON’Ts;
Special
Preparation:
7
Please provide None
some insights
on other
processes you
went through:

Company: BCG Area Applied for:
Name: Aparajita Agarwal Education (Degree, college): Msc(Tech.)

Information Systems, BITS Pilani
Work-Ex (months): 35 Company: Yahoo! Software
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y (Resume)
Interviews
No.
1 Tell me about yourself, in particular what extra-curricular / co-curricular activities you
are involved in. I went through 2 rounds of case interviews. The first one was on a
grocery retail chain based in SriLanka which has been facing the problem of declining
profits. The second one was on a mobile handsets manufacturer whose
exclusive showroom business is in turmoil.
What went The first one did not go very well. I performed quite well in the second one though.
right? But in both of them, I came across quite confident and eager to solve the problem at
hand. In the second case, the interviewer was looking for a specific thing. It took me a
little time to crack it but I was able to do it. I think that worked in my favour.
What went The reason I took long in the second case to crack the main issue was because w hile
wrong? analyzing the case, I had already rejected that to be too trivial and thus never asked a
question related to it. Eventually, it turned out to be the key. Take away – Do not
regard any issue in the case as trivial.

Please answer appropriately if you think the company paid attention to the following (1 -
least important to 5 - most important) (Please Highlight/Encircle)
What questions 1 BCG Ambassador program

did you ask to 2. How is working with the government different from working with private players?
the panel?
6
General fundae Be confident. A smile on the face during the interview helps.
to crack Prepare cases with seniors but do not overdo them at the same time.
company There is no need to have the frameworks by rote. They just help structure your
procedures;; thoughts. As already mentioned, do not regard any issue / question trivial
DOs/DON’Ts; during the case interview.
Special
Preparation:
7
Please provide None
some insights
on other
processes you
went through:

Company: BCG Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Mario Gonsalves Education (Degree, college): B.E., S.V.C.E.
(Anna University)
Work-Ex (months): 23 months Company: Siemens Ltd.
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Interviews
No.
1 Tell me about yourself?
Name 3 of your key achievements at IIMB thus far? Would you stand for President of
SAC, IIMB?
Do you have any questions to ask us?
What went My 3rd and 4th cases went pretty well. Though I probably didn‟t crack them, I guess I
right? covered all the points that the interviewers were looking for. The general questions
went well… no problem there.
What went Totally messed up my first case. I was much too nervous. My second case went a bit
wrong?
better, though I‟m not sure if I reached the final answer that the interviewer was
looking for.

5
What questions I had prepared a few questions before hand. (1) What would you do if approached by
did you ask to the No.1 and No. 2 players in a particular industry? (2) Has the nature of consulting
the panel? changed with the financial crisis? (3) Do you always do implementations on all your
cases – how is it decided?
General fundae - Practice as many cases as possible. Interviewers look more for structure and
to crack clarity of thought, than the actual answer. Take a few minutes to gather your
company thoughts before starting. Out of the box recommendations surely earn a few
procedures;; brownie points!
DOs/DON’Ts; - Be very clear about the why consultancy question – try and give answers
Special that are personalized, rather than the standard stuff. For the „tell me about
Preparation: yourself‟ question, try to
build a story and don‟t repeat all the points in your resume.
7
Please provide None
some insights
on other
processes you
went through:

Company: BCG Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Mayur Dixit Education (Degree, college): B.Tech,

Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kanpur
Work-Ex (months): NIL Company: Yahoo! Software
Pre-Process
BCG interview process – 4 rounds
BCG – 1st round (30 minutes)

Interviewer (I); Candidate (C)
Before the case interview started, there was some 10 minutes discussion on the live consulting
project which I had been doing. The aim was to understand what I felt about consulting and
my approach & learning from the project.
Case interview: (I won‟t be able to exactly replicate the discussion, just get a feel of what all
goes in a typical case interview)
I: There is a truck manufacturer which has been facing problems in increasing market share of
one of the models of truck it manufacture. What can we do?
C: Location of the manufacturer? India?
I: Any emerging economy?
C: So, India would be fine?!
I: Take Thailand ☺

C: Fine, has this model performing poor since its launch? When was it launched? Why was it
launched? Special features of this truck? (one by one ☺)
I: It was launched 3 years back, performing poor since then but now severely poor. It was
launched in heavy truck segment.
C: (took 1 minute, listed down some factors specific to the information given and started one
by one) Can you tell me something about the competitors and the market as in how are they
performing? Is the overall market also going down?
I: 3 competitors, all doing well. They were in the market for 7-8 years.
C: So, there is problem with our firm. How does our product differ? (Asked about price, etc)
I: Same loading capacity, same size, same price.
C: (after confirming each step of supply chain) so there is no problem with suppliers and
production. Let‟s look at distribution network. I assume that we would be having distributors
specific to our brand. Do we have problem on that side?
I: What specific information do you want to know?
C: Commission given to them competitive enough?
I: Yes.
C: Do the customers get financing easily?
I: No, they don‟t.
C: Okay, how exactly this process goes?
I: Distributors suggest financing options to the customers and help them in getting it.
C: And distributors have trucks of different brands?

I: Yes.
C: So, customers easily get finance for other brands and hence they are sold more than ours.
I: Yes.
C: Other than this, I understand before making a decision to buy truck of a particular brand,
people consult and talk to the owners and their experience. How is the overall perception of
our model?
I: Good point, it is not good.
C: Since price is same, quality may be a factor.
I: True.
C: Have there been some incidents of accidents or failure of some parts in trucks of our
brand?
I: Yes, there have been.
C: So, there is problem with the technology or raw materials used also. Summarizing, I have
identified two problems: customers find it difficult to get finance to buy our trucks & quality
perception also seems to be poor compared to competitors.
I: Good, so what can be done?
C: Since light weight trucks are doing good, there is less chance that raw materials are of poor
quality. We need to look into the production process & technology used. Once we are sure
that everything is OK, we should advertise that we have launched a new improved model with
same price and which has been tested in adverse conditions so that customers‟ safety concern
can be taken care of. After this we should focus on the problem that why distributors are not
willing to sell our trucks and not helping customers to get finance easily. May be again the
problem could be quality.
I: Yeah, that might be the case. Thanks Mayur, you have identified some real good issues.

C: Thanks a lot. I really enjoyed discussing the case.
I: Do you have any questions?
C: Yeah,…
P.S.: In case you are interested in knowing more about this case interview or the other 3, feel
free to contact me at chaoticmayur@gmail.com.

Company: BCG Area Applied for:
Name: Parul Bajaj Education (Degree, college): BSc

Microbiology – St. Xavier’s, Mumbai
Work-Ex (months): Company:
Pre-Process

Interviews
No.
1 Tell me about yourself – something other than this one pager resume.
Questions on resume points
Achievements in IIM B in that last 4 months
Greatest passion in life
What went I had 3 cases out of which 2 were great.
right? Strong personals, confidence
I had good questions ready to ask at the end of the interview – it‟s nice to have an edge
when you‟re leaving.
What went Didn‟t do very well in the 2nd case – number crunching issues – which is why I was
wrong? called for the 3rd round. Made up for it! ☺

5
What questions 1. Involvement of BCG in SMEs

did you ask to
the panel? 2. Best project in BCG so far
6
Had only 2 proper interviews, 3rd one was just a case to do a hygiene check on my
General fundae Practice cases with seniors – helps you structure your thoughts on Day Z – which is
to crack problem- solving skills.
the most important part of a case interview.
company • Be confident, prepare personals very well! Makes a huge difference,
procedures;; especially in consulting
DOs/DON’Ts; • Keep abreast with news – they probably won‟t ask you in consulting but it boosts
Special your confidence and gives you something to talk about during the interactions.
Preparation: • Dress well, look good ☺
7
Please provide None
some insights
on other
processes you
went through:

Company: Booz & Co. Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Anshema Gupta Education (Degree, college): IIT Kanpur,
Electrical Engg.
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Prudential
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
1. 3 rounds – 2 case rounds + current The interview was a holistic balance of
affairs + personals , 1 round personals, cases and general awareness.
- general discussion+ personals Good preparation in all these areas would
definitely be required.
The three interviews happened back-to-back in
a span of 1 hour.
Interviews
1 Partner round- An interesting case about a manufacturing company which is doing
extremely badly and facing various problems. As CEO of company- prioritize the
steps taken in the order of degree of importance and impact.
Also general discussion about the world economy, my views on that.
Personals about myself, projects and responsibilities handled a work, why Booz .
What went Case was very elaborate and very practical, so got extremely interactive - with the
right? Partner engaged in giving inputs and in the discussion, also took the opportunity to
steer the case with his help, if required.
What went
wrong?
2 Preparation
2 cases: Firstonongeneral awareness
acquisition helped
of a retail in in
chain portraying an interest
UK by another retaininchain
what with
was 50%
going
on and hence crisp opinion about what I felt about the entire situation.
product overlap. Whether to go for it or not.
What went Personals prep definitely

Case discussion was againhelped a lot.
very interactive.
right? Second case
Also prior on the potential
preparation numberitsofentry
about Booz, McDinoutlets in Indore (my home town).
India helped.
Also discussion about the current financial situation, some personals about myself and
why Booz.
What went Second case was a guesstimate, the segmentation for arriving at the final number of
wrong? Restaurants were not well thought. But I believe it‟s the process of thought which is
seen, so was still ok.
3 Personals-about myself (yet again), involvement in social entrepreneurship (resume
based), projects during work experience.
What went After the first two rounds, confidence had increased quite a bit, helped in answering
right? all the questions appropriately.
Again discussion on the current financial situating.
What questions Since Booz is just setting up in India, their expansion plans and specific sector
did you ask to preferences. A lot of interest in the firm by me was taken very positively by the
the panel? interviewers.
6 Had only 2 proper interviews, 3rd one was just a case to do a hygiene check on my
General fundae problem-
Definitelysolving skills.
excellent case preparation, complete understanding and opinion about
to crack the current affairs and work on personals would be essential.
company More importantly it‟s about showing interest in the role, cultural fit in the
procedures;; firm, good communication and a lot of confidence.
DOs/DON’Ts; While doing the cases, enjoy them and that will reflect in your communication
Special which would have a very positive impression.
Preparation:
7
Please provide GS Securities and Asset management: Preferred people with relevant work
some insights experience. ML: was not so well prepared on FinAc course, which was a major part
on other of the interview
processes you
went through:

Company: Booz & Co Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Roshan Agarwal Education (Degree, college): IIT KGP,
Mechanical Engg.
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: Procter & Gamble
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
1. 3 rounds – 2 case 1st
general
was discussion-
an unusual personals
case where
andthe1 Day
on general
1 discussion
summer process of IIM B was converted into a
supply chain situation by partner. 2nd was
usual case discussing the entry strategy of a
fast food giant into a country. More emphasis
was laid by me and later by the interviewer
on general discussion on various topics- like
recruitment process of IIM B, subprime
crisis, various sectors like consumer goods,
telecom, automobile and even football.
Interviews
1 Partner round-Discussion on various sectors – IIM B summer placement
process, consumer goods (given my own background), telecom & automobile,
football
Personals – why Booz & Co, what was good in booz‟s college communication,
what different would I do if I had to communicate for booz via ppt in college??
Attending booz‟s ppt helped to pick out my points. Case: How would you improve
day‟s summer placement process if it was a supply chain situation?? Went with
the standard approach of identifying the objectives – what process parameters to
monitor and suggestions to improve given the constraints- later converted the case
into discussion to test my understanding on supply chain.

What 23 Discussions were great – used fundamental knowledge of each sector and my
went
right?
background in consumer goods to put forth points – used the opportunity to show I
could communicate well – flow of discussion moving from one field to another in a
smooth manner and getting the partner engaged in discussions was the clincher.
What went Spent very less time on personals – which somehow worked.
wrong?
2 Discussion on sub prime crisis and personals- some preparation on economic
situations really helped, session by Prof P C Narayan on subprime crisis came to
rescue.
Case: what factors would a fast food giant consider when working on which country
to expand to next?? Once decided on country how many outlets in how many
years should be the target?? First part was okay with considerations of factors like
targment segment‟s spending on leisure and food, size of such segment, growth of
the segment in next few years, gdp growth of the country, did miss out a few
obvious pointers. 2ndpart I went the long calculation way, when the answer the
interviewer was looking for was replicating the major competitor – like burger king
replicating mcdonalds‟ no of outlets in india. ®
What went Discussion on subprime crisis was good. Interviewer was satisfied with my logics on
right? the same.
What The 2nd part of case missing on competition‟s no of outlet was a disaster from my
part.
went
wrong?
3 Discussion and a very long one on consumer goods - where he
wanted to test my understanding by making small analysis question at
each stage – e.g: how would u find incremental demand of a product due
to a market promotion??
What went My back ground helped. I could tackle the discussion better and
right? comfortably due to myback ground in the same field. Since, the
interviewer was an expert on consumer goods it helped even more to talk
of specific examples. He wanted to do a case initially but got exhausted
by the discussion and so decided to end the interview and went directly
to the partner to extend his opinion which I guess was positive ☺
What went 0 personals and 0 case – which worked out in my favor in the end.
wrong?

What questions I had decent logical questions on various sectors. More important than questions
did you ask to what really helped was using this opportunity to start a new discussion which
the panel? helped me share views with
the interviewer.
Had only 2 proper interviews, 3rd one was just a case to do a hygiene check on my
problem- solving skills.
6
General fundae Confidence, clarity of thought and comfortable in communication.

to crack What worked for me was the knowledge I shared on various sectors which are
company focus sectors for Booz & Co in India. As they had shared it in ppt I had
procedures;; prepared for those sectors accordingly.
DOs/DON’Ts; Please work a lot on cases. I got help from my batch mates and seniors on cases but
Special I started very late on my case preparation. My case preparation was very p oor
Preparation: compared to others. I screwed up my 2nd case which was a very big mistake and
could have caused me not getting
the internship.
7
Please provide DB – I went in told I wanted to work in IBD when they were recruiting only for
some insights sales & trading. Please get to know which interview you are going in for.
on other Oliver Wyman – I have no idea what went wrong, the 2 best case interviews I ever
processes you did
went through:

Company: Deloitte Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Prasad Gopal Education (Degree, college): Electronics
Engg., PSG College of Technology
Work-Ex (months): 48 Company: TCS
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
1. Back to back two cases
with 2 different people
Interviews
1 It was case about an American Toy Company that had problems with
competition. Panelist gave info on company‟s financial numbers as and when
I asked relevant questions. But, he gave hints to start with financial ratios to
assess performance of company. When I mentioned ratios that he was interested in
analyzing further, he gave clues to dwell more on it.
What went Financial ratio analysis
right? - Communicated clearly why asked a question, and tried to explain what I am getting at
in a logical and coherent way.
What went After cracking the case, he requested me to give 3 suggestions to tackle the
wrong? identified problem. I couldn‟t think of many alternatives.
2 Second interview was a long case interview. I was given, entire financial story
of a large company. CEO of that company wanted to invest 100 million. I had to
analyze to decide what would be best investment from shareholder perspective.
What went - Lots of calculations. I did mental math reasonably accurate.
right? - Requested for time whenever, I got struck.
What went -- IFinac
had explained
preparationmy
onthought
balanceprocess andP&L
sheet and interviewer
was not helped
done. me out when I
wrong? - was struck.
Analysis of a suggested solution over immediate future and over long term
was required. A solution that is not good for short-term, might turn out
good over long-term.

I did not have any personal questions, so I am not sure whether did company gave importance
to work ex, past academic performance, hobbies, etc during short listing of candidates.
What questions Will I be able to decide on the industry I would like to work in during summers
did you ask to project?
the panel?
6
General fundae Dos – Practice a few case studies from case books. Try to focus on cases related to
to crack financial ratio analysis to assess company‟s performance.
company Don‟ts – Panel gives enough opportunity to take as much time to answer questions
procedures;; and help interviewee when there is confusion. So, take time and answer with
DOs/DON’Ts; clarity. Don‟t panic.
Special
Preparation:
7
Please provide I went for interview with ADL, HUL. ADL a German consultant interviewed me.
some insights The case seemed like a weird puzzle. I had problems with understanding the accent
on other of the consultant. HUL had GD process for around 70 candidates and shortlisted 7
processes you for interview. They selected
went through: 2 out of 7.

Company: Deloitte S&O Area Applied for: Strategy Consulting
Name: Sathyanarayanan Chandrasekar Education (Degree, college): NITK
Surathkal
Work-Ex (months): 24 Company: Yahoo! Research &
Development
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Personal Interview
1. 3 Interviews 1. First Interview went brilliant with Mr

X
2. Second Interview went good until it
came to some weird financial
numbers with Mr Y
3. With Mr X & Y, third interview went
good on the strategizing
part…numbers and fin ratios came
back to haunt me
Interviews
No.
1 1. There were no ice breaker questions
2. Probably the interviewer was in a hurry because they were running short of
time
3. So no use of those tell me about yourself, why consultancy questions
4. Directly a case about a toy manufacturer : Leading Toy Manufacturer – Top
Products – Obsolete Technology – Low Stock Price
5. Case went very well
6. Was able to bring out a few good dimensions
2 1. Surprisingly no ice breaker questions
2. Just a couple of questions about the previous interview
3. This one had a productions and operations case – Lots of financial and
operational ratios given – several strategies‟ choices given by way of data sheet
4. Did well on the strategy part and was all at sea with the numbers part

5. Interviewer went on and on with the numbers part
6. At a point I gave up and my mind shut down, and I was already planning on
the answers to my next interview with Al Ghanim, and was cursing this guy for
not letting me go
3 1. Probably given the benefit of doubt, and after a real long time was recalled for
the third interview
2. I was the only candidate for whom a third interview was done
3. Both the interviewers were in the same room now
4. Another case with numbers and stock prices and return on this and return on
that
5. Muttered prayers to all the dreaded fin gods on campus(Starting from RNS,
Basu to a couple of CA classmates of mine)
6. Finally it came to an end – Converted ☺
What questions 1. Asked them about the company‟s breakup of operations

did you ask to
the panel? 2. And a couple of arbit CP questions – too embarrassed to even recollect them ☺
6
General fundae 1. Prepare intensely for case interviews

to crack 2. All the case books are available on LAN
company 3. Go to seniors for practice
procedures;; 4. Don‟t be limited by just going to just the seniors who made it to Mck, Bain or
DOs/DON’Ts; BCG – There are plenty of gems
Special 5. Special something – do prepare fin related cases – the books are woefully shot
Preparation: of
them though….

Please provide 1. Bain – cases 2 Rounds
some insights 2. RBS – 1 Round – Spoke about cement sector in India(loved this bit)
on other 3. Trilogy – 2 Rounds – 1st round went brilliant – About products and
processes you BD for IT
went through: products, 2nd Round was a disaster – was about a business plan
4. HUL IT – Had gone to cup this one – Spoke in low tones in the GD but made a
couple of good points – Interview – Spoke very low tone – Things about IT from
engineering college – Felt good that I was awesome with the answers – Was the
only student to get selected finally for HUL IT – Turned it down
5. Myntra T Shirts – I wonder who gave my resume to them in the first place –
Casual
chat – Strategy and ground action for the company – Brilliant it went – Except that
I didn‟t want to Join them – Got Selected – Cried to the PRs that I didn‟t want it –
Very nice PR took care of it
6. Al Ghanim – Awesome Interview – Spoke about MENA region – had read a lot
about the company – Interviewer impressed – Spoke about the BRIC report –
India‟s future
– Interviewer gave me some general fundaes of life etc also – Second round some
firang dialed me in – he didn‟t like my resume for some reason – Didn‟t ask me
ANY QUESTIONS - I spoke – I asked myself the questions and answered them –
INSANE it was – Obviously not selected ☺

Company: McKinsey Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Aayush Vishnoi Education (Degree, college): IIT K, Mech.
Work-Ex (months): 11 Company: Lehman Brothers
Pre-Process
Written Test (Details): Y
Personal Interview
1. Back to back three cases
with 2 different people
Interviews
1 Started with tell me about yourself.
What went right? I had it prepared

What went Forgot to include recent achievements
wrong?
2 Case on how to increase the PLF of Indian Airlines
What went right? The approach was good, I connected well with the interviewer
What went Could not close the case.
wrong?
3 Interview 2: About yourself again followed by what Have I been doing in the
campus
What went right? Talked about FII initiatives.
What went
wrong?

4 Case on how to improve McKinsey‟s image in the campus abd how many
consultant hours will be required for the same
What went right? Closed the case. Covered all the hygiene points
What went Could have been a lot more creative in such an open ended case
wrong?
What questions I asked about the McKinsey research and how strong are research and strategic
did you ask to development practices in India
the panel?
6
General fundae Do the cases properly. Talk to a lot to the seniors and also have them deliver
to crack cases. Make sure that you make a good first impression during the dinner.
company
procedures;;
DOs/DON’Ts;
Special
Preparation:

7
Please provide I went through ATK, Goldman Sachs Markets, DB and Rothschild. Markets
some insights interviews were mainly focused on my work experience. For IBD I was asked
on other puzzles, basic valuation techniques and lots of personals (very important).
processes you
went through:

Name: Neha P. Nayak Education (Degree, college): NIT Nagpur,
Electrical & Electronics Eng.
Work-Ex (months): 0 Company: -
Pre-Process
Written Test (Details): Y (Case based DI caselets) 1 hour test
Personal Interview
1. Back to back three cases Cases pretty simple. Very easy going and
with 3 different people chilled out interview. Almost 70% of
interview time spent in Personals and
clarification talk. Puts one at great ease.
Interviews
1 Asked me for my feedback on McKinsey in general. Any apprehensions I had in

mind etc. Case based on BPO cost cutting.
What 29 I was able to point out very frankly some shortcomings in the firm‟s
went
right?
communication with students which managed to impress the interviewer a lot.
Spoke at length about successful women at McKinsey.
What went
wrong?
2 Based on previous chat, could converse with second interviewer very
comfortably
What went Started the family,
about his interview
hison a good note.
experiences Case went etc.
at McKinsey off in a very structured manner.
right?
Case based on revenue generation for a single screen theatre.
What went
wrong?

3 Interview with the partner: lesser personals. Got down very quickly to the case.
Case based on a thermal power plant and arresting cost fluctuations in input
materials.
What went Could take hints given by partner very quickly. Gave a graphical solution.
right?
What went Needed hints to arrive at solution.
wrong?
4 Final round with interviewer no 1 and the partner- more of a round to see
the organizational fit.
What went Was able to convince them of leadership skills based on past work and club work at
right? IIMB.
What went
wrong?
What questions
did you ask to
the panel?
6
General fundae I did a lot of cases from HBR case guide and Kellogg cases book. Practiced with
to crack PGP2s in last week, which helped in boosting confidence. Do not overdo the case
company practice. Could go against you.
procedures;;
DOs/DON’Ts; Do not panic in the interview. Be yourself and very honest. I got appreciated for
Special my openness and clarity of thought. Be prepared with your personals!!!!
Preparation:

7
Please provide I also went through the Bain and BCG process. Bain puts you right down into case
some insights mode, no time for any personals. BCG is midway between Bain and
on other McKinsey with moderate personals. Case difficulty max at Bain with one
processes you case on a Pharma company (trying to establish suppliers for servicing) and
went through: another one on the launch of rural credit cards.
BCG had a much simpler case along the lines of McKinsey.

Company: McKinsey & Co Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Prakash Deep Maheshwari Education (Degree, college): IIT R,
Pre-Process
Application Form (Y/N): Y (on website)
Written Test (Details): Y (1 hour test with 26 questions, similar to the
CAT DI paper but with more qualitative angle.
Required knowledge of how business decisions
are made but mostly based on common sense.
Personal Interview
1. 3 rounds – 2 case based McK cases are generally very standard types
and 1 personal – Cost-Revenue, Profitability etc. However,
they expect bang-on answers in the limited
time. Also, the personals part is much more
stressed on than in other consulting firms.
Interviews
1 My most significant achievement? – mentioned about the initiation of Deferred
Placement Programme in IITR, spent some time on why it was so significant?
Case: Multiple-stage case with new information being poured in every 2-3 minutes.
It was about how to improve the competitiveness of an Eastern European
low-cost airlines carrier. Did the traditional Revenue-cost, 4P, 4C analysis.
What 31 It was the interviewer‟s first brush with a B-school interview. Helped me come out
went
right?
clean despite several goof-ups.
What went Due to nerves, I forgot the basic funda of case interviews – asking questions. I
wrong? realized at the end of the interview only that I had been talking most of the time.

2 Activities @ IIMB? – mentioned about FII, ICON. Brought in the point of Term 1
GPA – this changed the disposition of the interviewer who wasn‟t very positive
before that on the basis of the feedback he would have got after the 1st r ound.
Case: Cost cutting for a BPO. It was a number crunching case involving lot
of calculations about the components of fixed and variable costs. Though I had a
nice structure, I goofed up a lot of the calculations but the interviewer helped me
through. Though, I did get tensed during the interview when I told him that 500*10
was 50000.
What went ☺
I was able to sell my PORs and acads to him at the beginning of the interview
right? which made his disposition during the rest of the interview much more frie ndly.
What The calculation muddle as a result of my unorganized scribbling on the rough

sheet.
went wrong?
3 Partner round – the interviewer was the India head of recruitment. But this was
the easiest of interviews. No case asked. Only personals. Most of the discussion
was about “Why McKinsey”. He asked the 3 very standard questions: why
MBA? Why consulting? And where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
What went I was able to show my passion for McKinsey and for consulting. Also, I explained
right? my philosophy of life to him which luckily coincided with his philosophy as well –
this sealed the deal.
What went Again, I was the talker and he was the listener. But in this case, I guess he wanted
wrong? it to be that way.

5
What questions I had read up about the work that McKinsey was doing recently and linked it to the
did you ask to current developments like Obama‟s winning the elections or the economic
the panel? meltdown. All my questions were based on that.
6
General fundae Confidence, clarity of thought and perseverance. Stick it out, you‟ll make it
to crack through. I did some cases with my case group and some with seniors but the
company number was appallingly low as compared to what most people did. It helps if you
procedures;; have done a lot of cases because you learn about a new point to think about with
DOs/DON’Ts;
every case.
Special
Preparation:
7
A basic understanding of the structure of various industrial sectors can help a great
Please provide None at all, thankfully ☺
some insights deal in structuring the cases.
on other
processes you
went through:

Name: Shilpa Rangaswamy Education (Degree, college): BE, University
of Mumbai
Work-Ex (months): 48 Company: TCS
Pre-Process
Application Form (Y/N): Y Online
Written Test (Details): Y MCQ test with simulated consulting
project decisions (Sample test shared earlier)
Personal Interview
1. 3 case interviews back to back. The panelists were always friendly. But their
Each interview opened with a case administration styles varied from being
„Tell me about yourself‟ kind of very friendly and forthcoming with
question information to being completely reticent and
answering questions only when specifically
asked.
•
S
t
r
e
s
s
i
n
t
5
What questions I did not have any unanswered questions after the breakouts, interactions and
did you ask to discussions with my mentor. Hence no questions to the panel.
the panel?
6
General fundae I did several cases in my case group from the case guides available on DC. Seniors
to crack also administered cases to us. They do not expect prior industry knowledge. Also,
company getting the final problem right is not important. I believe they are more interested
procedures;; in how you work your way towards it and what kind of solutions you have to offer.
DOs/DON’Ts;
A basic understanding of the structure of various industrial sectors can help a gre at
Special
Preparation: deal in structuring the cases.
7
Please provide None.
some insights
on other
processes you
went through:

Company: Mckinsey and Co. Area Applied for: Consulting
Name: Vibhu Manya Education (Degree, college): IIT B, Elec
Engg
Work-Ex (months): 34 Company: Inductis + Innoviti
Pre-Process
Resume (Y/N): Y
Written Test (Details): Y ( a good quant and DI test which was
tougher then CAT and also required business
knowledge)
Personal Interview
1. Back to back three Interviews There were discussions among interviewers

with 3 different people. Each with proper notes getting exchanged. Also a
interview had cases and PI. One lot of back ground search was done.
interview had 2 cases
Interviews
1 Tell me something about yourself. How are things changing in IIT, are people still
going for further studies
What went Could easily connect with the person and was very comfortable. We had a nice
right? comfortable talk about IIT days and work experience.
What went Royally screwed up my first case. The case was about selling IT products and had
wrong? absolutely no idea. Later he told me the case was tough but was surprised that I
totally goofed it up. Fortunately he gave me another case.
2 Asked me about my leadership experience and what all did I do. This discussion
went on for about 5 minutes. Probably the feedback form the 1st interview was that
this aspect of my personality was totally missing.
What went The discussion went well because I could highlight my leadership points. The case
right? was good and more importantly I got a lot of time to think about the problem.
What went I guess I could have afforded to screw up anything in this one!
wrong?

3 Asked me about Mck‟s impression on campus and anything that I had to ask in general.
What went Stated what was discussed in the dinner discussion about what Mck needs to do and
right? how the perception had improved in our batch for sure.
What went Was not very comfortable as the other person was not talking too much and wanted me
wrong? to do most of talking.
4 Asked me a case and gave me no help at all

What went Solved the case after number if iterations. Got the answer bang on finally. That was t he
right? best thing to happen.
What went Got no help from the interviewer at all as he gave no leads.
wrong?
What questions 1. Asked them about the likely places of internship, where all can we be placed
did you ask to
the panel? 2. Enquired about the Project Mumbai that mck had undertaken and how is it
going.
6
Had a 2-3 min chat about it. This was in 3rd interview where the other person
General fundae Doing
finally cases
spokewith PGP2time.
for some and your buddy is a must. That gives you lots of insights
to crack into how the final cases are going to be like.
company
procedures;; It‟s important to be comfortable with case studies and had general idea about the
DOs/DON’Ts; basic types and frameworks for those cases. Reading website is a must! A basic
Special understanding of the structure of various industrial sectors can help a great deal in
Preparation:
structuring the cases.

7
Please provide Went to BCG and OW interviews. Both were cases. OW was totally number
some insights focused and expected knowledge of Eco with various components of GDP and
on other stuff.
processes you
went through:

Name: Vishwanath. S Education (Degree, college): BE (ECE),
PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore
Work-Ex (months): 23 Company: MindTree Limited
Pre-Process
Written Test (Details): Test conducted about a week in advance of the
process. 1 hour time duration. 26 multiple
choice questions based on small cases given in
the question paper. Data interpretation types.
Not an elimination round.
Personal Interview
1. Back to back 2 case rounds. They wasted a lot of time selling McK to me.
Then 1 round of personals. They kept giving justifications for Up or Out,
individualist behavior of McK consultants etc
even without my asking them. This wasted
too much of time. Roughly 50% of my time in
both the case rounds was spent on this, and I
couldn‟t attend some other companies I
wished to attend.
Interviews

1 Case on a PVC manufacturer in India, buying a chlorine plant in Egypt. Have to
evaluate the opportunity using Break-Even period analysis. Very straight forward.
All cost and income heads given by the interviewer.
What went Case analysis went fast without being stuck up anywhere. And atmosphere was made
right? very congenial by the interviewer.
What went Nothing I could perceive.
wrong?
2 Case on a stand-alone movie hall in Mumbai wanting to improve its performance. We

have to suggest ways.

What went Gave a proper structure to the case, and clearly analyzed possible improvements in
right? different cost and income streams.
What went I assumed a case fact (no. of shows per day) without asking him. But that was
wrong? identified immediately and clarified. Otherwise, no perceivable mistakes.
3 Personals round. Questions based on my resume. And based on my acads at IIMB.
What went Discussions about my PORs

right?
What went They were not impressed with my acads at IIMB (first term GPA of roughly 3.00)
wrong?
What questions Asked about how come all panelists were very „genuine‟ in their interactions, and
did you ask to did not mind talking about sensitive issues. Asked if that is a conscious effort in the
the panel? company. Then asked about their knowledge management systems. Had a 2-3 min
chat about it. This was in 3rd interview where the other person finally spoke for
some time.
6
General fundae Very cool process. They did not make me feel stressed at all. Very casual
to crack interaction.They focus a lot on acads at IIMB. I was not given an offer cos of that
company only (as per the company).
procedures;;
DOs/DON’Ts;
Special
Preparation:

Please provide ATK – 2 rounds of case interviews, and 2 rounds of personals questions.ABG –
some insights Group Discussion was a fish market intermittently. Full group
on other disqualified.Mahindra & Mahindra – Very interesting GD process – people have to
processes you talk about why the company should recruit someone else. Mahindra‟s entire
went through:
process focused on what others think.
of you (they ask for college yearbook printout / orkut ID etc). Got an offer from
M&M.

6. INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE 2009
Personal Details:
Name: Nobal Preet Singh Roll No.: 0911110
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B. Tech, IIT Roorkee

Other qualifications:
Work Experience (months): 46 Company: ST Microelectronics Pvt. Ltd.
Internship Details:
Company: Alvarez & Marsal Location: Mumbai

Project Title: Operations Improvement For a Cash Logistics Company
Sector: Cash Logistics Function/Module: Operations improvement
Brief Description of the Project:
To reduce manpower cost and improve operations for the client
What was your exact role/work (in brief): My role was to collect data, take interviews, do
secondary research, interact with field experts and attend client meetings
Experiences:
What was the level of client interaction in your project? How was your experience with it?
I had very good experience with high level of client interaction in my project. I regularly interacted
with people in senior positions and attended top level meetings with client on progress updates
Did your past experience help you in any way during internship?
This project/sector was very different from what past experience I have
What did you like/dislike about the company?

The company, more than consulting, offered me very good learning opportunities. I was working on
live project where the team was very helpful, I was given lot more responsibilities and I felt no
hierarchy – worked and interacted with ‘partners’ almost daily
What did you like/dislike about consulting in general?

You get to party a lot, team dinners and yes, off-sites!
What skills do you think are pre-requisite to be successful in consulting?

1. To be able to build good relationships with client and team
2. Good analytical skills (all the more important in the initial few years)

3. Good communication skills
What tools/skills do you feel would have helped you in the internship had you known them
earlier?
Good excel skills can any day give you more comfort and save a lot of time
What are the key learning/takeaways from your internship?

The major takeaway for me was that I could bring more structure to my thoughts and organise them
before approaching an issue
Any other comments/suggestions/advice?

None

Personal Details:
Name: Abhimanyu Sahai Roll No.: 0911001
Background:
Education (Degree/College): IIT Delhi, B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering, 2007

Work Experience (months): 23 Company: ZS Associates, Pune
Internship Details:
Company: A.T. Kearney Location: NCR

Project Title: Change Management for a City Gas Distribution (CGD) company
Sector: Oil & Gas Function/Module: Marketing, Operations, IT
Brief Description of the Project: My internship revolved around facilitating the implementation of a
few strategic recommendations made to the client. These recommendations spanned across
functions involving primarily Marketing, Operations and IT.
What was your exact role/work (in brief): My project involved interacting with all the stakeholders
in these departments to ensure smooth and timely implementation of the recommendations. For
this purpose I had to arrange, co-ordinate and spearhead meetings between different departments
and between the client and its suppliers. I was also working on an analytical demand forecasting
piece for the client.
Experiences:
My project was completely client focused (being a change management initiative). I was working
primarily out of the client site. This greatly enriched my experience – I believe the extensive (as
opposed to sporadic) client interaction added an entirely new dimension to my experience.
My knowledge of Excel from my previous work experience was a definite plus. I also feel that my
previous work experience helped me put small mishaps or successes during the internship in proper
perspective, as well as better understand my manager and adapt my behaviour accordingly.
The aspect I was most impressed by was the portfolio of clients as well as the type of projects that
ATK does. I was impressed by the quality of the employees too. The internship program was
designed perfectly and the company seems to take good care of its employees. The company also
places a high level of trust and responsibility in each employee.
I loved the variety of roles I assumed in my short stint in consulting – that of researcher, cold caller,
data analyst, client manager etc. I also enjoyed the fact that I was playing a key role in completely

revamping the client organization.
In a client facing role it is important to be a smart conversationalist. Perseverance is also important –
very often it is tough to find data for the hypotheses that you are trying to prove and the pressure is
very high. It is also important to ‘fit-in’ with your team.
earlier?
Knowledge of Excel, PPT helps. Also, do not discount your first-year coursework. I had to extensively
use regression techniques in my project (and not just at a basic level – the QM2 level also proved to
be insufficient). Knowledge of Corporate Finance can also come in helpful in some projects.
Create a good first impression. Don’t get too informal but do not be uptight. You will perform better
if you try and have fun with your team.

Personal Details:
Name: Varun Saini Roll No.: 0911138
Background:
Education (Degree/College): BSc Goa University

Other qualifications: Nil
Work Experience (months): 70 Company: Indian Navy
Internship Details:
Company: Bain & Company Location: Gurgaon

Project Title: Turnaround of a Shipping Company
Sector: Shipping Function/Module: Strategy Consulting
Brief Description of the Project: A shipping company was making losses and Bain was hired to turn
around the company.
What was your exact role/work (in brief): I worked with developing a new client profile for the
company, tracking their cash flow and balance sheet and also on an overall market estimation.
Experiences:
What was the level of client interaction in your project?

How was your experience with it? Client interaction was high and I had a few meetings with the CFO
of the Business house (that owned the shipping business)
Yes – Being in the navy helped me handle the shipping project easily

The company took very good care of us, providing transport, accommodation and food. There was a
lot of interaction with the partners in the firm.

Liked how my work actually made a difference to the client and led to the improvement of the
topline.

No particular skills, but a knack for analysing problems by breaking them into smaller issues

earlier?
Nil

Learnt the way business houses work, especially family owned businesses. Learnt how the world of
consulting actually works.

Practice your cases well for the interviews.

Personal Details:
Name: D Deepthi Roll No.:0911020
Background:
Education (Degree/College):B Tech, IIT Kgp

Work Experience (months): Zilch Company:
Internship Details:
Company: Bain & Company Location: Gurgaon

Project Title: Supply chain optimization
Sector: Steel Function/Module:
Cannot disclose
What was your exact role/work (in brief):
Cannot disclose
Experiences:
It was good in comparison with the other summer interns in the same firm. It was an eye opener as I
discovered the huge learning potential with respect to client communication.
Yes. My background was helpful (Metallurgical and Materials Engg.)

Like: Great place to learn early on in your career. Impact. Great people and work culture (the Firm).
Lifestyle (travel, etc)
Dislike: Get paid less for the efforts we put in. Too much focus on personality development.
Refer to above removing the firm specific point.

Structured Logical thinking, reasoning. Analytical skills. Good grasping power. Professionalism at
work.
earlier?
Macros in excel, maybe. And the usual power-point stuff.

Knowledge about industry. Knowledge about consulting as a profession. Good work and great bunch
of people.

Personal Details:
Name: Amartya Singh Roll No.: 0911291
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.Tech, NIT Rourkela

Work Experience (months): 23 Company: Samsung Electronics
Internship Details:
Company: KPMG Location: Bangalore

Project Title: A Strategic Sourcing Solution for the portfolio firms of a PE/VC firm
Sector: Financial Function/Module: Private Equity
Brief Description of the Project: The project dealt with devising a strategic sourcing solution to
rationalize the non-core operational and capital expenses of the portfolio firms of a Private Equity/
Venture Capital firm
What was your exact role/work (in brief): Development of the strategic sourcing solution through
discussion with service providers and analyzing the feasibility of the solution through interviews with
PE/VC firms & portfolio firms
Experiences:
The client interaction was self-driven. I took the help of IIMB alumni and fellow students who were
working in different portfolio firms & PE/VC firms.
Yes.

I liked the independence that KPMG gave to its employees to complete a project.

The thing that I most liked about consulting is the chance to work on several sectors which makes
the work very interesting and flexible.
An open mind and the readiness to work hard are the pre-requisites for success in consulting.
earlier?
None

The key takeaways from the internship have been the indepth understanding of a consulting project
and the experience of interacting with PE/VC firms, portfolio firms, service providers and peers &
seniors in KPMG.
None

Personal Details:
Name: Arun Ramakrishnan Roll No.: 0911295
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.E. (Mech), University of Mumbai, M.S. (Mech), University of

Maryland, College Park
Work Experience (months): 101 months Company: LSI Logic (47 months), Broadcom (54
months)
Internship Details:
Company: McKinsey & Company Location: Mumbai

Project Title: Development of a front line service academy
Sector: Telecommunications Function/Module:
Development of a service academy for training the client’s front line employees on customer service

Interacting with the client’s business units (whose agents required training), the client’s training
division (who would deliver the training), and front line employees and developing
recommendations for structuring and implementing the training program.
Experiences:
High. Essential for the primary data value
My past experience helped me interact with my client’s senior management on my own (without
MCK’s introduction)

Likes: Talented colleagues, opportunities to take decisions, excellent support system
Dislikes: None

Likes: Breadth of exposure to various sectors
Dislikes: Quality of life

Ability to grasp concepts quickly
earlier?
None

Judge your internship by the quality of the people you work with and not by the quality of the
project

Personal Details:
Name: B. Maithri Roll No.: 0911087
Background:
Education (Degree/College): Bachelors in Computer Applications, Stella Maris

Work Experience (months): 34 Company: Infosys, Dad’s business
Internship Details:
Company: Bain & Co Location: San Francisco

Project Title: -
Sector: Tech Function/Module: Strategy
Brief Description of the Project: Working on a tech client’s strategy for a specific product group of
theirs
What was your exact role/work (in brief): Primary research on new technology trends to estimate
their impact on the market model developed for the client.
Experiences:
Not very high client interaction as project was towards the end and primary contact was between
partners, managers and the client.
Past work experience helped in planning timelines for deliverables and understanding work culture
better.

The company allows you to work on a live project and you get to see the impact of your work on the
results delivered to the client. They have an amazing support system and help you understand
consulting and how your career can evolve in the company.

I liked the process of approaching the problem from a perspective different from the client’s and
providing them with answers to questions they hadn’t previously looked at.

Ability to learn quickly, work with limited knowledge and provide insights even into the smallest
problem.
earlier?
Better powerpoint skills

Approaching and solving problems from different angles, providing answers in a single slide – no
matter how lengthy it is, making attractive presentations that get your point across.

Work hard, but enjoy your internship – it is a great experience!

Personal Details:
Name: Nishant Nishchal Roll No.: 0911258
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.Tech (Electronics and Communication), NIT Warangal

Work Experience (months): 23 Months Company: Freescale Semiconductor India Pvt. Ltd.
Internship Details:
Company: A.T. Kearney Location: Gurgaon

Project Title: Breakthrough cost Reduction for a leading Indian FMCG Company
Sector: FMCG Function/Module: Manufacturing
Brief Description of the Project: Reducing the cost of operation of the company by improvements
within the 4-walls of the factory by manufacturing/operating performance improvements.
What was your exact role/work (in brief): Engaging with the client to build up models to calculate
performance numbers, identify saving potential and estimate probable savings
Experiences:
It was a project with high level of client interaction. The base office was at the client site and I was
stationed at client plant for three weeks. The experience was good with many positives coming out
of it, the most prominent being that the work gets done much faster once you are at the client
location.
It does help to have a level of professionalism, and prior work experience does help in that. For the
project part, the work ex did not help at all.
A couple of points are noteworthy – 1. The faith that they place in interns. I was given the complete
freedom to operate in my project and come up with recommendations. I was treated at par with an
employee and was given access to all the resources. 2. Their concern for the employees. I needed to
have a couple of breaks during the internship (one week each) and they were very accommodating.
Its a great job where you get to bring a large scale change in the fortunes of a company. Also, the
monotony of working with a pre-defined set of activities is not there.
An adaptive and learning mind, ability to work long hours with the high level of productivity and
good communication skills.

earlier?
Better industry knowledge, but then that is the challenge with consulting where you have to adapt
to changing industries quickly.
A wonderful experience of consulting as a profession, knowledge of the industry I was working in,
and great people.
-------------------

Personal Details:
Name: Pulkit Jain Roll No.: 0911119
Background:
Education (Degree/College): Mechanical, Dual Degree, IIT Bombay

Other qualifications: -
Work Experience (months): None Company: -
Internship Details:
Company: BCG Location: Mumbai

Project Title: Repositioning the Client
Sector: Financial Services PSU Function/Module: Designing a Knowledge
Management System for the client
Brief Description of the Project: Client had played a key role in development of credit flow to rural
India but has been losing relevance over time. It was an 18 month long transformation case where
the entire business of the client was to revamped for it to keep playing a relevant role in the
development of rural India.
What was your exact role/work (in brief): It involved understanding the existing information
management systems in organization and identify their shortcomings. Thereafter, relevant KM
platforms for the client were identified and developed to be rolled out as Pilots
Experiences:
I had extensive interaction with client across levels as I had to understand the information
management in each of the 24 departments of client organization. It was a learning experience as
over time I learnt what information to seek and how to get it in an interview.
Yes. I had previously interacted with several government organizations as a part of my final year
thesis in college and with shop floor workers during my internship at HUL. That had sensitized me to
the pain points that people have in interacting with someone from outside and that helped me a lot
in my interaction with people in client organization.
There was a very strong team culture which I really loved. What this brought was that everyone was
always ready to pitch and help you out whenever needed, and it was expected that you work closely
with your teammates, seeking their help whenever in need.
Consulting job can take control of your life, as the work ends only when you have finished it, not by
the clock. While this can give you certain off days, it can also result in frequent long nights and
working weekends.

Most important skill is problem solving. What it essentially means is that you might have something
thrown at you and you need to figure out a way to solve it. Good communication skills and excel
proficiency will also help.
earlier?
In general, having a better knowledge of excel helps. Mine was a special module with no numbers.
Another thing that I think might have helped me would have been a better practice of presenting.
We don’t practice for presentations in B-school. That will really help you a lot in consulting if you do
that, till you master it.
I would say that I learnt to present better and take better interviews as I moved on from
unstructured discussion to structured questions.
None

Personal Details:
Name: Sasha Vesuvala Roll No.: 0911125
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.E. Computer Science and Engineering (MIT, Manipal)

Work Experience (months): 22 Company: Fidelity
Internship Details:
Company: McKinsey & Co. Location: Thimphu, Bhutan

Project Title: Accelerating Socio-Economic Development of Bhutan
Sector: ICT Function/Module:
Brief Description of the Project: Accelerating development of Bhutan by focusing on key sectors.
What was your exact role/work (in brief): Developing the Information Communication and
Technology (ICT) sector in Bhutan.
Experiences:
High level of interaction. Met with the Prime Minister and entire Cabinet twice, and regularly with
the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communications. Very good exposure.
Not much

A lot of faith in your abilities from the beginning – good.

Ability to work across sectors, and be exposed to people at a very high level in the client companies

Quick at analytics, good communication skills
earlier?
Would help to do a side course to improve PPT skills

Importance of 80-20 analysis

Personal Details:
Name: Tejas Dave Roll No.: 0911090
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.S.EE ; University of Texas at Dallas

Work Experience (months): 16 Company: Q Investments
Internship Details:
Company: Booz and Co. Location: Mumbai

Project Title: Talent Management and Transformation of a Financial Services Company
Sector: Financial Services Function/Module: -
The projects I worked on at Booz and Co. are confidential in nature which prohibits me from
making the information public. However on a higher level I dealt with topics related to
human resources in financial services companies along with an overall transformation of a
major financial services provider covering operational, strategic, technology, products and
other functions of the company.

Project encompassed detailed industry analysis, competitor analysis and future trends for
the market. I got an opportunity to work at the client side to get a feel of the business and
understand the operational aspect in details. Global best practices and experience of the
senior members on the team helped provide strategic direction to the project.
Experiences:
About 60% of the time was spent at client side. Required conducting interviews and analyzing data
on the spot to complete the assigned tasks.
Previous work experience came in handy as far as soft skills are concerned. However, with regard to
technical knowledge it was mainly learning at the job
I really liked that all the colleagues were easily approachable and gave great advice. The team
culture is strong and everyone has the “let’s get it done” attitude. I appreciated the fact that we
were given real work right from Day 1 and expected to perform as well as existing team members. I

have a great idea now of how working at Booz will be like and feel that this was an ideal internship.
I enjoyed learning about a new sector/industry in a very short period of time and getting to interact
with senior management at client side. It challenged us to think beyond what is readily available and
interpret data to dig deeper inferences.
Outgoing, getting it done attitude and logical thinking
earlier?
-
Exciting career to be in for people who are interested in learning new things and being at the cutting
edge of management. The thought leadership prevalent at Booz and Co. was phenomenal. Also,
work seemed like working with a good set of friends because of the collegiate work place
environment.
-

Personal Details:
Name: Tejasvi Ravi Roll No.: 0911064
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.com, Stella Maris College

Other qualifications: -
Work Experience (months): 0 Company:
Internship Details:
Company: Bain & Company Location: Singapore

Project Title: N/A
Sector: Financial Services Function/Module:
Brief Description of the Project: Analysing the internationalization finance market in the
Singaporean economy
What was your exact role/work (in brief): On par with other Associate Consultants on the team.
Involved primary interviews, analytical pieces, slide making, financial analysis and ratio calculations,
benchmarking.
Experiences:
Very high. Large number of interested parties from the client side and regular working group
updates ensured that I was at the forefront.
Background in B.Com helped to some extent with understanding of financial products, but not much.

Bain is all about the culture and the people. They took a lot of trouble to make sure that we felt
comfortable and to help out in any way. People from different offices made themselves available to
talk to us. And they are fun!
Very interesting work, exposure to several different sectors, very intelligent people to work with and
fun at office.
People-friendly to a certain extent, and being a quick learner helps as the learning curve is quite
steep.
earlier?

Nothing comes to mind. It was more about learning on the job.
Technical knowledge, industry knowledge, client interactions, culture of the company and a good
insight into the consulting industry.
Any other comments/suggestions/advice? - No

Personal Details:
Name: Vikas Hinger Roll No.: 0911282
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.Tech / NIT Calicut

Work Experience (months): 24 Company: IBM
Internship Details:
Company: Deloitte Consulting Location: Hyderabad

Project Title: Identifying and Implementing global initiatives for a US based consulting firm.
Sector: Management Consulting Function/Module: Strategy
Brief Description of the Project: The objective was to device a global strategy for the client, with a
focus on integrating its businesses across different geographies.
What was your exact role/work (in brief): Developing a framework for evaluation of various options
and then devising a strategy for the next 5 years
Experiences:
Moderate Level of interaction.
Not much.

Flat Structure, Approachable and helpful people with loads of experience.
Likes: Dynamic nature of the work,
Dislikes: High burn out and long hours
1. Ability to think about a problem logically and from various dimensions
2. Presenting the solution/recommendation in a simple yet interesting way
earlier?
Excel skills : Macro and VB programming
Got a first-hand experience of consulting from the project and also from the practitioners in Deloitte

Figure out whether consulting is the right for you and whether you as a person fit into this
profession.

Personal Details:
Name: Maria Cheryl Fernandez Roll No.: 0911104
Background:
Education (Degree/College): B.E. (College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University)

Other qualifications: A.T.C.L. (Solo Piano), Trinity College, London
Work Experience (months): Nil Company: -
Internship Details:
Company: McKinsey and Company Location: Thimphu, Bhutan

Project Title: Accelerating Bhutan’s Socio-Economic Development
Sector: Culture Industries Function/Module: Diagnostic
Brief Description of the Project: The aim was to estimate the potential of the Culture Industries in
Bhutan in terms of its potential for contribution to GDP and generating employment. It also involved
making recommendations for the Government to implement so as to achieve these targets.
My work involved studying an industry that was highly unorganised and fragmented. It involved the
joint setting of aspirations for the sector and getting on board the Government agencies to take the
recommendations to completion.
Experiences:
The level of client interaction was very high. It ranged from the Prime Minister to several Ministers,
Secretaries, Directors and establishments that were involved in this industry.
-
I loved the degree of freedom that was given to me – both in terms of content generation as well as
client interaction. The regular feedback mechanism was also very useful.
Consulting offers you so much of variety and gives you the opportunity to learn something new
almost every day – both in relation to your project as well as the people you deal with.
Structure is the biggest value addition that consultants bring to a study. An open mind to new ideas
and the desire to learn something new everyday are other useful aids.
earlier?
-

My three key learnings from my internship are (a) learning to structure my thoughts better (b)
gaining more confidence to voice my thoughts (c) remaining calm under pressure

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CONTENTS

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 2

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 3

1. Helps students get a flavor of the consulting industry, thus giving an

There are over 20 consulting firms participating in the recruitment process at

ICON, the consulting club of IIM Bangalore, in its constant endeavor to

The objectives of this guide are:

1. To lay down the recommended preparation process for consulting summers

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 4

A typical interview for a consulting firm is a mix of “case” and “fit”.

A typical case is a business situation, requiring strategy formulation in

Case interviews are designed to help the interviewer assess the

i. Thinking process – The interviewer constantly evaluates the

iii. Analytical and Quantitative skills – A typical case problem

iv. Demeanor – In addition to the above, interviewer also judges the

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 5

b. Fit Questions – The objective of these questions is to determine the

This part of the interview serves the following purposes:

In parallel to the above aspects, the candidate is continuously assessed

‐ Wharton’s and Kellogg’s case books available on ICON website

‐ Case examples provided on McKinsey, BCG websites

ii. Case Study group

‐ Typically, a group of 3 – 4 PGP‐I students to discuss cases and

‐ A thorough preparation of 10‐15 cases is recommended through this

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 6

‐ Diversity/uniformity in academic background and work

‐ What indeed matters is group dynamics, the amount of trust

‐ A couple of cases can be prepared with some other case study

‐ Mock interviews and case workshops are also conducted by

‐ Self‐study of solved cases, when group activity is not possible, is beneficial

‐ Knowledge of basic statistics, such as population counts, can

‐ Sector research, especially those in which interviewers specialize, can

‐ Equally important is to gain basic understanding of the sectors in

i. Typical questions preparation

‐ A list of ~40 questions is generally circulated by the Placement

‐ Interview questions from summer interview process of previous

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 7

ii. Company Research

‐ Vault guides and other consulting gyaan available on ICON website

‐ Limited help from mentors appointed by consulting firms (for

‐ Company’s websites (and neutral sources as Wikipedia!)

‐ Case study groups kick in at the start of Term‐II, translating

‐ Forming the group early on saves time and energy spent

‐ Preparation of fit questions requires several iterations. Hence,

‐ It is recommended to start preparations during the Inter‐term break

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 8

The selection process has following stages:

1. Resume short listing

• Number of interviews varies across candidates and companies

Company No. of interviews

• These are not stress interviews. The interviewer directs the

• Fit Interview: 15 – 20 minutes

• Case Interview: 20 – 30 minutes

ICON – The Consulting Club | Consulting Case Book 9

• Fit Interview involves personal questions – Typically of the kind “About

• The interviewer forms an impression of the candidate after going through

DOS AND DON’ TS OF A FIT INTER V IEW

• Adopt a calm and composed manner throughout the interview –