Abhinav Modi

Tell us a little about yourself, your personal and professional journey so far? 

I was born and raised in India. For my undergraduate I studied Business and Finance as my major.

After graduating, I wanted to explore the world of data and took a role with United Airlines. In my six years with the organisation, I worked on improving their operations and customer strategy leveraging analytics. Besides the great learning and growth opportunities, working for an airline had perks – I travelled across the world practically for free!

Can you share a little about why you decided to pursue the MBA, and in particular, the INSEAD MBA? 

I decided to pursue an MBA as I had been working in aviation for a long time and wanted to explore other industries and at the same time develop some core leadership and business skills.

Luckily, my job allowed me to interact with people from diverse cultures and perspectives. The yearn to have a similar learning environment coupled with the academic breadth and leadership opportunities that INSEAD offers made it my first choice.

What are your thoughts about the class experience, professors and the curriculum so far?

The curriculum and class setup do a phenomenal job at bringing together people from different walks of life in a way that allows a really open and genuine exchange of ideas. This for me has formed the main part of my learning. The faculty and professors here are experts with decades of experience that reflects in the very first interactions you have with them.

What is the student life like at INSEAD?

Since the MBA programme is only one year, there are tons of activities happening on and off campus on daily basis. Everyone wants to make most of their time here so there’ll always be a trip, dinner or event that you can join and your peers are more than welcoming.

Are you looking forward to anything in particular during your time on the programme? 

I am not looking for anything particular as I came to INSEAD with the mindset of taking in all that this place has to offer. However, one thing that I am focusing on is not staying in my comfort zone and continuously venturing out. 

Could you share a little about your application process, securing financing, and making your way to Singapore/Fontainebleau? 

Speaking candidly, the application process was a bit tedious for me. Researching about the school to understand if it’s a right fit and communicating authentic stories was what took the most time. 

Having conversations with alumni was extremely helpful and really made me understand whether INSEAD was the right place for me.

For funding, I applied for and received a scholarship from INSEAD and later secured an educational loan from Prodigy finance to cover the rest. 

If you could share an admissions or application tip to someone who is considering the programme, what would you say?

Reach out to alumni and the faculty (but don’t overdo it) to understand more about the programme and how it can add value to your professional and personal journey. Also, stay true to yourself rather than thinking about what the school wants to hear as it reflects in your application.

Parting words of wisdom?

INSEAD is a unique and intense experience so be prepared to get challenged otherwise it is easy to feel lost. Give in your 100% to this year and you’ll get back so much more in return.