From Small-Town Beginnings To Zomato, BlinkIt & Noon Minutes, How This Engineer With Experience Across India And Dubai Made It To Kellogg MMM
Amlan Mishra’s story doesn’t begin with product dashboards or MBA campus tours. It starts in a township tucked among coal mines in India, where life moved steadily between school, family, and quiet ambition. Raised in a community centered around NTPC’s power plants, Amlan learned early the value of persistence, structure, and taking the long view.
That foundation took him to Delhi to prepare for the IIT JEE exam, a fiercely competitive entrance examination for entry into India’s top engineering schools. After months of disciplined preparation, Amlan secured a seat at IIT Bombay, where he pursued civil engineering. But once he arrived, he realized that his interests weren’t confined to the traditional paths laid out for him. While he appreciated the analytical rigor that engineering demanded, his curiosity pushed him toward broader problem-solving domains. In his free time, he explored product management, picked up skills in data science, and engaged in leadership activities. Notably, he helped establish the IIT Bombay chapter of the HULT Prize, an international competition focused on social entrepreneurship. These experiences broadened his worldview and gave him his first taste of creating real impact beyond academics.
After graduating, Amlan’s professional journey reflected the same spirit of exploration. He joined Zomato’s B2B division, Hyperpure, where he worked at the intersection of tech and operations, helping restaurants procure supplies more efficiently. After two and a half years, he moved to Blinkit, where he shifted to the consumer side of business, managing critical aspects of the user experience. He launched new features such as app ratings and reviews—one of the first initiatives of its kind in India’s fast-growing quick commerce space. Each role built on the last, sharpening his skills across operations, strategy, and consumer behavior.
By early 2023, Amlan realized that while his learning curve remained steep, his ambitions were outgrowing the opportunities immediately available to him. He wanted to strengthen his leadership abilities, gain a global perspective, and eventually scale impact-driven businesses across emerging markets. An MBA, he decided, was the natural next step.
Preparing for the GMAT while working full-time brought its own challenges. Amlan’s preparation was disciplined and methodical, but despite multiple attempts, his score plateaued at 705. Rather than getting caught in the cycle of retesting for marginal improvement, he chose to channel his focus into building a stronger, more holistic application. Recognizing the importance of presenting a coherent, compelling narrative, Amlan connected with Shabri at Admissions Gateway, following recommendations from seniors and mentors.
Working with Shabri brought clarity and structure to his process. Rather than working through applications piecemeal, Amlan approached each step systematically—starting with defining his career goals. While he had broad ambitions, Shabri encouraged him to treat his goals essay as a real-world business pitch. Through weeks of iteration, his narrative sharpened, connecting his past experiences with his future aspirations in a way that felt both ambitious and believable.
Essay writing demanded equal rigor. With structured feedback, he learned to build essays that were research-driven, school-specific, and authentic. He incorporated references to particular programs, clubs, and initiatives, demonstrating a clear fit with each school’s culture. Each draft became more refined, more precise.
In the middle of this process, Amlan faced an important professional decision. An opportunity arose to join Noon Minutes, a leading Middle Eastern e-commerce platform’s quick commerce platform, and relocate internationally. Moving mid-application season could have raised concerns, but Amlan treated it as a strategic pivot. With Shabri’s support, he proactively updated schools, highlighting how the move expanded his global exposure and deepened his product management experience. The transition reinforced, rather than complicated, his story.
The results reflected the hard work. Amlan was admitted to the MMM program (MBA + MS Design Innovation) at Kellogg School of Management, one of his top-choice programs. It was a fitting next step for a journey built not on shortcuts or overnight transformations, but on steady progress, deliberate decisions, and thoughtful pivots.
From a small-town upbringing to scaling products across continents, Amlan’s journey highlights the quiet power of persistence—the willingness to adapt, to seek help when needed, and to stay focused on the larger goal.
To read more such stories of folks who got into their dream business schools to pursue their lifelong passion, check out our success stories.
