ESSEC Alumni in India: “ESSEC Is a Household Name in Our Country”

Chetan Sharma (E09), President of ESSEC Alumni’s India Chapter, tells us more about the local community – and the activities he offers to them. If you are a graduate or a student in the area, join their online group!

ESSEC Alumni: What is your personal history with India? 

Chetan Sharma: I was born in Haryana State of India, and have been living in different states of India except for the short stint of 2-3 years I spent in Paris and Singapore for my ESSEC curriculum. I completed my studies right after the 2008 recession and entered the job market when India’s economy was transforming fast. I worked with an investment bank, in international commodities trade, and in petrochemical companies up until 2014, then launched my own ventures in the fields of warehousing, fuel retail outlets, international commodities trade, hospitality and wellness. The cumulative sales turnover of these businesses was INR 700 million in 2023 with more than 80 employees working with me. 

EA: What may strike a foreigner when discovering your country? 

C. Sharma: India has a young population with an average age of 30 years. This sets the country apart from any other one, especially businesswise, as it impacts the consumer base and behaviors. Our population is also very diverse, as this is also a huge nation with different perspectives in all corners. The current government promotes the Sanskrit phrase “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” meaning “One World, One Family” so as to bring us all together. Note that foreigners are also invited to be a part of this family. As a matter of fact, French corporates have a strong presence in defense, dairy, and agriculture FMCG, among other sectors.

EA: What opportunities are there in India for ESSEC graduates?

C. Sharma: We have a stable government, supportive of entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, offering great growth prospects. This opens many opportunities. A fair number of our graduates launch their own startups. Others join established European or Indian companies at middle or senior management positions. Hospitality is quite huge in the community as many of our Indian graduates actually attended the IMHI program. 

EA: What are the profiles of ESSEC graduates in India? 

C. Sharma: Most are native Indians as ESSEC’s Master in Management (Grande Ecole) and other specialised Masters have been seeing a steep rise in applications from India in the last decade. Expats come and go, and only account for a small fraction of the community. That being said, they are of course very welcome! 

EA: How strong is the ESSEC brand awareness in India?

C. Sharma: ESSEC’s Master in Management has been an academic partner of India’s four best management schools since 2006: Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Lucknow. ESSEC’s Global BBA program also has partnerships with Ashoka University in New Delhi, and Symbiosis International University in Pune. The school also organizes student outreach, awareness and recruitment programs in various institutions all across the country. This strategy pays off. The ESSEC brand is a popular, household name amongst employers with a global connection, and students and applicants for a management education are very aware of the benefits of an education at ESSEC. 

EA: What advice do you have for ESSEC graduates and students moving in India?

C. Sharma: Be open to different work cultures in all locations. There is no set practice in Indian work culture. Innovation and hard work blend in different forms depending on the local ecosystems.

EA: What are the activities of ESSEC Alumni’s India Chapter? 

C. Sharma: Our purpose is for ESSEC graduates and students to come together and help each other to address both their professional and personal situations. We have groups on ESSEC Alumni’s website and on LinkedIn, and of course we offer many events throughout the country, through our local branches. Recently, we helped ESSEC organizing alumni outreach events in New Delhi and Mumbai, which both had a great turnout, including high-level dignitaries. We also launched a cocktail party to welcome ESSEC Professor Philippe Le Corre in Delhi. One of our next projects is to try and set activities in Hyderabad. We try and take every opportunity to gather alumni so that they keep interacting and always have an outlet to share their experiences and queries. 

EA: Who are the members of your team? 

C. Sharma: Puneet Chhatwal (IMHI 91) is by my side as Honorary President (check his interview) and Beni Agrawal (IMHI 06) as IMHI Ambassador. We also have local representations in all major cities in the country: Ranjita Ravi (E13) for our Bengaluru Chapter; Harjeev Sabherwal (MBA 13) for our Chennai Chapter; Radhika Gupta (E16) for our Delhi Chapter; Chirag Gupta (MBA 12) for our Jaipur Chapter; Alexandre Person (E19) for our Kochi Chapter; Debayan Chandra (MBA 17) for our Kolkata Chapter; Durgesh Maru (E15) for our Mumbai Chapter. Last but not least, we want to develop industry clubs just as we have city chapters; Siya Chaudhari (M23) is paving the way with our Luxury Club. Many thanks to all of them for being such devoted volunteers! 

Join our India Chapter and our 125 clubs and chapters!

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni 

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