Raghav Ruia

“The programme has met and exceeded my expectations from day one,” he says. “And being in London is fabulous! There’s so much energy attached to the city. And LBS is in the heart of it all."

Raghav was looking at a few schools when he made the decision to apply for the Masters in Management at London Business School (LBS). “The holistic development drew me,” he says. “It was missing in many of the other schools. At LBS there’s a lot more than just academics on offer, which made it the place I really wanted to come to.”

Coming straight from a Bachelor of Commerce in Calcutta, the international exposure and the diversity of students here was a pull too. Multi-nationality study groups – an integral part of all project work at LBS – has opened up the world of business for him through the eyes of his peers. “Brainstorming with three or four people from different cultures uncovers perspectives that you would have never learned on your own,” he says. “In my study group itself there are four other nationalities – from Germany, Korea, Italy and China.  For our study group meetings we made it a point to go out for dinners regularly, covering all our national cuisines.”

With a packed schedule and two LBS clubs – the Family Business Club and the Automotive Club – Raghav has started to build a network he hopes to carry with him for life. “You mix with people on every programme across the School when studying at LBS so you see MBAs, EMBAs, MiFs, MiMs all coming together. Everyone mixes with everyone else. It’s such a great way to network with people you wouldn’t get a chance to otherwise.”

Does he feel pressure to get his work done and find time for socialising too? “Absolutely not!” He says that people at LBS have been instrumental in helping him study and organise his week better, from classmates working together to draw up timetables, to faculty supporting him with his studies. “Faculty are really great and take out the time to discuss anything we need,” he says. “For instance, I was fascinated by Emmanuel De George’s lectures. I wanted to personally discuss concepts with him to make sure they were really clear and he was always willing to go the extra mile and guide me. They are all very approachable and enthusiastic and make sure they bring out the best in us.” 

Being at the beginning of his career journey, Raghav wanted a firm foundation in all aspects of business and a head start in whatever he chooses to do. He says he knows LBS was the right decision. “My experience here has just been fabulous,” he says. “Every time I think I’ve had the best day yet, LBS will top it with an even better one.”