Vinay - Gourami Business Challenger

Degree Studied: Mechanical Engineering
Gourami Attended: Asia 2007

What motivated you to apply for the Gourami Business Challenge?

The idea of working with a pioneer in many fields was the prime motivator for me to apply for a place at Shell. The curiosity surrounding the whole idea of Gourami Business Challenge and the possibility of proving myself through such a platform, coupled with the opportunity to meet people from different countries and backgrounds were a few reasons why I decided to give a shot at Gourami to gain a place at Shell.

What did you get out of your experience at Gourami?

I am really glad to have had such an experience. Meeting and getting to know so many people within a span of 5 days was a great feeling, among other things. The icing on the cake was the surroundings and the circumstances in which the competition was held. The learning and implementation was over a wide spectrum, from gaining basic technical knowledge, economics of the situation, to getting the message across in a more effective way. In a nutshell, the program ensures that the participants walk out with a sense of value addition.

What were some of the challenges you faced?

Probably the biggest challenge most of us including me faced during the competition was making decisions based on incomplete knowledge of situations when pressed for time. As all teams are dependent on one another for some information or the other, and had their own constraints at any given point of time, such situations were common and presented dilemmas and risks at several junctures. This showed that real life situations could get fairly tricky. To sum it up, I learnt that for an engineer, technical knowledge, a logical thought process and common sense in business is all it takes to take decisions in such situations.

What did you learn about Shell - and about yourself - in the process?

To start with, the organization of the event itself showcased the efficiency that Shell aims for in all of its operations. Gourami Business Challenge portrays in a nutshell, all the businesses that Shell is involved in, and the work culture that makes it such a successful organization. Through the competition, I realized my own strengths and weaknesses much better than I had thought of them before, and with the inputs and constant feedback from employees of Shell at various junctures, the process helped in bringing the best in me.

What would you say to other students considering an application to Gourami?

As a participant, I feel that it was a perfectly organized event on an individual basis, and as a structure specific to Shell, I think the program has been brilliantly designed to give the participants a wonderful opportunity to not only showcase his/her talents, but also learn. More importantly, Gourami Business Challenge gives a complete snapshot of the Oil and Gas industry within a short span of time and hence enables the participant to truly comprehend and understand the broad framework involved.