From Engineering to Business Leadership: My EMBA Experience and Career Growth
–Debmalya Sen, EMBA 2019
When I look back on my career journey over the last 14 years, 2017 stands out as a pivotal turning point.
After spending 7 years in engineering roles across conventional and renewable energy assets, I was introduced to the world of business development. While the role was exciting—as I was tasked with exploring new business areas and technologies for the organisation to diversify into—it also meant stepping into unfamiliar territory. I had to break out of my comfort zone and explore areas I’d never ventured into before.
My laptop screen quickly filled up with Excel models, presentations, asset performance management analytics, and logbooks — things I hadn’t worked with before. I realised that to excel in this role and fully leverage the opportunity, I would need to upskill myself. But I also knew I didn’t have the bandwidth to leave my job or take a sabbatical to pursue academics. At the same time, I realised that a fully online course wouldn’t work for me either.
That’s when I came across the program offered by SP Jain Global. It ticked all the boxes: a flexible course that could be completed in 18 months in Mumbai, with weekend classes I could attend alongside my job. Yes, it meant sacrificing my weekends for 18 months, but I was okay with that.
I still thank myself for that decision. I remember the date—25 April 2017. I quickly filled out the application and went through the process, and on 17 August 2017, I found myself at the Kamala Mills campus, inducted into the 6th EMBA batch of SP Jain Global. Little did I know that my life was about to change completely.
Beyond the academic rigour, the program exposed me to professors and subjects across various sectors. In my batch of 32 people, I was the only one from the power sector. The rest of my peers came from industries like airlines, insurance, FMCG, telecom, healthcare, entrepreneurship, banking, finance, shipping, and more. This diversity was invaluable. It introduced me to new thought processes and new ways of tackling problems and helped me realise that many challenges are universal across industries. This was, for me, the biggest takeaway — learning how different industries operate, solve challenges, and think.
The program covered multiple subjects — finance, marketing, accounting, and operations — which helped me understand business problems better and think more holistically rather than relying on a single, narrow approach. I began to appreciate things on a deeper level — whether it was a financial model, business projections, or even human behaviour. I loved learning new things and getting a platform to apply them immediately in my work. My efforts didn’t go unnoticed. I was recognised with the prestigious “Global Citizenship Award” and made it to the Dean’s List for two terms. I also won the area-level contest for International Toastmasters in Mumbai.
Over the last 6 years of life beyond the gates of SP Jain Global, the lessons continue to influence how I approach my work. In those years, I switched jobs twice, transitioned from the energy sector to the world of Big 4 consulting, and eventually found myself leading the energy practice for the World Economic Forum in India. My audience has grown, too — from being solely based in India, I now engage with a global audience. Honestly, I never expected this when I first enrolled in the program.
If you ask me what has helped me the most in my career, I can’t point to a single thing; it’s a combination of concepts, ideas from colleagues during projects, case studies shared by professors, and even impromptu speeches I made as part of Toastmasters. All of these factors blended to create an optimal product.
Aspirants or my subordinates often ask me if pursuing the course was “worth it.” My answer remains the same: First, ask yourself why you want to do it and what you hope to achieve. A job change, role change, or promotion won’t automatically happen just because you’ve done an MBA.
Someone once gave me an analogy I love: it’s like going to the gym. You can spend money and time, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get fitter, right? It all depends on how much effort you put in during the time you dedicate to the course. It’s tough — no cakewalk — but all the effort and sacrifices will pay off over time. It did for me so that I can vouch for it. Just be prepared and flexible enough to take full advantage of the opportunities that come your way. And remember, when you’re on this journey with 32 other like-minded individuals, it’ll pass by faster than you think!
About the Author:
Debmalya Sen is an accomplished business leader with over 14 years of experience in the energy and business development sectors. He has been recognised for his leadership, including the prestigious “Global Citizenship Award” and Dean’s List honours.
