How I earned my DBA While balancing work and life

S P Jain Blog | April 2, 2026 | Alumni Stories | No Comments

I always fancied the title of “Dr” as a prefix to the name. To me, people with the title of “Dr” always seemed to have an aura and symbolise maturity, knowledge, authority, and more respect. I always felt that the journey to complete a “Doctorate” is as arduous as becoming a super-specialist medical professional or an IAS/IPS officer in India.

In my quest to achieve professional success by enhancing my qualifications, I studied three post-graduate courses in finance, marketing and business management. In addition, I also did a course in advanced management, AMP from INSEAD, Singapore. As a next step, sometime in 2017 or 2018, I felt I must pursue the coveted doctorate and applied to three eminent institutions, including SP Jain Global.

During the application process, I met Prof Maddulety, and somehow, talking to him felt relaxing and assuring. I could get the feeling that I am connecting with a genuine teacher who will always have students’ interests in mind and will extend a helping hand whenever required. After interacting with the selection committees of the other two institutions, I decided to trust my instincts and go with SP Jain Global in Sep 2018.

The process of weekend online classes with an experienced and high-quality global cohort and a committed faculty made the classes very enjoyable. Forming working groups to work on class assignments felt like a return to campus days. Regular sessions with Prof Seetharaman were highly insightful and delivered the message on a disciplined approach to stay on track in this long journey.

Challenges that tested my commitment

After completing four course papers in the first year, we reached the next stage: identifying a topic and working with the principal supervisor and co-supervisor to refine the topic and research proposal. However, the world was soon hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to other pressing priorities and commitments, I had to take a break from the DBA journey. During the COVID period and the break, Prof Maddulety kept in touch to check on my personal well-being and assured me of support if I plan to resume.

Mentors who shaped my DBA journey

Somewhere in mid-2023, the situation had normalised, with my professional and personal priorities taken care of, and I felt it was time to restart pursuing my ambition. I immediately got in touch with Prof Maddulety, who suggested a “fast track” process. He advised that it would be highly beneficial to travel to the Singapore campus and work under Prof Seetharaman for a fortnight on the literature review section. He suggested that following this process, I could still complete my doctorate within the next twelve months. I immediately sensed the opportunity and reached the Singapore campus in early September 2023 and met Prof Seetharaman in person for the first time.

The experience on campus under Prof Seetha was completely life changing. He made me feel highly comfortable and provided me with a place in the library on the first floor. The library’s pathway connects to the faculty apartments, where he stays. He explained to me the process of literature review, formats and guidelines; and advised that he would meet me four times a day – in the morning while going to his office, in the afternoon while going for the lunch break, post lunch break and again in the evening while coming back from his office, including the weekends.

Rediscovering discipline and routine

Very soon, I gained momentum and started enjoying the time on campus. I was staying in a hotel about a thirty-minute walk from the campus. I used to reach campus every day at 8 AM, usually the first one to enter the library, and would leave only by 10 PM. I used to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the cafeteria only, and I rediscovered myself enjoying campus life. The professor was also extremely delighted with my progress. Soon, I completed the literature review within the stipulated fortnight. Prof Seetharaman suggested that I extend my stay, if possible, and work on the questionnaire, data collection, and analysis.

I requested my organisation to extend my leave, and they obliged. Soon, I completed the questionnaire, sample data collection, questionnaire refinement, data collection, and data analysis, all within four weeks on campus. During this period, I reconnected with Prof Pranab Kumar Pani, my principal supervisor, and he began guiding me in writing my thesis.

Guidance that made the difference

Prof Pani emerged as the third pillar of my DBA journey. He treated my thesis like his own child and advised me to send it to him weekly, and he would provide comments to help me improve my writing and explanations. During the long, treacherous, and overwhelming process of writing the thesis, going for the pre-submission seminar, working on the inputs, going for proofreading, and conforming to the thesis writing guidelines, he was my go-to person in addition to Prof Seetharaman and Prof Maddulety. I could finally submit my thesis in September 2025, almost two years after I went to Singapore and was awarded the coveted DBA in March 2025.

The moment that made it all worth it

Having started the journey in Sep 2018 and getting the degree after almost seven years feels like a great achievement in life. It is not just a degree, but a testimony to teamwork, trusting and believing in God, and his hands in the shape of my three pillars, and to trusting myself to rise 1001^st time after falling 1000 times and giving up on the dream.

And, also, it does feel special to write “Dr” as a prefix. I feel a sense of awe when people in my personal and professional circle address me as “Doctor”.

Applying knowledge to real-world business

The journey of research is, in a way, very humbling. It taught me the importance of perseverance, isolation, immersing in the subject, teamwork, trusting the teachers, delayering the subject, looking at connectedness and valuing the framework. I used the research framework to explain the importance of discovering the unknown, and it improved the problem-solving process. I could also apply the findings of my thesis to the housing industry and refine our project acquisition approach. In a nutshell, it is not just a degree; it’s a way of life that teaches you a structured approach to navigating the unknown and reaching your destination.

About the author:

The blog is written by Dr Rakesh Setia, a DBA (2025) graduate at SP Jain School of Global Management. He works as President – Sales and Marketing (Business Transformation & Growth, Automation, Pricing) at Rustomjee.

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