Vimal Lamba, Cambridge Judge MBA Class of 2024
Vimal Lamba, Cambridge Judge MBA Class of 2024Age: 35 years
Hometown: Hisar, Haryana, India
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (B. Tech, Civil Engineering)
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Construction Industry: Assistant Project Manager, NKG Infrastructure Limited, 2010-11; Project Manager, NKG Infrastructure Limited, 2011-13; Senior Project Manager, Dnova Infracon Private Limited, 2013-16. Solar Energy: Senior Project Manager, Rays Power Experts Private Limited, 2016-17. Entrepreneurship in the Solar Industry: Co-founder & Director, Sunsmith Infra Private Limited, 2017-23.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Building my own business in solar energy as a turnkey solution provider and a consultant, delivering clean energy and energy efficiency solutions to a diverse clientele, I realised the importance of how businesses can play a major role in addressing the pressing problems of climate change and sustainable development. This got me energised to play a bigger role in the business community and create a global impact on sustainability. Further, during Covid time, when our business activity was reduced to a minimum, I took a step back to envision myself in the big picture and assess my potential impact areas and pathways to achieve them. This was the trigger for my decision for an MBA.
We live in super-exciting times when the world is welcoming innovators, investors, and problem-solvers to come together to not just do business but do business for good affecting not just the economic sphere but the social and environmental as well. Added to it, developments in technology and AI are facilitating immediate actionable solutions every day. I believe there could not be a more appropriate time to broaden my perspective, develop my skill set, and form a global mindset to drive global change.
Why did you choose Cambridge Judge? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Cambridge Judge’s ethos of collaboration, which is exactly what the world needs today to solve the pressing challenges of our times, and its value of the pursuit of research and knowledge for the sake of human curiosity are what resonated with me and got me interested in pursuing my education at the University of Cambridge.
Further, I plan to work in Europe as I believe it is the centre stage for shaping and driving global action plans for sustainability. It is a great place to learn best practices while making a global impact.
Additionally, my wife, who is a doctor, had plans to work in the NHS. Hence, it was an easy decision for me to pursue my education in the UK. She recently joined an NHS trust as we made our move to the UK, and I can’t thank her enough for her support during my application and GMAT preparation.
Academically, I find Judge’s curriculum to be rigorous yet focussed on experiential learning, which matches my expectations as after 13 years of graduating from IIT Roorkee, I now look forward to another challenging experience and pushing my learning horizons while building meaningful connections with some of the best minds in the world. Interacting with its alumni, a vibrant community, I am positive that Cambridge Judge is the right place for me. The availability of vast opportunities to build connections with the wider university cohort and alumni is an invaluable resource that Cambridge offers.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2024?
Having experience across infrastructure and energy sectors and running a business in renewables as a first-generation entrepreneur, I aim to enrich my cohort with insights and practical knowledge from these domains. My entrepreneurship journey has been marked by both successes and failures, and I am eager to share these experiences with peers aspiring to build ventures of their own. Moreover, I intend to leverage my extensive network within the Indian and UK energy industry to contribute to the success of the Energy Conference organised by Cambridge University Energy Network. As part of the organising committee, I am committed to facilitating meaningful connections and insightful discussions during this event.
Having achieved one of the top GMAT scores and graduated from one of India’s premier engineering schools, I am keen to apply my aptitude and analytical approach in the classroom, study groups, student-led activities, and case competitions.
Further, I am deeply passionate about sustainability and environmental responsibility. I see an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by working on projects aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of both my school and college, i.e., Cambridge Judge and King’s College, as part of a student project, building upon their presently adopted decarbonisation strategies.
I am also excited about the prospect of contributing to a Solar plant installation project at King’s College Chapel, one of the most iconic buildings in Cambridge. There are other platforms, such as Cambridge Hub, Cambridge Zero, Climate Tech Club, etc., where I aspire to create a positive influence within the university community.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
Being an astronomy enthusiast, I can tell the time by looking at the night sky on a clear night. You’ll find more pictures of stars, beautiful skies, and nature on my phone than my own.
I have varied interests and I am easily distractible as I love to learn and experience different things. So, when it comes to hobbies, I am a very fickle-minded person. One day you’d see me reading, writing the next day, cycling for a few weeks, and then you might spot me spotting a bird in the wild or hiking and exploring new places. I also tried my hand at creating 3D animations, and luckily, I found a good use of this skill while pitching my company’s services to customers.
There is so much to experience, but never enough time. I have tried scuba diving, river rafting, and paragliding, and look forward to trying sky-diving and bungee jumping in the future. I can discuss movies and soundtracks for hours. I play guitar as well (not consistently, but I assure you that music is my constant true love!❤️).
Post-MBA career interests:
I plan to make a direct impact on our global carbon footprint, playing my part in reducing it from 50 billion tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions to a Net-Zero world. My immediate career interests to this end are working as a sustainability consultant at a global consulting firm, building strategy or leading operations of cleantech/energy companies or decarbonisation technology solution providers, or associating with a VC fund focused on climate start-up funding. I will leverage the MBA experience and opportunities to explore and decide what’s the best pathway for me, keeping in mind the impact I’ll be making.
Down the line, I am also open to pursuing entrepreneurship again to work on a climate tech/sustainability/circular economy start-up.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I’d interact with multiple students and alumni, particularly those who achieved similar goals as I plan to. It also gives a peek into college life, culture, and career journey during the MBA. Further, it is a great opportunity to connect with people from various backgrounds and geographies, while visualising yourself among them in the classroom. The bright side is that even if you don’t get into the school, you might end up with a few meaningful connections.
More importantly, communicating with current students keeps us motivated during the application process. I know that applying to top MBA programmes with carefully crafted detailed applications demands a lot from us and is not a piece of cake to manage with a full-time job.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would go ahead and apply in the first round as I think it promises the best chance at admission and scholarships. I was going through multiple things at once: planning our move to the UK with my wife and winding up things that needed my physical presence in India. Hence, I couldn’t apply until Round 3. If I could change it, I’d prioritise my time more efficiently and apply in Round 1 to have the best chance of securing a scholarship.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
There is an optional essay in the Cambridge Judge application. I was leaning towards skipping this part as I felt I had put in a lot of effort already, but when I read my application again and again, I felt that something was missing: a clear picture of why I wanted to pursue an MBA and the reason and motivation for my post-MBA goals. These questions were not specifically asked anywhere else. So, I took this opportunity to convey these ideas as directly and succinctly as possible. I’m positive that this essay strengthened my candidacy for the programme. So, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t skip it, and now, as I reflect on it, I realise that this essay was the most enjoyable part of my application, and I was completely happy with my response.
What is your initial impression of the Cambridge Judge students/culture/community?
One of my reasons for choosing Cambridge Judge is the culture and community it fosters. During my MBA application stage, I reached out to a lot of students/alumni to learn more about the culture, environment, and opportunities at Judge. To my surprise, almost everyone responded to my messages over LinkedIn, and I had one-to-one discussions with 80% of them. Such a spirit of cooperation and collaboration among the Cambridge Judge community made me feel welcome even before the application decision.
What is one thing you have learned about Cambridge Judge that has surprised you?
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Cambridge Judge has a thriving ecosystem for aspiring entrepreneurs. I attended the Candidate Experience Day at Judge in March when we had a lecture from faculty, a guided tour of famous Cambridge landmarks, and interactions with students, alumni, and the careers team. I was pleasantly surprised to connect with a couple of alumni who are pursuing their own ventures after their MBA and learn how the Judge ecosystem is supporting them.
The other thing that I sensed during my interactions with the faculty, careers team, and students was the feeling of being part of a family. To be a part of a community as big as Cambridge University is something that always makes me happy whenever I think of it.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
The only thing that makes me anxious is that the course is only one year long, which means: so much to do, yet so much to miss in such a short span of time. Still, I look forward to the bright side and can’t wait to start this exciting year ahead.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
It was 13 years ago when I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. So, naturally, the most exciting thing for me is to enter the world of academics again. Being a student is always a cherished experience. That too at the University of Cambridge, the place which has given the world great transformational leaders, scientists, artists, etc., is so exciting that I can’t seem to get over it. I can’t wait to walk among the halls and streets where Isaac Newton, Alan Turing, and John Maynard Keynes walked!!
