Sandeep Gupta, PGP 2011
Founder & President, Chief Operating Officer, Innovaccer
“Receiving the Young Alumni Achiever’s Award (YAAA) in December 2021 was a moment of reflection and inspiration. At that point, Innovaccer was already making significant strides in healthcare technology, but the recognition felt like a gentle nudge to dream even bigger – about what we could achieve as an organization.
The last five years have been monumental for Innovaccer – the journey has been marked by remarkable growth and transformation. We’ve expanded our revenues significantly, raised subsequent funding rounds—moving from Series D to F-2—and continued to build trust among some of the largest healthcare organizations globally. These milestones have been instrumental in scaling our vision of creating a unified healthcare ecosystem.
Along the way, we ventured into new territories, expanding not just organically but through strategic collaborations that bolstered our capabilities in AI and population health management. But what stands out the most is how the team evolved—growing not just in numbers but in shared passion, resilience, and commitment to reimagining healthcare.”
Aditya Sharma, PGP 2011
Partner, McKinsey & Company; Leading McKinsey’s Retail Banking practice in Asia
“It has been a privilege and honour to receive the IIMA YAA award. Being recognised by my alma mater from amongst its illustrious alumni group has further strengthened my belief to strive for the best and aim for new heights. The visibility created by the YAAA enabled me to connect with a broader set of alumni across the years, which has been immensely fulfilling and has provided opportunities to learn, be inspired and give back by mentoring others on similar journeys.
I am passionate about transforming the financial services sector by leveraging my expertise at the intersection of financial services, digital and analytics. I, now, lead our Retail Banking practice across Asia and continue to work with leading financial institutions to solve tough real-world problems, catalyse change, deliver holistic social impact and create shareholder value.
Some examples of my recent work include re-imagining complex processes and building at-scale new business models leveraging the latest in data and technology; driving enterprise-wide transformation programs on growth, productivity and profitability; shaping the personal leadership journeys of senior executives in the context of such transformations; and simplifying access and improving the banking experience for underserved segments such as small businesses and mass market customers.”
Yashish Dahiya, PGP 96
Chairman & Co-Founder PB Fintech
“Winning the YAAA was a significant moment in my journey as it validated the efforts I have put into my career and ventures. It was encouraging to know that my college recognized and believed in what I was doing. This recognition gave me a sense of pride and confidence in my work, confirming that I was on the right path.
Policybazaar’s journey from a startup to becoming a market leader has been a remarkable testament to the strength and scalability of our business model. Over the past six years, it has been growing at a CAGR of 53%, reflecting the significant success and impact of our growth.
Along with PB Fintech, I also have expanded my focus to a new venture, PB Healthcare. This initiative is aimed at solving the healthcare and insurance challenges faced by middle-class Indians, addressing a critical gap in the market. This initiative tackles key industry pain points with a No Bill, No Claim, No Pre authorisation approach, ensuring seamless, accessible, and transparent healthcare. I believe that healthcare and insurance should be accessible to all, and PB Health will play a vital role in making that vision a reality for many people in India. These milestones reflect my ongoing commitment to creating businesses that are not only profitable but also socially impactful.”
Sumeet Mehta, PGP 99
Co-Founder & CEO, LEAD Group
“I continue our work to transform schools with the LEAD Group. We currently serve 3.5 million students across 8000 schools with our school solutions. Our work now spans from the Burma border in the East to Bhuj in the West and from the LAC in Kashmir to Kanyakumari in the South. I have reignited my connections with the institute by engaging with students when they need advice or mentoring on issues related to education or EdTech. Overall, I see winning the award as one of the milestones on my journey to transform school education in India.
Awards are small moments to take pause, reflect and re-energise for the path forward. The Young Alumni Award was an occasion for me to hear the wonderful stories of my co-winners. Given that it happened during Covid and we couldn’t be in the institute, it definitely took away from the experience. It was also an occasion for my family to reconnect with the values and ethos of IIMA. Personally, I believe in The Gita’s dictum of ‘karma karo, phal ki kamna na karo‘ (doing my job and not focusing too much on awards and recognition).
Rohan Chand Thakur, IAS, PGP 2006
Managing Director, Himachal Road Transport Corporation
“I was the first recipient of the YAAA in its inaugural edition in 2017. I was posted as District Collector of Shimla at that stage. Since then, I have had the opportunity not only to lead policy making in various sectors such as Transport, Excise and Taxation, IT and Skills & Capacity Development but also had a chance to take academic breaks at the University of Oxford and University of Harvard.
In 2019, I lead the team that rolled out the Chief Minister’s Helpline (1100) the flagship initiative of the state govt for public grievance redressal. It was during the first month of the lockdown in March 2020 that our team rolled out key applications for citizen ease and regulation. As MD of the Transport corporation, I delivered the highest annual increase in revenues in 2024-25 and implemented the Integrated ticket management system with all cashless modes of payment for passengers including the National Common Mobility card.
This award is IIMA’s recognition and positive recognition of my journey on the path less taken. Post the award I have applied successfully to various institutions for academic opportunities like Chevening, Fulbright and the Harvard Kennedy School and I have little doubt that this award has played its own role in these small milestones I have achieved subsequently. I can only express gratitude, humility in the face of such solid recognition by this great institution”.
