How a cricket fan from Bihar turned a faculty mentor’s advice and a convincing sales pitch into a Territory Sales Supervisor role at MRF Tyres.
For Ankit Kumar, MRF was a familiar name long before it was a recruiter. Growing up, he remembers seeing Sachin Tendulkar with the iconic MRF bat. “For me, MRF represented more than just a product,” he says. “It represented a legacy of trust, performance and strong brand recall.” Now the FIIB PGDM student is set to join the company as a Territory Sales Supervisor, in charge of dealers, targets and growth across an assigned market.
Beyond the Textbook
After his schooling in Bihar and a BBA at Galgotias University, Ankit chose a PGDM to move beyond theoretical learning and see how businesses operate in real markets. “Looking back, I feel that FIIB has played an important role in shaping my confidence and preparing me for the corporate world,” he says.
Sales was always Ankit’s first career choice. “Sales acts as the bridge between what a company offers and what its customers actually need,” he explains.
That conviction grew through FIIB’s Corporate Mentoring Program (CMP). Ankit was mentored by FIIB alumnus Bharat Rampal, President (Investment & Strategy) at Moore Kingston Smith, who helped him connect classroom concepts to real business decisions. “Understanding business theoretically is important, but the ability to apply that knowledge in real market situations is what makes a difference,” Ankit says.
From Internship to Impact
His corporate internship at Aditya Birla Capital Limited, in marketing communication for life insurance, centered on one question: how can complex insurance products be made simple for customers?
Ankit analyzed more than 100 social media posts from 6 to 7 competing brands and benchmarked their communication strategies. He identified three high-engagement content patterns that the team adopted into its content calendar, so his analysis shaped what Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance would post next instead of ending as a presentation. He also mapped customer segments and their financial protection needs, giving the team a clearer basis for tailoring its messages to each audience. The work built the habit his new sales role depends on: starting from what the customer needs.
The Sales Pitch That Sealed the MRF Offer
A mock interview under SANKALP, FIIB’s four-stage employability framework, showed Ankit how interviewers evaluate candidates and where he needed to improve.
The advice that stayed with him came from his faculty mentor, Dr. Sahiba Sahny, Marketing Faculty & Chair, Office of International Affairs at FIIB: be as authentic as possible, especially now that AI shapes how people communicate and prepare. “Focus on being yourself, understand your experiences and express your thoughts genuinely rather than trying to deliver memorized or artificially perfect answers,” he recalls.
As his faculty mentor, Dr. Sahiba Sahny found him eager to grow: “Ankit is a sincere, enthusiastic, and dedicated student who consistently embraced every opportunity that came his way with courage and confidence. His willingness to step beyond his comfort zone, take initiative, and make the most of every learning experience reflects his commendable spirit and commitment to growth.“
For Ankit, the toughest of MRF’s three selection rounds was the sales pitch. Candidates had to represent a paint company and sell its paint in a residential society where a function was already underway, making the pitch relevant to guests in the middle of an event.
“I focused on making the interaction realistic, communicating the product’s value and trying to convert the opportunity into customer interest,” he says.
The results were announced in the FIIB courtyard, with friends gathered around. Ankit’s first call went to his parents. “It was not just a placement announcement; it was a moment of pride and gratitude that I will always remember.“
Leave to Succeed: Career-Ready for Sales Leadership
At MRF, Ankit will build dealer and distributor relationships and grow business across his territory. Within five years, he aims to move into sales leadership. “My goal is not just to achieve targets but to understand the market deeply, contribute to organizational growth and eventually lead teams that deliver sustainable business results.“
His advice to juniors: “Do not wait until the actual placement process to start preparing. Every mock interview provides an opportunity to identify your weaknesses, improve your communication and build confidence.“
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Explore the FIIB PGDM program: https://www.fiib.edu.in/program-pgdm
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