It is extremely encouraging to see that women are being recognized for their talent, skills, hard work and experience

Why did you choose to study in the Netherlands?
At an early stage in my career, I realized the power of cross-cultural, cross-country insights. My foundation on sustainable product service systems was laid in the Learning Network on Sustainability (LeNS) program, supported by the European Commission. I had the opportunity to work with cross-country design experts from leading institutions, including the Netherlands. This international experience provided me with an opportunity to learn more about sustainability and to present my research on Indian sustainable service-based models. Most importantly, the experience provided me with an early exposure to the European advancements in sustainable systems. These systems have become even more vital with the advent of Green Deal, Circular Economy, the Doughnut Model, ESG and others.

Because of the great experiences with the Dutch institutions, I aspired to receive my formalized training and to develop my skills in the Netherlands. For me, the Netherlands is a country in the core of the above-mentioned developments and has advanced knowledge in path-breaking innovations in the field of sustainability.

Why did you choose to study at MSM?
The pandemic has made the world realize that response, recovery and rebuilding of the environment, society and economy now requires a regenerative sustainability approach. Resilience has emerged as a critical force and businesses across the world have realized the strong significance of the “S” - Social within the ESG framework. There is a strong need to establish an ecosystem of a creative workforce to devise novel strategies and systematic solutions to achieve ecological, social and economic resilience. I aspire to be an integral part of this creative ecosystem, to be the future strategic sustainable advisors, guiding corporate governance towards innovative scalable sustainable solutions and practices. I strongly believe that the full-time MBA program at MSM will empower me with novel and relevant skills in the corporate sustainability domain.

As a result of my experience and work in 2020, I was awarded with the prestigious Atlas Corps Fellowship, a top-10 world leading professional program supported by US organizations including the US States Department. I was selected as one of the world’s 17 young changemakers to work on key sustainability initiatives in Washington DC. After the conclusion of my fellowship which provided me with extensive work experience, I found myself at a critical juncture in my professional life. I wanted to regenerate myself with a specialized program that would be instrumental in defining the next course of my career in sustainability. I have realized that while I have attained my applied knowledge on sustainability through my work experience, it is pertinent to receive formal training in the discipline of core business management from an institute that inspires me to pursue my specialisation on sustainable development. This formed my motivation to specifically pursue a full-time MBA program at Maastricht School of Management. The program will be pivotal in gaining advanced business-oriented skills and establish me as an emerging global sustainability influencer in the future.

What was your first reaction when you heard you were one of the talented students who were accepted for the Orange Tulip Scholarship?
My heart was filled with pride and gratitude when I found out that I was conferred with the prestigious Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS), as a young Indian woman. I am grateful to Maastricht School of Management (MSM) for awarding me with this scholarship. I also felt truly humbled because it is a prestigious recognition by the Netherlands Education Office (NESO) to selected talented individuals.

What does it mean to you?
The Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS) is true to its name. Just like the flower ‘Tulip’ it brought in a ray of hope and positivity. For me, the OTS is pivotal in realizing my dream to pursue my MBA in the Netherlands and emerge as a young talented leader in the future. This is a highly competitive award as only two OTS are awarded per country. I was both thrilled and humbled for being selected as one of the OTS recipients but felt even more excited when I came to know that out of the two, I am the highest scholarship recipient from India!

As an OTS awardee, I am now a proud flag bearer of my country India. It is also extremely encouraging to see that women are being recognized for their talent, skills, hard work, experience and above all merit.

The scholarship holds immense significance as it is more than a recognition but a positive force of encouragement by supporting talented professionals with key resources to attain higher education. I am sure that my journey will inspire others, especially women, to come forward and fulfill their dreams of higher education.

What are you most looking forward to now that you just started the MSM full-time MBA?
As I have just started with my first module, I am here to live the experience by listening, observing, and summarizing the learnings taking place. I am already witnessing a very enriching, hands-on experience and most crucially I am gaining immense learnings. I also enjoyed to learn from the experiences of diverse external industry leaders and alumni. I look forward to experiencing an enriching cultural diverse experience. In fact, the program kicked off with a very insightful Managing Cultural Diversity module, a great way to start off an international collaborative program. I will be joining the program in Maastricht in November, and would like to thank the MSM Admission, Administration, Communications and Faculty team for their empathetic support extended to students in these unprecedented times. With borders opening and travel restrictions going down, I am really geared up to meet this positive team physically along with the international community of students.