Why I Chose to Pursue an MBA After a B.Tech and M.Tech from IITs

From time to time, I’m asked why I chose to pursue an MBA after completing both my B.Tech and M.Tech from IITs. Since this question comes up repeatedly, I thought it would be worthwhile to write about my reasoning and thought process.

To begin with a brief background: I completed my B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Patna, followed by an M.Tech in the same discipline from IIT Kharagpur. After my master’s degree, I worked at Eaton, a multinational engineering company with over a century of history. During my three years there, my role involved using data science and machine learning, combined with engineering domain knowledge, to optimise product design and reduce defects in manufacturing.

The work aligned well with my interests in engineering and technology and offered a comfortable level of professional stability. This, in fact, made the decision to pursue an MBA more difficult rather than easier.

Understanding the Bigger Picture in Organisations

One of the key motivations behind pursuing an MBA was my curiosity about how organisations function beyond engineering roles. Early in my corporate career, I often wondered what fundamentally differentiates senior leaders—such as CEOs—from individual contributors. I was unconvinced that this difference was purely technical. It did not seem plausible that senior leaders simply knew many times more engineering or technical content than others.

What I gradually observed instead was that effective leaders tend to have a strong understanding of how different functions within an organisation operate and interact—operations, supply chain, finance, marketing, sales, and human resources, in addition to engineering. Their value lies in maintaining alignment and synergy across these functions, since organisational outcomes depend on the collective performance of all of them, not just one.

Coming from a pure engineering background, my focus until then had been largely limited to technical problem-solving. I felt that an MBA could help bridge this gap by providing structured exposure to these other critical aspects of organisations.

From Technical Excellence to Business Judgment

Another aspect that stood out to me was business acumen. Senior leaders are ultimately responsible for making decisions that determine how resources are allocated, risks are taken, and value is created. They are not merely solving isolated technical problems; they are deciding which problems are worth solving in the first place.

In simple terms, they focus on how to turn limited resources into disproportionate value—how ₹100 can be deployed to generate ₹1,000. Once that direction is clear, they can then rely on strong technical teams to execute those ideas effectively. This distinction between deciding what to build and building it well became increasingly clear to me over time.

Transferable Skills and the Role of Data

Another reason the transition felt viable was the transferability of my existing skill set. I was already working in data science, and AI was becoming increasingly embedded across domains. When I explored the MBA curriculum, it became clear that data-driven thinking could act as a bridge between my pre-MBA and post-MBA roles.

Rather than moving away from technology, I saw an opportunity to use analytical and AI-driven approaches to support strategic decision-making, improve business processes, and solve business problems more holistically.

Depth vs. Breadth—and Why I Chose Breadth

I have also come to believe that there are broadly two ways to grow professionally: one is by developing very deep expertise in a single domain; the other is by being reasonably strong across multiple domains and combining insights from them.

Personally, the latter approach has suited me better. Even in my earlier work, I relied on combining mechanical engineering, data science, and algorithms rather than operating strictly within one silo. Pursuing an MBA felt like a natural extension of this approach—an opportunity to broaden my exposure and integrate engineering, analytics, and management perspectives.

A Necessary Disclaimer

I want to be clear that this post is not meant to endorse an MBA as the only or even the best path for everyone. Many of the skills I have mentioned—business understanding, cross-functional exposure, strategic thinking—can be developed through work experience, online courses, books, and self-directed learning.

In my case, I felt I had the time and inclination to study these topics in a structured and immersive manner through a conventional two-year MBA programme. That context made the decision feel right for me, even if it may not be the right choice for others.

Closing Thoughts

I do not see my MBA as a departure from engineering, but rather as an attempt to complement technical depth with broader organisational and decision-making perspectives. How this combination plays out in the long term remains to be seen, but this is the direction that felt most aligned with how I think and work.