Prachi Khadkikar, a (Dubai, ’14) graduate of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) program at BITS Pilani, has carved a unique path from engineering to business. She is the Founder and CEO at The Aloha Bump; she is currently working as a Project Manager with The Infobrandz, handling digital 360 projects with effective solutions and strategic planning. Below is an insightful interview that sheds light on her journey, experiences, and advice for current students.

Q 1. How did BITS Pilani shape your devotion towards Management and inspire you to pursue it after graduation? Mention any faculty member/ members who have had a significant impact on your career development.

I learned immense time management and communication skills along with multitasking abilities, while studying at BITS Pilani. All my faculty members were supportive. One in particular that shaped me emotionally was Mrs. Mubeena. Her strong and independent nature inspired me.

Q 2. Could you share a memorable project or research experience you have undertaken during your time at BITS? What values have you learned through this experience and how have these qualities shaped you as an individual?

There were a number of projects I worked on with different teams, but nothing in specific hits the mark in my memory. Most of our projects were centered around working with a group, which gave me a good insight into team efforts, teamwork, collaboration, how to identify strengths and weaknesses among members, and how to mold them accordingly or compensate for one member’s weaknesses with another’s strengths.

Q 3. Can you discuss any extracurricular activities or organizations you have participated in during your time at the university? How did they enhance your educational experience?

I was a major part of Paribhasha at the University. It was my escape from all things curriculum. We had a lot of fun participating in state-level competitions. Group efforts brought out our creative juices and brainstorming ideas helped us identify ourselves beyond education.

Q 4. Can you share a challenging moment or obstacle you faced during your time at the university, and how did you overcome it?

One of my personal challenges was studying computer languages as a part of the curriculum. It was not my strongest suit and I didn’t do well. I overcame this however with an amazing friend and support who taught me everything before my exams, gave me a good run of how things work and what can I do to understand this subject. I managed to do well in the classes but it was and will always be one of my biggest challenges.

Q 5. Handling multiple responsibilities tends to take a toll on a person. What do you do apart from taxing work to de-stress? Mention any volunteering work undertaken in your leisure time.

My go-to de-stress activities are reading and working out. Reading sends me into a different space in my head and I can escape reality for that duration. Working out calms me down, helps me manage my anxiety, and keeps me physically fit.

I never got an opportunity to do real volunteer work while in university but I did volunteer my time tutoring.

Q 6. Tell us your motivation behind creating ‘The Aloha Bump’ and its impact on the professional space. What advice would you give to like-minded individuals at BITS who want to follow a similar career path? Mention the influence of BITS Pilani in guiding you to pursue this path.

My motivation was really simple – my immense love and care for the Earth. I visited a small town in Thailand and I saw the plight of the elephants there. That touched my soul and pushed me to work harder to launch this brand. That visual still keeps me going.

My advice to anyone interested in following the same path is to stay motivated, remember why you started, willing to take risks but be financially smart, and take the time to truly understand yourself. That is the key to paving your own destiny.

Q 7. How has BITS Pilani supported your professional development since graduating, such as through alumni networks, career services, or continuing education opportunities?

I got my first job in Dubai through the Practice School (PS), which was part of our learning process. I was interning and I did very well which led the company to hire me even before we graduated. So, if it weren’t for the PS activity, I would have never gotten that opportunity where I learned a lot.

Q 8. Tell us about what you do at Infobrandz. What have you learnt from Namshi that has allowed you to evolve and excel as a professional at Infobrandz

I work as a Production Head at Infobrandz, managing and executing all of their projects end-to-end.

Working at Namshi as a Project coordinator gave me the skills to climb the ladder up to project management. I learned new tools, new skills, how the projects are executed, how meetings are conducted to implement changes, etc. That was the reason I was able to slip into this current role easily.

Q 9. What advice would you give to current engineering students at BITS Pilani to make the most out of their time there?

Just have a lot of fun as these 4 years will fly by very quickly. Make sure you are smart about managing your time with classes, studying, and also learning the most important subject – YOU! Get to know yourself, understand your worth, and be open to saying yes to all opportunities as you may not know what might click. Don’t be disappointed if things don’t go your way, there’s always something for everyone. I lost out on many opportunities but gained much more in the ones I was destined for Thinking back, things have a way of figuring themselves out. Trust the process.