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The recent admission of Navya Naveli Nanda, granddaughter of renowned Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, to the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad has sparked considerable online discussion. Many are curious about her qualifications and the process she undertook to secure a place in this esteemed institution, particularly as the cutoff percentile for admission often ranges between 99-100. Social media buzzed with questions regarding her admission, prompting Prof. Promila Agarwal, an associate professor at IIM Ahmedabad, to address the matter directly.
Professor Agarwal, responding to an inquiry on X (formerly Twitter) about Nanda's admission, clarified that while the CAT (Common Admission Test) is often a key requirement for admission, it is not the sole criterion. She highlighted that Nanda possesses a “solid CV,” underscoring the importance of qualifications beyond standardized test scores. She emphasized that the Blended Post Graduate Programme (BPGP), for which Nanda has been accepted, targets working professionals and entrepreneurs, requiring a minimum of three years of full-time work experience. Nanda, at 26 years old, meets the program's age requirement and boasts a successful career trajectory, having co-founded Aara Health, a startup dedicated to improving menstrual health and offering comprehensive women's health solutions.
The BPGP program, a hybrid learning model, integrates on-campus sessions with online learning components, spread over a duration of 18 to 24 months. It utilizes a blend of live online classes, pre-recorded lectures, interactive discussions, and case studies. Beyond her professional achievements, Nanda is also known for her podcast, “What the Hell Navya,” where she engages in conversations with her grandmother, veteran actress Jaya Bachchan, and her mother, Shweta Bachchan, exploring themes of feminism and women's roles in society.