From warships to IIM Ahmedabad: Ex-Indian Navy lady officer on a fresh mission to reconcile MBA with motherhood

Ayushi Verma, a 33-year-old ex-Lieutenant Commander with the Indian Navy, is currently pursuing a one-year MBA at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). Postgraduate in naval architecture and civil engineering from IIT Delhi, Ayushi had a background of project management and leadership while serving with the Indian Navy for over a decade. She was involved in the commissioning of INS Vikrant, the first indigenous aircraft carrier of India, and was leading teams of over 300 individuals, the majority of whom were senior in age and experience.

Her sea-going professional career involved progression through significant assignments, including Deputy Director at Naval Headquarters, Visakhapatnam Trials Officer with responsibility for vital underwater hull inspection of ships and submarines, and Deputy Manager assignments in outfitting and fabrication. These positions involved her working on more than one project simultaneously, coordinating with over 60 dockyard centers, integrating timely procurement and demand forecasting, and coordinating groups of over 100 employees with a focus on safety and quality, having a zero-accident record in the period she served as inspector.

After her retirement from the Navy in June 2024, Ayushi was employed as a short-term Human Resources Manager with the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), where she utilized her leadership skills in the civilian domain before pursuing MBA studies.

Being a mother of a toddler now, Ayushi has the twin task of balancing motherhood and the rigorous study schedule at IIMA. Her child is left behind in Delhi with her husband, an employee of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and mother-in-law, while she studies in Ahmedabad.

Based on the Indian Express, she spoke about her tenacity and attitude gained through her defense career, stating she would want her son to be inspired by her story of perseverance. Ayushi described her Navy days and continuing studies: "I have learnt incredibly from the ten-year tenure at sea in the Navy where I also belonged to the INS Vikrant crew for two-and-a-half years.". Being with and heading a team of more than 300, most of whom were twice my age was an experience in itself. Now here at IIMA as well, the learning we are undergoing each and every hour of the day is an experience, which I feel will remain with me."

She is eagerly waiting for the end of the first half of the academic year in June to spend time with her family for nearly two months.

IIMA's Post Graduate Programme in Management (MBA-PGPX) 20th batch, including 158 business managers from various industries like defense, IT, consultancy, banking, infrastructure, FMCG, etc,.

Along with Ayushi is Akshata Kamath, 30, who is a chartered accountant with over eight years' corporate finance experience, including high-management roles at TCS Mumbai. Similar to Ayushi, she is balancing motherhood and rigorous studies away from her toddler son, who remains behind in Mumbai along with her husband and in-laws.

Akshata said, "While academic rigor is very high at IIMA, it becomes tougher with the constraints of not being with family and having a two-and-half-year-old son. Thankfully, with my husband's and in-laws' support I was able to make this decision and stay true to my passion of widening my horizon because I always felt there is much more to an organisation than numbers.".

She is always in contact with her son through video calls every other day and looks forward to a short family reunion during the next school holiday.