Clearing CAT twice, AC repairman's son gets into IIM-Calcutta

AHMEDABAD: Determination and perseverance define Razin Mansuri. The son of an air-conditioner repairman, the 23-year-old from Paldi knew that education was how he could overcome his circumstances.
In 2021, he scored an impressive 96.20 percentile in the Common Admission Test (CAT) and received an offer to study at IIM Udaipur. But Mansuri knew he could do better.

Fast forward to November 27, 2022, and his hard work paid off. He scored an incredible 99.78 percentile and received offers from IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta. Though Mansuri regrets missing out on IIM Ahmedabad, he has decided to pursue his MBA in Kolkata.
Mansuri had hoped to stay close to his family by attending IIM-Ahmedabad. "However, I am thrilled to receive offers from both IIM Bangalore and Calcutta, two of the top-rated IIMs in the country," he said.

Mansuri was offered business analytics at IIM-B and general MBA at IIM-C. "I chose IIM-C because a general MBA will allow me to study all aspects of management," the 23-year-old said. The course fee at IIM-C is Rs 27 lakh. "I will get a loan and secure scholarships, so I do not think I will face problems financing my education," Mansuri said.
In both of his interviews, Mansuri's family background was a topic of discussion. "Interviewers told me that I will be an example of how hard work pays off and inspire more students from financially weak families to build a better future," he said.

Talking about his struggles, Mansuri told TOI, "My family's economic condition is weak. My father, Irfan, earns about Rs 25,000 a month. I live with my parents and younger brother in a one-bedroom house in Paldi. I used to keep the light low while studying at night to avoid disturbing my family's sleep.
"Right from school, I studied on scholarships. After completing high school at C N Vidyalaya, I got admission to Ahmedabad University. I got a scholarship as my performance was good, and I completed engineering in IT in May 2022."

After completing engineering, Razin Mansuri was offered jobs with Rs 6 lakh as an annual salary but he did not take it.
After completing engineering, Razin Mansuri was offered jobs with Rs 6 lakh as an annual salary.
"I did not take the offer as my dream was to get admission to an IIM. I began preparing for CAT and took the test in 2021," he said.

"I did not take any coaching and secured 96.20 percentile. I was not satisfied with the result and decided to retake the exam in 2022," he said, adding he enrolled in a coaching class this time as the coaching class offered to take him on for half the fees.
His CAT mentor, Satish Kumar, said, "Mansuri worked extremely hard to get into IIM-C after competing against more than 2.22 lakh students. The selection ratio of IIM-C is much lower than Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton. So you can imagine the impact of his achievement."
Grateful for the opportunities he got, Mansuri said, "Once I graduate from IIM, I want to give back to society by helping other students achieve their educational goals."