Gehna Jagiasi's journey from VBS to Data Analyst at Morningstar goes beyond the numbers

Selecting the right direction

Vivekanand Business School (VBS), Mumbai has played a significant role in developing my career, and the Business Analytics specialization has made a difference for me. Upon joining the PGDM program in 2024-2026, I was looking to enhance my technical proficiency and gain insight into how businesses leverage data. I can now appreciate the learning and exposure I gained at VBS as a Data Analyst at Morningstar.

Learning to think beyond numbers

This course has given me the understanding that Business Analytics is not only about data, but how to understand the problem and use data to find solutions. I was very impressed with the program's combination of analytical and business skills and the opportunity to think through a problem from both perspectives.

I found the program very interesting, as I got to work with tools such as Python, SQL, Power BI, MongoDB, Tableau, predictive analytics, and machine learning. I found some good examples of how these tools are used in actual business situations when using live datasets, case studies and simulations. I was able to gain more hands-on experience with data and become more comfortable with it.

The projects and presentations also gave me a chance to hone my communication skills of conveying information and working with others. It was really helpful to be able to interpret the

data, rather than just show the numbers. The experiences gave me a more systematic way of problem solving and paved the way for what I can expect at an analytics role.

Exposure That Added Perspective

Academics were not the only aspect of my experience at VBS. It provided me with the opportunity to meet industry practitioners, collaborate with students from diverse backgrounds and learn from beyond my experience. The interactions allowed me to gain an understanding of the relationship between the concepts that we had learned in class and actual business situations.

One of the highlights of my time at VBS was the International Immersion Program to Singapore. It gave me more of a wider perspective as I experienced a different business environment and how organisations operate in an international market. It was also an opportunity to learn about another culture and how important it is to be flexible in a global business environment. This was a learning moment that I still remember to this day that made my time at VBS more interesting and memorable.

A Career Investment from VBS to Morningstar

As a Data Analyst at Morningstar, I am still utilising many of the skills and approaches I learned at VBS. For me, the real ROI for my PGDM extends beyond just the qualification itself. The ability to apply what I learned in class to my work. The two years of learning, exposure and experiences that I have acquired have provided me with a solid platform to build upon in my career.

Sharing with you my thoughts on the learning process

If you consider pursuing PGDM in Business Analytics, I would say, you have two years to explore as much as you can at VBS. Don't limit yourself to textbooks or class work. Join in projects, ask questions, communicate with others, try out tools and connect learning to the real world. All these little moments can add up and make you better prepared for the career you want to pursue.

Gehna Jagiasi
Data Analyst, Morningstar
PGDM – Business Analytics | Batch 2024–2026
Vivekanand Business School, Mumbai

The views expressed in this article are of Vivekanand Business School, Mumbai and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.