Every year after the Common Admissions Test (CAT) registrations are completed, newspapers report the test statistics and highlight the percentage of candidates from unlikely fields such as veterinary science and animal husbandry. What is attracting vet doctors to study an MBA? While there cannot be one reason for all, Gujarat’s Dr Hardik Badgujar is studying one at the Birla Institute of Management and Technology (BIMTECH), Greater Noida because he wants to build a chain of veterinary hospitals which will improve upon the dismal state of government facilities in the country. In an interview, Dr Badgujar explains his motivations and thought processes leading him to study business.

Tell us about your background.

I originally hail from Porbunder in Gujarat. While I completed my education until class X in my hometown, I went to Vadodara for XII. Becoming a doctor had been my childhood dream, so I appeared for medical entrance exams in 2004. I was selected to Anand Veterinary College in Gujarat and joined their Bachelors in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry course in the year 2005. In 2009, I finished my official education and started working as a veterinary doctor.

How was your experience working as a vet?

I can safely say that it was the best time of my life. I turned down a campus placement in the poultry industry to take up a two-month long internship at the Sakkarbaug Zoo in Vadodara. Even though poultry was supposed to be the best oportunity for a veterinary doctor, I wanted to take up a more challenging job. I was the assistant veterinary officer at the zoo. Immediately after my internship at the zoo ended, I landed an interview for the post of a veterinary officer at Jasadhar forest near Vadodara. I got the job and I am proud of the work I did there.

When and why did you decide to quit your job as a veterinary doctor and pursue an MBA degree?

When I was in college, I felt really affected with the careless way in which the staff and assistants treated the animals. Most of the times women used to bring their animals to our college to get them treated. Medicines had to be bought from shops outside the college. They had nowhere to keep their pets for safety so had to leave them with students or the staff. Sometimes, sick animals entered into a fight and this made their situation even worse.

I want to streamline the manner with which veterinary science is approached in the country. I have a dream of starting a chain of veterinary hospitals. An MBA seemed to be an obvious choice if I wanted to manage and market the veterinary field in a better manner. Even though I loved my work as a veterinary officer, I quit my job within two months. I decided to study for MBA entrance tests.

Hardik (in purple), vaccinating an animal in the streets.

How will a business management degree help you?

I want the field of veterinary science to undergo a revolution in terms of how it is managed. All the subjects taught during MBA have something relevant for my plans. For example in finance, we are taught the concept of costing. It teaches us how to achieve maximum benefit from the minimum cost structure. Thus, instead of opening multiple hospital units in a city, I have learnt that I should plan limited units, which should be easily accessible to people from across the city. Another example is Human Resources, which is influencing my thinking in a big way. HR teaches us how to manage people, understand their mindset, their motivation to work in order to create a fruitful living atmosphere. I can see the overall learning process help me step closer to my final intent.

What would you do immediately after completing the MBA degree, take up a job or start the hospitals?

I have taken a loan for my tuition fees at BIMTECH. Immediately after finishing my degree, for the next three years I am planning to work in the Agro-Vet field. It will help me repay my loans and also give me an opportunity to put my education to a practical use. Working in this field will help me create contacts and build a network. Meanwhile, some of my juniors and colleagues who are also interested in my plan will complete their education by that time and be on board to progress with the business structure.

Have you thought of any alternative ways to manage finances?

According to my research, I shall need Rs 20 lakhs for setting up my first hospital unit. If everything goes according to plan, then my colleagues and I will be able to take a bank loan and start setting up the first main hospital unit after three years. However, I also have an alternate plan in place. If after three years, the currently thought plan does not work out, then I shall start a small business in the poultry field. It is a profitable field and as soon as I am able to gather enough funds, I will lay the foundation of my first hospital.

Is there a large enough market in the country for a veterinary chain?

For every 5,000 animals, there should be one veterinary doctor available to treat them. Unfortunately, currently the number stands at one doctor for every 13,500 animals. When I was in college, people used to come from distances of 500 kms to get their animals treated. Thus, the supply of veterinary doctors yet does not match the demand yet.

In addition, most veterinary hospitals are government units where people face hassles. I have witnessed situations where people have stopped me on my way back home and asked me to treat their animal by visiting their houses simply because they find the government clinics extremely distasteful. On the other hand, private practitioners also face problems. Firstly, to start a private practice, you need a Masters degree to prove your worth. Most people are either not interested or not financially capable of going in for another degree. Secondly, financial constraints stop them from offering all facilities including surgery at their clinics, which also leaves people with no place to go. Indeed the country offers a lot of scope in the field.

What would be different about your chain of vet hospitals?

The prime objective is to make the hospitals easily accessible to everyone. While a city such as Ahmedabad will have one main unit in the heart of the city, there will be around four other smaller units spread out over the city, which will make the hospital reachable from all corners of the city. In addition to standard treatments and surgery, my hospitals will also offer pet parlours and pet hostels. Finally, we are also contemplating the idea of mobile vans. If someone is unable to come to the clinic, our mobile van will take a doctor and all required equipment to the place, perform the treatment on the spot and then come back.

What does your family have to say about your plans?

My family and friends were very sceptical about my decision to do an MBA after finishing a degree in medicine. At every point I have had to justify my decision. However, once I made my intentions of pursuing management clear, they accepted it.

How did you land up at BIMTECH?

The ultimate choice at the end of the admissions run had come down between an MBA in Agri-Business from Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune and an MBA in General Management from BIMTECH. Since General Management made more sense to me, BIMTECH was my final choice.

Hardik (in orange), preparing to treat a lion.

What differences do you find in the medical and management education systems?

While medicine was an extremely streamlined course from the very beginning, MBA seems to be slightly haphazard. However, I am still in my first year. I hope that the academics will get segregated and more focused once we enter the second year of our course.

Any hobbies and interests?

I like playing the Casio (keyboards) and have even won competitions in it. Recently I took part in a national level business plan competition where a number of students from various b-schools had participated. My business plan of opening a chain of veterinary hospitals won me the second prize at the competition.