Pay It Forward (PIF) Mentorship

Empower. Mentor. Pay It Forward.

About

Everyone deserves access to meaningful guidance — not just those with the right networks or privilege. Founded in 2021 by a group of IIM Ahmedabad students, Pay It Forward (PIF) was born out of the uncertainty of the pandemic. What began as an informal exchange of mock interviews and application reviews has evolved into a structured, volunteer-led mentorship collective.

PIF brings together professionals and students who believe in creating equitable access to mentorship, career readiness, and personal growth. The initiative helps candidates refine their narratives, prepare for competitive interviews, and approach opportunities with confidence and clarity. More than a mentorship platform, PIF is a living ecosystem of professionals who transform individual goodwill into collective impact — paying forward the guidance they once received.

Our Offerings

🚀 PIF Mocks – For MBA and Admissions Prep

We support candidates with:

Profile review and positioning
School selection and targeting
Application storytelling (essays, SOPs, “why us”)
Live mock interviews with personalized feedback

Our goal: help you present your truest, strongest version — not a rehearsed template

🚀 PIF NextStep – For Placement & Job Interview Prep

We help candidates prepare for real-world hiring conversations through:

Company/Industry/Role-specific mock interviews
Industry-style questions (consulting, product, finance, strategy, ops, etc.)
Behavioral and “fit” round practice
Actionable feedback from professionals who’ve been on both sides of the table

Impact

Quick stats around the impact we have collectively created thus far:

1000 + candidates mentored across B-schools and Organizations
₹ 4 L + raised for social causes through voluntary donations
Mentors from multi-disciplinary backgrounds such as Consulting, Banking, Tech, Product, Strategy, and Operations
Candidates supported from diverse backgrounds — not just top-tier campuses

Our mentors have worked at and have hired for top-tier firms such as Deloitte, McKinsey, BCG, Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Wells Fargo, etc.

Our Core Team

Pay It Forward (PIF) is powered by a group of working professionals and current students who volunteer their time outside of their day jobs to help others find confidence, direction, and clarity. Our Founding and Core Team drives PIF’s strategy, operations, and growth — ensuring that every mentee and mentor experience remains high-quality, personal, and impactful.

For any queries, please reach out to us at hello@payitfwd.co.in

Taranand Mukhopadhyay
Founder & Chief Mentor

Founded PIF in 2021 along with his MBA batchmates from IIM Ahmedabad to democratize access to quality mentorship. Taranand leads the initiative’s overall strategy, new initiatives, and technology enablement — building the digital and operational backbone of PIF. He also personally mentors candidates across both PIF Mocks and PIF NextStep. A Management Consultant with 10+ years of experience across industries, he currently drives strategic transformation projects for leading organizations

Archisman Pal
Program Director - PIF Mocks

Archisman leads the end-to-end execution of PIF Mocks, ensuring every aspirant receives structured, personalized guidance. With deep experience in Digital Transformation consulting and a background in strategy, he builds scalable systems and processes that keep the initiative running seamlessly while mentoring candidates himself. His focus on operational excellence ensures that every session delivers measurable impact

Kashish Dhir
Head of Marketing & Growth Strategy

Kashish spearheads the marketing and growth strategy for both PIF Mocks and PIF NextStep — driving outreach, partnerships, and storytelling that expand the movement’s reach. A Management Consultant with experience across strategy and growth roles, he brings a sharp understanding of brand building and digital engagement, helping PIF inspire new mentors and mentees to join the ecosystem

Niharika Saxena
Program Director - PIF NextStep

Niharika leads PIF’s newest vertical, PIF NextStep, focused on pre-placement and industry-specific interview preparation. As an experienced Product Manager with expertise in scaling technology-driven solutions, she is building this initiative from the ground up — shaping its strategy, structure, and mentor pool. Her vision is to help students bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations through meaningful, one-on-one guidance

Nitish Kandari
Director – Mentor Relations

Nitish leads mentor onboarding and engagement at PIF, ensuring that every mentor aligns with the initiative’s values of paying it forward and delivering excellence. As a current student and active professional, he manages mentor selection, onboarding, and session quality — curating resources that help mentors deliver impactful, structured guidance. His efforts ensure that PIF’s growing network continues to reflect professionalism, empathy, and purpose

Abhikalp Kaushik
Director – Candidate Experience

Abhikalp ensures that every candidate engaging with PIF receives personalized assistance, clarity, and timely closure across their mentorship journey. He works closely with the Growth and Mentor Relations teams to coordinate smooth handoffs, gather feedback, and enhance overall experience quality. A passionate advocate for learner success, he helps translate the PIF ethos into every candidate touchpoint

How does it work

Step 1 – Tell us what you need

Fill out the mentorship request form with your background, goal, and timeline

Step 2 – We assign a mentor

A member of our core team personally matches you with a relevant mentor

Step 3 – You get a 1 : 1 session

You’ll receive an intro email connecting you with your mentor to schedule directly

Step 4 – Act on the feedback

You’ll walk away with concrete guidance — what to fix, sharpen, lead with, or drop

Fees: None

This is fully volunteer-run and pro-bono. When you can help someone else, pay it forward

Important Note: The PIF mentorship initiative commits to providing every candidate with one structured, 1-hour pro-bono mentorship session for their chosen track - whether it’s MBA admissions (profile review, school selection, essay/SOP guidance, mock interviews) or job/placement interview preparation. Any additional time, follow-up calls, or extended support is entirely at the discretion of the mentor and should be coordinated directly between the mentor and mentee

Get a Mentor

We’re 100 % pro-bono. Because our mentors are working professionals giving real time, capacity is limited. Please fill this form diligently so we can match you right.

We prioritise requests that are:

From those seriously preparing for MBA admissions or placements
Time-sensitive (upcoming interview or final round)

There is no fee for this service — only a request that you someday pay it forward.

Disclaimer: This is a pro-bono voluntary initiative led by alumni and current students of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. It is independent and not affiliated with, funded by, or formally endorsed by any institution or organization.

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