A sneak peek in the life of our Master in Management alumnus Dhruvin Bhavesh Gala

The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program is a cross-border exchange program which gives new or aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to learn from experienced entrepreneurs running small businesses in other participating countries. The exchange of experience takes place during a stay with the experienced entrepreneur, which helps the new entrepreneur acquire the skills needed to run a small firm. The host benefits from fresh perspectives on his/her business and gets the opportunities to cooperate with foreign partners or learn about new markets.

Why the Erasmus Young Entrepreneurs program?
“My origins are from a family in India, who have always motivated entrepreneurial endeavors. When I got to know about this amazing Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program through MSM, I immediately got excited about it and started preparing for it. I thought that this program would be the right place for me to pursue my entrepreneurial interests,” Dhruvin explains, “I started working on a business plan that I always wanted to venture into. It was also an extension of our family business along with the industry of my professional career, so it was not very difficult for me to prepare for the EYE program.”

Asking him about how difficult the application process for the EYE program was, Dhruvin most of all remembers the time it took: “The approval process by the European Commission does take time and makes one nervous as well. But I had confidence in the depth of my business plan due to the good research underlying it. And I was well supported by Mr. Peter Schoelen during the application process.”

The learning outcomes – business lessons and life lessons
Dhruvin was matched to AUDES Group S.R.L., an Italian company headquartered in Padova (Italy), with business locations in London (UK), Hamburg (Germany) and Lugano (Switzerland). AUDES Group supports companies in the creation of valuable products and services, with a specific focus on clothing and accessories, combining innovative and unique strategy and design, to help companies achieve their goals.

Dhruvin describes his learning experience at AUDES Group as an all-round enriching experience: “Collaborating with AUDES Group for future projects has been the biggest achievement and an amazing moment of how one thing leads to another. It has inspired me and taught me not only business lessons, but also life lessons. I remember during my last days, I was sitting with my Host Entrepreneur Alessandro Bozzoli, and he shared some life lessons with me that were invaluable for me in my personal and professional life. Now I am able to think in multiple directions and have a much deeper understanding of running a business.”

How the MSM Master in Management helped
In fact, all modules of the MSM Master in Management have come in handy for Dhruvin during the EYE program, with practical applications of lessons learned during the Master in Management. But some modules have contributed more in particular: “Some modules have been very interesting and made me go above my limits like Digital Transformation of Businesses, Accounting for Managers, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Supply Chain Management project.
The Digital Transformation courses taught me the importance of keeping pace with the digital business world. I prepared a Digital Transformation strategy for our traditional family business, which I am currently implementing.
The Accounting for Managers module has been an amazing module helping us to understand the numerous metrics used to gauge and grow the business.
Through the Entrepreneurship and Innovation module I had the opportunity to increase my network in the Dutch entrepreneurial community, where I had the chance to interview and get inspired by entrepreneurs based in The Netherlands.
The Supply Chain Management project was complex, interesting, and fun at the same time. We conducted two company consultancy projects which helped us to gauge the mammoth task of managing supply chains across businesses.”

Future career plans
To progress his career, Dhruvin first wants to stay in Europe while at the same time exploring opportunities for his family business in India: “I want to go ahead in my professional life and work in the EU for some time to have a better understanding of the European way of doing business. Currently I am working for a Dutch brand called Hunkemöller, providing me with the opportunity to get experience of fashion retail in order to get a holistic perspective of my industry. Along with that, I am actively looking for collaborations for my business back home in the European markets. In India, we run a company called Regal Uniforms, which is involved in the manufacturing of work wear and corporate apparels.”

Advice for current and future students
Dhruvin has a clear advice for current and future Master in Management students at MSM: “Firstly enjoy your time at MSM and the beautiful city of Maastricht by not only studying but more importantly exploring things, places and opportunities. Secondly, I would also like to advise everyone to Never settle and keep working towards a better tomorrow. Life will find out its way if you are dedicated working for it! Cheers!"

About the MSM Master in Management program
The MSM Master in Management program is a one-year full-time master’s program for recent graduates and young professionals (< 3 years of working experience) with the ambition to manage people and processes with success in any organization, country or context.
The MSM Master in Management will provide you with a first necessary step to fast-forward your career to higher levels, by providing you with a solid foundation in the practice and theory of management in a fast-changing global world.
You can enjoy an intense multicultural class experience which includes work visits, guest lectures, a group company project, extra-curricular and social activities, and an optional Career and Personal Development Track to help you reach your goals.