About Stratagem Scholars
Our Founders
Stratagem Scholars was co-founded by Dr. Manish Mundra and Ms. Nilanjana Chakrabarti with the aim to provide high-quality coaching and mentorship for students targeting world-class universities internationally.
Drawing on their personal experience, both co-founders are IIT Alumni who have themselves pursued higher education in the US, worked at some of the largest Fortune 500 companies and have spent several years experiencing the corporate & social culture across the US and Europe.
In India, while many organizations guide students on foreign admissions, Manish & Nilanjana observed the lack of quality guidance to those aspiring to be part of the most elite Ivy league and tier 1 programs particularly in the US & UK. It was from here that the vision of Stratagem Scholars was born.
Dr. Manish K. Mundra, co-founder
Dr. Manish Mundra is an accomplished materials scientist, inventor, educator, and entrepreneur.
Dr. Mundra has previously held the position of Senior Research Engineer & Product Responsible Person for the Wire and Cable division at The Dow Chemical Company, where he led global innovation and quality initiatives. He is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and an ISO 9001-certified research quality auditor.
He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University, USA, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science & a Master’s in Metallurgical Process Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay (Class of 2003).
A recipient of the prestigious R&D 100 Innovation Award, Dr. Mundra has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications, with more than 1,000 citations, and holds 250+ patents across 12 countries.
Beyond his scientific and academic contributions, he is deeply passionate about education, teaching, and career counselling. His personal interests include yoga, holistic health, and fitness coaching.
Nilanjana Chakrabarti, co-founder
Nilanjana is a corporate professional and has spent ~15 years in the Oil & Gas and FMCG industries. She has worked with large companies such as Royal Dutch Shell & BP in the exciting world of oil exploration & production. During this time, she has travelled & lived in several countries like the UK, Gabon, The Netherlands & USA.
Post her MBA, she moved into Corporate Finance & Procurement with Unilever Industries working in the exciting space of Supply Chain & Global Procurement that typically challenges Global FMCG companies.
Nilanjana holds a B.Tech in Civil Engineering and a M.Tech in Structural Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur & MBA from Rice University, TX, USA.
Despite a successful corporate career, Nilanjana’s true passion lies in education. She strongly believes that strategic guidance and meticulous planning can fundamentally alter a student’s education & career trajectory. She enjoys working with hardworking and persevering individuals to help them shape their destinies.
