“I was posted offshore where everything used to reach us via ships, including food and water”
Siddhant Palkhedkar was born and brought up at Nashik, a city close to Mumbai. After successfully completing his Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2013, he shifted to Mumbai to work with the largest oil and natural gas company in India.
While working he had an instigation to get knowhow of logistics industry. He joined DACHSER as an Asia Pacific Management Trainee in June 2019, we discussed with him to know more. Let’s see what we found out.
A mechanical engineer working in the oil and natural gas industry, and now into logistics, will you take us through your journey?
Palkhedkar: Having an attitude to look at things in detail and logically, being a Mechanical engineering helped me develop an eye for the chain of Design - Manufacturing –Distribution. Getting into the oil and natural gas industry, where I was offered technical division, was like giving justice to my engineering graduation.
Working off shore in the Arabian Sea, where everything was delivered through ships, and moreover observing an international trade lane which passed by our vicinity with vessels carrying cargos inspired my desire to study and analyse logistics industry.
My daily study revealed the quantum of logistics industry and its omnipresence in our day to day lives. Also, being a technology enthusiast, it occurred to me the big changes technology can bring, making it one of the natural career choices where I can prosper along with the industry.
It was never an easy decision, but the desire to know the stream was stronger, I pursued my MBA in Operations Management from Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai, from there I joined the DACHSER Management Trainee Program via campus placement.
What attracted you to DACHSER for the Management Trainee program, can you share your experience till now?
Palkhedkar: Learning something from the start is never easy, also very few people can actually get hands on experience and one-on-one training by industry experts while at the job. DACHSER management training program offered exactly the same along with an international exposure and client-facing role.
This program dives deep into every department, providing me the knowledge of each process and a pictorial view of the company. This is not only offering the know-how of operations, but is also providing valuable insights about relationships between middle level management and operation colleagues. This is really helping me in determining different management styles and shape my own.
How do you think this program is helping you and will you recommend it to other graduates?
Palkhedkar: Trainings designed for this course and knowledge sharing by industry experts have really made it smooth. Everyone is willing to share their knowledge and experience so that my concepts get clear.
It’s also giving me a hands-on experience of the processes and opportunity for client interactions. I believe it is a very strong foundation which will eventually help me take informed decisions in the management cadre.
To everyone who is willing to adapt, unlearn the previous knowledge and relearn about logistics, are keen on technology and its impact on Logistics Industry, this DACHSER Management Trainee program is for you.
As a fresher in the logistics industry, Siddhant is now on a job rotation which will be on-going for two years, during the time he is scheduled in each department for a few months. Siddhant began his first rotation with ocean freight where he got an opportunity to visit Nava Sheva Port to understand the working of the port step by step in detail. After a comprehensive training at ocean freight, his another rotation is with the Pricing Department.
Being an MBA in Operations Management, Siddhant invests his free time in studying international trade and logistics.
