Kraftshala PGP in AI-Led Sales Review: Why Abhishek Nimawat Chose It Over an MBA and Landed at Nestlé

Written ByNishtha Jain

Updated on 30 Jun 2026

This blog is a transcript of a video testimonial shared by Abhishek Nimawat, an alumnus of Kraftshala’s PGP in AI-led Sales, Marketing and Business.

Quick facts

Name: Abhishek Nimawat
From: Kota, Rajasthan
Education: B.Sc. Biology → M.Sc. Biotechnology
Before Kraftshala: Startup co-founder, café owner
Program: Kraftshala PGP in AI-Led Sales, Marketing & Business
Placed in: Nestlé as Sales Executive Trainee
Currently working in: Nestle as Senior Sales Executive
In his words: “Kraftshala is giving us a ₹9-15 lakh package for just ₹2 lakh. That convinced me.”

Abhishek Nimawat’s path wasn’t linear – biology, a digital marketing startup, a biotech master’s, and a café that didn’t survive. What every detour taught him was that he loved sales and business. Here’s why he chose Kraftshala over a two-year MBA, and how he landed at Nestlé.

What was your journey before Kraftshala?

In 10th class I developed an interest in biology, so I continued it – but it got very theoretical. Around then I started reading about businesses and startups.

After COVID, gyms in Kota were struggling to get members, so four of us started offering them digital marketing services. To build credibility, we first did the marketing for popular gyms like Gold’s Gym and Cult.fit, then used that to win others. But after graduation my co-founders left for different cities – two of them took Kraftshala’s Marketing Launchpad and got placed at Performics and NextWave.

I switched to a biotech master’s for a more practical angle, but the lab work didn’t give me the same rush. So I opened a café in Kota for students. After six months the area’s coaching batches dried up and the building owner began construction. It was a dark phase – I’d sit alone wondering when customers would come. Eventually we shut it down.

If you don’t try, you’ll never know your calling. My café taught me my market research was weak – but it also taught me I love managing people and spotting opportunities.

How did you hear about the program?

I heard Kraftshala had launched a new program – the PGP in AI-led Sales, Marketing and Business. My friends already placed through MLP told me to go for it, because I had the skills of a salesperson and a business mind. I researched it and joined. Kraftshala then placed me in a company that was a dream come true.

Why did you choose this program over an MBA?

An MBA is two straight years, and I’d already done a two-year master’s. I worked out how long an MBA would actually take to reach placement – prepare for CAT, clear it, get into a good college, two years of study, then placement. The time was huge.

Second was ROI. Without a top college, fees were still ₹10-20 lakh, and I’m not from a strong financial background, so I’d need a loan – and most of my salary would go to repaying it.

There was a seminar where a college said it would charge 12x the fee for a certain package. I thought: Kraftshala’s PGP in AI-led Sales, Marketing and Business is giving us ₹9-15 lakh for just ₹2.59 lakh. That convinced me.

In numbers: an MBA might be four years before you land a ₹35 lakh job. The PGP in AI-led Sales, Marketing and Business took around three months, and I got a really good package with 5x ROI. So I still have 3+ years to grow into different roles and gain real experience.”

What was the learning experience like?

We started with business fundamentals – budgeting, finance, commerce, Excel, operations – including a live operations project where we found four areas to streamline. The first four weeks were fundamentals, then our first review and mock behavioral interview.

At the start I wasn’t fluent in English and used to sit quietly. My experts told me to speak more and more – I struggled, but after the second and third mock interviews my scores went from around 70-80 to 85-90. Anushka especially helped me get out of my fear, messaging me during sessions to speak up and ask questions.

The modules were B2B, FMCG and e-commerce. In B2B we did a live project with TurboHire – Fahad taught cold calling so well that I scored 100% in it. We got pilot access to LeadSquared and did lead generation, qualification, demos and deal-closing hands-on. The e-commerce session was taken by Eshu – we optimized an Amazon product page for banana chips, focusing on keywords. By the end of the Excel test I could do VLOOKUP and more, when at the start I couldn’t even operate Excel. There were also dedicated quants sessions for Nestlé’s aptitude test.

There was no pure theory; it was all practical. You only learn by doing.

Tell us about the FMCG field project.

The 12-day project was to build a business plan to grow a distributor’s sales. I worked on three things: reactivating ~60 outlets that went inactive after COVID; adding ~37 new outlets in just five days in the Borkhera area (which made my ASM very happy); and placing three new products by going on beat and pitching – like a black-roast coffee to retailers, which I placed at seven outlets.

I also spotted two opportunities: Kota is a student-heavy market where Korean-style noodles are popular and Nissin had captured the market, so I suggested Nestlé bring its Korean Maggi variant here earlier; and a communication gap between merchandisers and salesmen that, if fixed, could unlock sales. I raised both in my interview.

What’s your role at Nestlé?

As a Sales Executive Trainee, it’s about managing people – the distributor, suppliers (pushing for on-time delivery), and the salespeople you train on products and pitch. Then DORs – daily operational reviews – where you guide salesmen to meet targets. In my project the target was around ₹80 lakh, divided among salesmen so they’d earn incentives.

A sales executive trainee role is like being the CEO of your area.

Whenever I read a job description from the Kraftshala team, I could connect everything to what we were taught. Companies want the skillset – so focus on skills, not just experience. A fresher can definitely get a high-paying job through the program. Before Kraftshala I didn’t even have a LinkedIn account; now I have 500+ connections.

How did the placement process work?

It was very smooth. In the placement pool you get ‘passes’ to skip companies you don’t like – we started with three. Each role had a full job description, LinkedIn link, company website and package details (fixed/variable split). You apply, upload your CV, and write why you’re interested; if shortlisted, you go through three to four rounds – interviews or assignments. Kraftshala’s PGP in AI-led Sales, Marketing and Business had prepared us for the assignment types. My Nestlé interview was virtual.

Companies I remember included Unstop, LeadSquared, Wow Skincare, TurboHire and WebEngage. I exceeded my own expectations – Kraftshala’s PGP in AI-led Sales, Marketing and Business promised ₹9-15 lakh, and Nestlé gave more than that.

What’s the best thing about the program?

The structure: first a lecture on the concepts, then a project to apply them. Plus separate human skills classes and catch-up sessions. Second, transparency – a daily catch-up where you could raise any query without hesitation. When we couldn’t connect with an Excel expert, Kraftshala changed the expert three times for us.

I’ve never seen a B school do that for students.

The student support team said they’d reply in two to four hours, but every time we raised something they answered within 15 minutes.

What about your parents?

My family is so supportive. In 11th class they suggested I pursue NEET and become a doctor, but within three months I was depressed. My father told me, ‘Nothing is more valuable than you. If you’re not feeling good there, come home.’ He never forced me after that.

When I got the Nestlé news, I hugged my father for the first time and cried. I’d felt guilt about the money spent on coaching and the café – but he never said I’d wasted it. That whole journey gave me the learnings that brought me here.