Inside ISB’s Experiential Learning Programme: Six Months, One Real Client, No Right Answers

Before coming to ISB, I had heard seniors describe the Experiential Learning Project (ELP) as one of the most intense and rewarding parts of the programme. Six months, real clients, real problems, and real accountability. Having gone through it now, I can say this with conviction: ELP is where classroom learning begins to feel real.

The ELP is a six-month engagement where students work on live business problems with real organisations. You indicate your project preferences, form a group, get allocated a client, and then work closely with them over several months. It is not a simulation or a case study. You engage with stakeholders, understand context, visit the organisation, conduct research, present interim findings, and refine your recommendations, all under the guidance of an ISB faculty mentor.

For me, the experience felt less like an academic requirement and more like a mini consulting assignment.

From Choosing a Project to Meeting the Client

One of the most exciting parts of the ELP journey is the project selection process. Our team was assigned to work with a leading children’s hospital in Hyderabad on a strategic brand positioning challenge. The hospital operated two brands under the same umbrella and was looking to define the positioning of its sub-brand while retaining the trust associated with the parent brand.

From the very first interaction, it was clear that this was not a theoretical exercise. The organisation had real constraints, multiple stakeholders, and decisions that carried tangible consequences.

Immersion: When the Problem Becomes Real

A defining part of the ELP is on-ground immersion. As part of the project, we visited the hospital to understand its functioning beyond presentations and reports. We observed patient journeys, internal processes, and the lived experience of the brand.

This completely shifted how we approached the problem. Ideas that seemed convincing in isolation became more complex when viewed through operational realities. In a healthcare context, strategy cannot be separated from trust, credibility, and patient experience. Repositioning a brand is not just about differentiation; it is about reassurance.

This is where the shift happens. You stop thinking like a student solving for an answer and start thinking like a consultant responsible for a recommendation that could actually be implemented.

Months of Iteration: Thinking, Testing, Refining

Over the next few months, the project unfolded in phases. We worked closely with the client, held regular discussions, and conducted primary research to validate our assumptions. There were moments when our initial hypotheses did not hold, forcing us to step back, rethink, and reframe the problem.

Faculty mentorship played a critical role throughout. Our mentor consistently challenged our assumptions, pushed us to sharpen our logic, and helped us move from broad ideas to actionable recommendations.

This iterative process is what makes the ELP distinctive. You are not expected to arrive at the “right answer” immediately. You are expected to learn, adapt, and improve, much like in real consulting and strategy roles.

What the ELP Teaches You

The most important lesson from the ELP is learning to work with ambiguity. There is no perfect dataset, no predefined structure, and no single correct answer. You learn how to break down open-ended problems, prioritise effectively, and make decisions with incomplete information.

You also learn the importance of alignment. Strategy cannot exist in isolation. It must align with organisational capabilities, stakeholder expectations, and long-term objectives. In our case, this was especially critical given the sensitivity of the healthcare sector.

Most importantly, the ELP teaches accountability. Your work is not hypothetical. Your recommendations are meant for a real client. That responsibility changes the level of ownership you bring to the process and ensures the learning stays with you.

What Stays With You

When the client validated our final recommendations and expressed confidence in our approach, it felt less like a conclusion and more like preparation. Preparation for roles where ambiguity is constant, timelines are tight, and decisions carry weight.

The ELP helped me become more comfortable with uncertainty, more structured in my thinking, and more confident in defending ideas. More than any framework, it is this mindset that I carry forward.

Because in the end, the ELP does not just teach you how to solve problems. It teaches you how to approach them when the answer is not obvious.

Synopsis:

Avani Yadav, PGP Class of 2026, recounts her Experiential Learning Project at ISB as a six-month, consulting-style engagement with a leading children’s hospital in Hyderabad. Through on-ground immersion, client interactions, and continuous iteration, she navigated real business ambiguity, learning to align strategy with operational realities and build recommendations that could stand up in the real world.