Times News Network

Bangalore, Feb 23: Chasing your heart's dream and having a corporate career can be tough. But this student of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, may succeed in having the best of both worlds.

Manasi Prasad, second-year PGDM student at IIM-B, let go of an opportunity to work in New York with Goldman Sachs for a handsome salary, simply because she wanted to pursue her first passion music.

"It was a difficult decision to send that email rejecting the offer. People called me crazy to give up an offer to work in New York. But ultimately my happiness was important for me," the 25-year-old told TOI on Thursday.

She bagged the job offer during her summer placements and spent two-and-half months in NY. "It was a fantastic experience for me. It was challenging to be working for one of the best banks in the world. But then, I had to get back. If I want to be a musician, I cannot do that in New York.

I must be in India. And what better place than Bangalore to have a corporate career and live in a place with vibrant art?" Manasi said. Naturally. Manasi was just four-and-half years old when she began learning music.

"Music is in my family. My mother is my first guru. I have been performing for the last 10 years, both in India and abroad," she said. An engineering graduate from BMS college of Engineering, Manasi grew up in Gulf and completed her Classes X and XII in Singapore.

"That's when I decided I will live in India only." Denying that the salary offered by Goldman Sachs was Rs 1 crore, Manasi said, "It was a substantial package. I have not mentioned any figures. I will sit for placements and take up a job in Bangalore."

And Manasi has charted her career path. "My short term goal is to juggle between the corporate world and my music. But in the long run, I want to use my management skills and set up an institute like IIM for music. My experience in the corporate world will help me do that, which is why I want to work for sometime," she said.