Om Kharola is an 21 year old high-achiever who is an amazing chess player who has represented India at the World Youth Chess Championship, exceptional aptitude in academics and a strategy consultant at L.E.K. Consulting. He is a final year student in Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.

Chess has been foundational to Om Kharola’s life, it has in his own words “..training me to analyze complex positions, anticipate second-order consequences, and stay composed under sustained pressure.” He has played chess competitively from school to his college, earning him multiple state championship titles across Delhi and Maharashtra, securing a silver medal at the Under-17 national championship, and the distinction of being the highest-rated chess player in Uttar Pradesh. He has also represented India at the World Youth Chess Championship and won both team Gold and individual Bronze at the Asian Youth Chess Championship in Sri Lanka. More recently, he emerged victorious at the Gamers Without Borders Chess event in Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest charitable esports event.

Despite chess tournaments being highly demanding, Om Kharola has maintained a delicate balance of sports and academics. Through discipline and long term planning, he has maintained 8.58/10.00 CGPA up to the 5th semester. Furthermore, chess instead of being a distraction has in fact strengthened his mental framework, allowing him to perform better academically. This is highlighted by the fact that he has secured an All India Rank of 8 in the IPMAT (Integrated Programme in Management Aptitude Test) Indore examination, competing against over 25,000 candidates for one of India’s most challenging commerce entrance tests. He has also been admitted to the ISB Young Leaders Program, a prestigious deferred MBA pathway that accepts approximately 50 pre-final year students annually through a rigorous evaluation of academic excellence, leadership potential, and clarity of purpose.

Career wise, he is an Analyst at L.E.K. Consulting since January 2025, where he has rebuilt location details for over 1,000 contract records, sanitized 200+ expert interview transcripts, and is leading the firm-wide transition from Tableau to PowerBI at the analyst level. His previous roles include serving as a GMAT and GRE Quality Control Specialist at Experts’ Global, where he oversaw the creation of over 4,000 questions, and as Lead Product Strategist at Enzo Prep, where he led a large-scale data migration and revamped customer support systems. He has also contributed to international development initiatives in Africa and Asia, designing market entry strategies and exploring partnerships with NGOs across multiple countries.

Om Kharola shows how even a sport can teach one skills which are transferable to all domains of life. Chess has given him tools that have allowed him to succeed in his academics and career. 

Profiled by: Rewa Rawat