Karan Vir Malhotra, London Business School’s MBA Class of 2028
Age: 26
Hometown: Kuwait City, Kuwait
Undergraduate Institution and Major: New York University, Stern School of Business; Majors in Finance, Accounting, and Computing & Data Science.
Pre-MBA Work Experience: 4 years of pre-MBA work experience: 1.5 years in Investment Banking at DC Advisory, 1 year in Private Equity at P4G Capital Management, and 1.5 years as a Senior Investment Associate at MaLinea Global, our family office.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I spent the first few years of my career in investment banking and private equity, where I learned how to analyze businesses and evaluate investments. The biggest shift came when I returned to the Middle East to join my family office. Suddenly, I was not just thinking about individual investments, but about our broader portfolio, operating businesses, new sectors, and what we wanted the platform to look like over the long term.
That made the timing feel right. Before taking on greater responsibility, I wanted to step outside the investment world I already knew and learn from people with completely different professional and cultural backgrounds. I see business school as an opportunity to broaden both how I think and how I lead before moving into the next stage of my career.
Why did you choose London Business School? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
LBS stood out because of its combination of global exposure, practical learning, and community. Having grown up in Kuwait, studied and worked in the US, and now working across investments in the Middle East, India, and the UK, I wanted a school where the international experience was truly embedded in everyday life. London was also a major factor, keeping me closely connected to the Middle East and India while giving me access to Europe and a broader business ecosystem.
I was also drawn to the flexibility of LBS’s two-year MBA and opportunities such as its Global Experience courses and LondonCAP consulting project, which will expose me to unfamiliar industries and perspectives.
Ultimately, the people made the difference. Through LBS events in Dubai and London, as well as conversations with students and alumni, I could genuinely see myself being part of the community.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2028?
I think my most valuable contribution is my ability to bring people together. I genuinely get a lot of energy from connecting people and creating experiences that help build a strong community.
Before the program even began, I was a Lead Organizer of the MBA Brighton Trek, which brought together 295+ students and became the largest MBA Brighton Trek in LBS history. I have also brought my passion for music into the community. As a DJ and producer, I have organized and DJed at events in London that have brought together more than 200 students across different LBS programs.
Bringing people together is something I have naturally gravitated toward throughout my life, whether through music, sports, YPO Next Generation, and now LBS. I hope to continue creating opportunities for people across the class to meet, form friendships, and make the most of these two years together.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
During COVID, I started making table tennis trick-shot videos at home, which somehow turned into a project called The Pong Pandemic. What began as a way to keep myself entertained ended up reaching more than 10 million views, with videos featured by ESPN and BBC Sport.
The project eventually led me to start my own weekly table tennis talk show, where I interviewed professional players, Olympians, and Paralympians from around the world. It was an unexpected journey from attempting ridiculous trick shots around my house to interviewing some of the best players in the sport!
Post-MBA career interests:
After LBS, I plan to return to MaLinea Global, our family office, and take on greater responsibility across our investments. More importantly, I want to start building something of my own within what my family has created.
I want to develop my own investment track record across public and private markets and build an externally investable fund that can attract capital from other family offices. I also want to develop a venture and growth platform across new industries and geographies, where I can combine investing with a more hands-on operating role, working alongside founders and management teams to help build businesses.
Ultimately, I want to build on what my family has created while developing new investment capabilities that can become part of MaLinea’s identity for the next generation.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I would absolutely speak with as many current students and alumni as possible. I attended LBS events in both Dubai and London, and those conversations gave me a much better sense of the school than any website or ranking could.
I would also visit campus if you have the opportunity. An MBA is two years of your life, and so much of the experience comes down to the people around you. Meeting the LBS community helped me realize that these were people I genuinely wanted to spend those two years with.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would start preparing for the standardized tests earlier. Balancing test preparation with some particularly busy months at work was more time-consuming than I expected. Getting it done earlier would have given me more time to speak with students and alumni and put together my applications. It also would have allowed me to actually enjoy the summer before starting my MBA rather than spending quite a lot of it studying for the test!
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The GMAT! It was probably the part I would have happily skipped, although, somewhat unexpectedly, I actually started enjoying it as I saw myself improving. The biggest difference was getting a tutor who held me accountable and kept me consistent, particularly during busy periods at work. Once I had that structure and could see the progress, something I initially dreaded became a challenge I genuinely enjoyed.
What is your initial impression of the LBS students/culture/community?
What has impressed me most is how quickly LBS has started to feel like a genuine community. The class is incredibly international, and everyone brings a completely different set of experiences, perspectives, and interests.
What has stood out even more is how supportive and collaborative people are. Everyone is incredibly accomplished and ambitious, but people genuinely want to see each other succeed and are quick to offer advice, make introductions, help with recruiting, or simply show up for one another.
The community is also incredibly social, curious, and open. For such a large and diverse class, it is surprising how quickly it has started to feel close-knit!
What student organizations have you joined/are you hoping to join and why?
I am hoping to get involved with the Student Association because I want to play an active role in shaping the student experience beyond the classroom and contribute to the events, clubs, and initiatives that make the LBS community what it is.
I am also hoping to become an MBA Student Ambassador. Having benefited enormously from conversations with the LBS community during my own application process, I would love to pay that forward by helping prospective and incoming students navigate the process and get a genuine sense of life at LBS.
Finally, I am particularly excited about the Family Business Club. Given my own background and plans to return to our family office after LBS, I see it as an opportunity to learn from classmates and alumni navigating similar questions around family businesses, investing, succession, and building on what previous generations have created.
What is one thing you have learned about LBS that has surprised you?
I have been surprised by how much of the LBS experience happens outside the classroom, and how quickly it all starts. Even before our first lecture, there were trips, events, and countless opportunities to meet people across the school.
I expected the community to build gradually once classes began, but by the time I arrived on campus, I already felt like the MBA experience was well underway. There is always something happening, and I have quickly realized that some of the most memorable parts of LBS are often the unplanned ones, whether it is a spontaneous dinner, a conversation with someone from a completely different background, or a friendship that develops through an experience you never expected to have.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I am most excited about making the most of everything LBS has to offer outside the classroom. There is an almost overwhelming amount happening, and I am looking forward to experiences like Battle of the Streams (an annual LBS-wide sports competition where different program streams compete against each other) and MBAT. I also really look forward to getting involved with the Student Association, DJing and organizing more events, traveling with classmates, and exploring London.
I know it will be impossible to do everything, but I want to say yes to as much as I can and finish my first year feeling like I really made the most of the LBS experience.
