ISB, Hyderabad has again endorsed its credentials as one of India’s premier Business schools at the ‘Annual Case Study Competition 2011’, an ambitious initiative under the aegis of Directi, the leading internet products company. Currently in its third edition, the competition conceptualised by Directi brings together India’s leading management schools to recognize the upcoming entrepreneurial talent in the country. The finalists for this year’s contest saw five finalist teams that included IIM Kozhikode, IIM Kolkata, ISB Hyderabad, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIFT.
Team DateRide – Goodfellas from ISB, Hyderabad, comprising Sonia Topiwala, Sugandha Jha, Gowrishankar TS, Vaibhav, emerged as the winners at the Grand Finale held on January 5, 2012 at Directiplex, Mumbai. The winning team took home INR 1,00,000 rupees in cash and was adjudged by an eminent jury panel comprising Bhavin Turakhia- CEO and Founder of Directi and Shashank Mehrotra - Director of Strategic Partnerships - Directi and Tarun Davda, VP & Country Head, Ignighter.com.The teams who stood second and third respectively were Renedezvous from IIM-K and Team Alkaline Jazz from IIFT. Apart from this the People’s Choice Award went to Team Awesome – Singles 360 from IIM-A, who bagged Rs. 20,000 and the Best Face Book Contributor was Sandip Dev from IIM-A who was awarded Rs. 10,000. This year the contest invited students to research, plan, debate, create and market the business potential of an ‘Internet based dating service’. The case study thus involved developing a new product followed by a comprehensive product and business plan to introduce and sustain the offering.
Mr. Bhavin Turakhia, CEO and Founder of Directi said, “Given the second coming of e-commerce in India and changing online patterns of Indian netizens, Internet businesses in India need to reflect these changes and modify their business models and offerings. In keeping with the same, this year’s contest has tried to comprehend different product development strategies while complementing it with a successful business model.”
“As the Case Study Competition gets better and sharper every year, it is our endeavour to bridge the industry-academia gap and cultivate practical skills needed to excel at the workplace”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tarun Davda, VP & Country Head, Ignighter.com said, “Dating sites are continuously growing in India with a large fraction of the online Indian population being consumed by users that are single and on the look-out for potential companionships. Some of the case-studies presented, provided intelligent and compelling insights to build an innovative and secure platform while addressing cultural sensitivities. It was a pleasure to witness the enthusiasm of bright unconditioned minds approach real life business issues with a fresh outlook. The learnings gathered basis this platform will go a long way in helping students to build future enterprises.”
The contest was spread over four months and witnessed participation from over 1100 participants across 42 teams from 20 schools countrywide. Additionally, there are other 2 major awards to be won- People's Choice Award (team with maximum votes from peers) and Best Facebook contributor (a Facebook platform to debate, discuss and ideate).
