Mahindra War Room, the leading business strategy competition is one of the most desired contests across talent from top notch B-schools in India. MICA, Ahmedabad emerged victorious at MahindraWar Room 2015, which was the eighth season of the contest. The stepping stone to success was to make a fitting selection from amongst a list of 22 caselets given at the initial stage. Perfect selection at this juncture was influenced by many variables which the participants had to consider. The team started deliberating on the chosen case study and geared up for the first level- The West Zone Regionals. MICA, being a wild card entry had to directly compete with the premier schools in West India. MICAns crossed this hurdle with much ease and were declared the Finalists from West Zone.
The next challenge was another grinding round where the teams had to put forth a disruptive idea before the CEO’s of the Mahindra Group in Mumbai and simultaneously not diverge from the key points debated in the first round. Team Zealot from MICA comprising 4 members, Anila Saldanha, Priyanka Chetal, Sahil Avi Kapoor, and Aditya Naishadam had to fight it out against the top 22 teams selected from over 10,000 entries. The CEO’s round saw the best minds presenting on varied industries like Agri-Business, Two Wheelers, Automobiles, Technology, Hospitality and Retail. Team Zealot proved their mettle once again and made it to the Grand Finale of India’s topmost business competition.
Ecstatic, this time the team was up with a renewed vigour to battle it out for the one last time. This was the most gruelling of all the rounds since the team had to present their plans in front of acclaimed industrialists, Group Executive Board and the man himself, Anand Mahindra. The team showcased an excellent case of disruptive innovation around vacation ownership space, with Club Mahindra being the crux of the presentation. With this, MICAns created history with Team Zealot being the first ever team to conquer the competition.
The Corporate Connect at MICA.
Industry Engagement, a crucial yardstick which measures a B-School’s connectivity with the industry is of paramount importance, as it helps institutions carve a niche in the corporate world. MICA’s engagement with the industry starts at the most preliminary level with the industry being an integral part of the admissions process. The group exercise and personal interview panel usually includes an industry professional, who helps the institute identify candidates with a creative bent of mind and a high level of empathy—crucial elements in uncovering insights and formulating solutions required to meet the needs of the community.
MICA Lecture Series (MLS) provides an opportunity for students to acquaint themselves with the industry standards, viewpoints which helps them develop a rationale towards the impediments faced by organisations across sectors. Speakers who have graced MLS in the past year alone include Mr. Anil Agarwal (Vedanta), Mr. Jean Christophe Letellier (L’Oreal) and Mr. Sushant Dash (Tata Global Beverages) amongst other illustrious names. MLS endeavours to cover a wide horizon of topics across brand management, advertising, market research and media management to globalization, film production, documentary making and social leadership. This year the series would uncover some aspects such as the on-going evolution of media and advertising, industry perspectives on strategic marketing, brand management and market research and the challenges in digital communication management. This year they also bring in diversity by inviting entrepreneurs share their inspirational stories and how they plan to feather their nest considering the dynamic business environment.
MICAMINDS, the Student Research and Consultancy Cell, and another strategic initiative, is a platform that brings together the industry and the student community, providing opportunities to students to work on live projects. It also aids the industry in gauging their preparedness and introducing fresh ideas to the organisation.
The industry engagement at MICA continues beyond the academic term of the students with the Summer Internship Programme. This year, MICAns have interned at companies such as Amazon, Google, Disney India, Zydus, Wipro, Colgate-Palmolive, Amul, Leo Burnett, Interbrand and DBB Mudra, in addition to start-ups including TAG Vinnatti, Brands of Desire, Shopclues, Grabhouse and Momoe. The 100% Summer and Final Placements achieved year-on-year stands as a testimonial to the high quality pedagogy and industry exposure at MICA. Key recruiters of 2015’s placement season included names like Amazon, Google, redBus and Snapdeal among the new-age companies, and FMCG majors like Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal, etc.
Undoubtedly, The School of Ideas boasts of an impressive roster of alumni, who currently are key decision makers across varied organisations in the field of communication.
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