Team Torpedoes From IIM Kozhikode - Mahindra War Room - Season 11

The most exciting thing for a b-schooler is to work on real-world problems of one of India’s top federations. And what better way than to do it with case study competitions? Mahindra War Room is a unique opportunity for business school students. In this series of Mahindra Warriors, we feature the 20 teams – the finalists. The ones who have made it to the last leg of the competition. The series comprises of the Warriors’ journey. Meet the Mahindra Warriors in this series and tell us who do you think has what it takes to win this year’s Mahindra War Room. Let us know in the comments below! Introduce each member of your team!

Murali Siva, - The strategist
An Electrical and Electronics Engineer of Amrita University, I am an aspiring creator who loves to build ideas and things. For the past five years, I have worked on multiple engineering and management projects that involve strategy and building prototypes.

Rithish Krishnan – The implementation Expert

I have worked in Infosys for 3 Years where I had an opportunity to various project and teams across with different geographic and product lifecycle. I have done Mechanical Engineering at Amrita University where I have been part of various student bodies. During my UG I have also worked in an NGO for two years during which we implemented electricity to people in remote tribal villages in Nilgiris. I have always been enthusiastic about bringing my creative side to life.  Currently, I am working a business partner in one of our campus run start-ups and also I am part of Calicut marathon Committee which conducts half marathon once a year in the month of February.

Sayali Karekar – The Business Plan Creator

Having spent a big chunk of my life in Pune, the Oxford of the East as its popularly known, I have completed my graduation in the Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Pune and worked in Amdocs as an Automation Engineer for 3 years. Teaching school students, designing welfare programs for different strata of society and raising my younger brother as a young girl of 6 years of age has given me an experience in handling people and to lead by example. The humbleness, meticulousness and the planning and hard work of my parents have taught me humility, ambition and an incessant pursuit of greatness. Emceeing since school years and acting as a core committee member for the Entrepreneurship Cell of college, establishing a new committee to work with IEEE and being an elected member of the Apex body - Students' Council of IIMK has given me the confidence and proficiency in public speaking and event management, enabling me to calmly handle chaotic situations as they come, as well as taking quick and better decisions. I have always strived to solve the most challenging issues in work since it gives me a sense of satisfaction to have completed the most difficult task. Working for the best and expecting the worst in any situation enables me to plan meticulously. I strive to deliver results through 100% efforts and dedication to make sure to get the desired results. Not the one to panic and always radiating a positive attitude, I make sure to keep myself and everyone around me optimistic and striving to work hard. I love reading and cooking in my leisurely time. Always the one to keep learning more and attempting to be a better person, I love being challenged and to have a rigorous schedule rather than a leisurely one.

Siddarth Shetty – The practical thinker
I hail from the coastal city of Mangalore where people are known for being well educated, well mannered, soft spoken and helpful. Coming from a middle-class family I carry with me all the aspirations of a middle-class person, coupled with humility as despite my ambition I am thankful for everything that I am privileged to have. My Dad is a government servant and my mom is a homemaker and there is a bit of both of them ingrained in me. I did my schooling in 7 different cities across India, from Delhi in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south. This experience of having to move from place to place made me used to change and as a result, I became very adaptable. I am a multilingual person and can understand 5 languages including Kannada, Malayalam, Tulu, English and Hindi. While trying to make a decision I always do my research and collect loads of info so as to take a well-informed decision and very rarely would you find me taking an impulsive decision. Empathizing with people is something I consider important and I often try putting myself in their shoes and try to understand their perspective. I am extremely passionate about football. I love watching as well as playing football. It adds a new dimension to my personality as I am a fighter on the pitch and will give my blood and sweat to win. I look up to Cristiano Ronaldo as I believe he is the epitome of hard work and leadership and his work ethic is something I strive to achieve in my personal and professional life.

  What made you participate in Mahindra War Room Season 11?

We believe Mahindra War Room is a case study competition with a purpose. We were impressed by last year’s presentations of MWR and were motivated to create a concept that makes a business impact with social responsibility. Right from the detailed, well-written cases to the motivation that MWR leadership brings there are many things that made us participate in the event.

  After getting to know the group better through the competition, what does Mahindra Group stand for, in your mind?

For us, Mahindra Group stands for the businesses that stand for innovation, alternate thinking and positive impact. There are very few businesses that are socially conscious as Mahindra

  How did you go about picking your case and solving it? Tell us a few team anecdotes.

Out of many cases that were given to us, our natural inclination was to choose the health care partners case because we strongly believe this is a business area that brings a major impact on the society. Rural health care is a space that hasn’t been taken up by many companies in a right manner.

  How are you preparing for the finale?

We have put in more than at least 500 hours of effort in strategizing, research, presentation deck creation and other preparation. The amount of time spent though tell only a part of the story. The excitement of creating a business model that will sustainably provide health care to a huge set of people who have been deprived of such facility was the key motivator.

Questions for Mr Anand Mahindra
• Given the trust and goodwill, rural India has on Mahindra, what are the new businesses and initiatives Mahindra is looking at in rural areas?
• What is the strategy Mahindra adopts in evaluating innovations across divisions? Especially those that involve high investments in the beginning.
• What is your advice to young leaders who aspire to build businesses as diverse as Mahindra?
• What is the strategy Mahindra is looking at in the urban, premium real estate sector business?

  Your plan with the prize money? Our team plans to go on a trip to the Ladakh plateau after we graduate. It is something that has been in the bucket list for all of us. The combination of beauty and thrill will excite all of us.