Dared to dream big and win the Nestle Agri Challenge -By Anubhav Pandita from MDI Gurgaon

Being a part of the Nestle Agri challenge was one thing and then winning it was another surreal moment. We were happy to have won at such a big stage. But more than that, a sense of validation and satisfaction dawned on us that our idea was indeed capable of changing the lives of the farmers who were the central stakeholders we had kept in mind while designing our solution. The deliverables from the challenge were definitely unique. It was one of the only few competitions that kept "People, Planet and Profit" at its core.

The backstage prep for Nestle Agri challenge

We prepared for around a week and with classes going on it was very hectic. The most challenging part of the problem was to give a comprehensive shape to the fragmented parts and ideas that all three of us had in our minds and to arrive at a complete final solution. 

Of course, it was tough. I remember during one of our brainstorming sessions, alternatively each of the three of us faced power cuts at home within a span of 30 minutes. For that day we decided that we work individually on our ideas and connect the next day. Overcoming these sorts of challenges yet remaining calm was the key.

Conflict is a part and parcel of any team activity. We had our share as well. I remember I wanted to implement the application "Blockchain" in our solution but the others were not convinced. I tried reasoning with them yet to no avail. But then we realized that all three of us were working towards the same goal, which was to provide the best solution possible. We decided to keep it on hold and decide on it once the rest of the solution was done. And in the end, the fresh perspective helped and we decided to include it.

Strengths that built up the team’s forte

Each of the team members had their own strength. One of the teammates was a fin enthusiast and helped us with the financials. Another one was particularly good with handling rebuttals and he was the one who we nominated for the question and answer round. I personally can find applications for technologies and ideas in uncharted territories. And it definitely helped that the three of us were respectful to each other and had the single aim of winning the competition, Nestle Agri challenge. All of this resulted in our win!

Competitors for the Marvel's

There were 3 teams in the finale. Both the teams were in fact a good competition as they had an agricultural background in terms of education and work experience which we lacked. The competition was absolutely top-notch. It was conducted very smoothly and we were kept in the loop throughout. In the end, we learned that "he who dares to dream big wins".

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