IIM Kashipur came, saw and conquered the National Winners title of TVS Credit E.P.I.C Analytics Challenge
I divided the whole solution into small parts and only after completing one part did I move to the next. This helped me in completing the task within the given deadline and did not create last-minute hustle. If there was any deadline extension, I could add new parts to my solution without affecting the previous submission.
The National Finalists
11 teams made it to the grand finale. I believe Bhagesh Godhwani from IIM Kashipur was a tough competitor. His approach to the problem was very unique and was quite appreciated by the judges.
According to the competition, we had to participate on an individual level and not in teams. All the while, my friends acted as a constant support system. They proofread my submissions and guided me throughout. It is because of them that I could get crowned as the National Winner of TVS Credit E.P.I.C Analytics Challenge.
The learnings I garnered
The Analytics Challenge of TVS Credit E.P.I.C was judged by the senior leaders of the Analytics team of TVS Credit. They had a very deep knowledge of the problem at hand. Also, they suggested improvements in the solutions presented, which gave us as well as the audience crucial insights.
Through this competition, I learned about the expectations from a B-School graduate. Even though this was an Analytics Competition, the judges were keenly looking for the Business understanding from the participants which most of the finalists lacked. Everyone presented the analysis of data, but most of them failed to present the Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Solution.
Also, the judges were looking for out-of-the-box thinking in the solutions presented. Almost all the participants presented the correct analysis of the data, but only a few could use this analysis to present workable solutions that could benefit the company. The judges also mentioned this and said that they were a for-profit organisation and were looking for something that could benefit them financially in the long run.
The moment that defined the competition for me
One moment that stood out for me during the competition was when I got an opportunity to interact with the TVS Credit team during lunch, after my presentation was over. This interaction with the TVS Credit team was very insightful as we discussed the problems they are currently working on and their future plans to move into different domains. At the end of the event, there was a candid session with the CEO of TVS Credit Mr Venkatraman Gopalakrishnan which was the highlight of the event.
They also discussed my presentation and appreciated it. Even though the results were not revealed till then, I got a clue that something was in store for me.