NITIE Mumbai Shines At Flipkart Wired 6.0 (Supply Chain Track)

Flipkart, the e-commerce giant, came back this year with the 6th edition of its B-school competition Flipkart WiRED 6.0- The Power of One. The giant welcomed PAN India B-school students to maximise their ideas across FOUR tracks (Business, Product, Supply Chain and Human Resources) through this case study competition. The challenge was to solve the problems in the e-commerce ecosystem by looking at it through different perspectives. The competition got 35,806 registrations and 51,35,265 impressions, with PPI opportunities, and pool prize of INR 10 lakh up for grabs. In the supply chain track, Team Creators comprising Pramod P B V, Charan Sai Parimi, and Sandeep Kodavati from NITIE Mumbai emerged as the national winners. This article recounts their competition journey, key takeaways and, lessons learned. 

Flipkart WiRED 6.0 is one of the top B-school competitions organized in the nation, and the announcement of its 6th edition had us busting at the seams to showcase our talent and skills. We are Team Creators from NITIE Mumbai and going into the competition we knew it was going to be tough. And that we needed to be at the top of our game. Looking back at it now, of the 4 finalist teams in the supply chain track (our track) there was one other team from NITIE itself. The solutions provided by all the teams were very good and nobody knew for sure what would happen. Thankfully our idea surpassed the others and we were titled the National Winners. We have compiled some information about our Flipkart  WiRED 6.0 experience to give you a peek into what goes on in such case study competitions. 

Flipkart WiRED 6.0- Structure & Implementation

The competition was open to all B-schools across India with one or two-year full-time flagship PGP/MBA programs. Both 1st and 2nd-year students could participate by forming teams of 3 members. The competition was split into four main rounds for each track. These were:

Round 1- (Qualifier) Online Quiz

Round 2- Case Study Challenge

Round 3- Virtual Semi Finale

Round 4- Down to the WiRED

Flipkart hosted a virtual kick-off before the quiz round to mark the start of the amazing competition. Every stage acted as the qualifier for the consequent round with the top teams being selected to continue in the competition. We were able to make it to the finals, from where we got the podium finish. The framing of this case study competition was completely top-notch. We commend the organizers for the smooth implementation of every stage and for making sure that everything went on without a hitch. Also, the inputs given by the mentors and the jury panel were really helpful in cracking the competition and greatly contributed to our victory. 

Also read: Challenge Yourself With These B-school Competitions

Strategy to Win Case Study Competition

The key to cracking any case study/ case study competition is identifying the problems by combing through the statement in detail, with a keen eye. And our strategy for this competition was based on this fact. We believe that understanding the case thoroughly was what led us to ultimate success. Though we have some trouble in identifying the problems on the ground level, we overcame them and developed a feasible solution based on our understanding. 

Also, it was clear to us from the beginning, that the solution we came up with had to be practical and implementable in 1-2 years. So, our strategy was to focus on the on-ground problems and provide easy-to-implement but potentially cost-saving solutions. 

Take the Jury Insights Seriously

The panel of judges for Flipkart WiRED 6.0 consisted of the top management from different sub-functions in the supply chain division of the organization. All the members asked extremely relevant questions which spanned the depths of our solution. Given the experience these esteemed jury members have had in multiple organizations, it was an honor to have them mentor us. We were particularly blown away by a few questions posed by the Senior Director, Renuka Singaram. The questions were so mind-bending that most participants had to take some time to think before they answered. It was a great learning experience, and the Q&A round exposed us to the thought process and constraints faced by those at the senior director level as well. 

What we Learned Through Flipkart WiRED 6.0

The whole competition was filled with one learning experience after another. The competition helped us gain a lot of knowledge about the core operations of the e-commerce industry from the supply chain perspective. And while framing our solution, we learned that while solving supply chain-related problems, practicality and simplicity are critical features that must be given due importance. 

The brainstorming sessions we had helped us understand the Indian e-commerce industry better and exposed us to some serious issues faced by the companies operating in this industry. The Grand Finale was an open presentation round, so we got a peek into the problem statements of other tracks and the innovative solutions the teams presented. Overall, the entire event was a great learning experience, and we thank Flipkart for providing the opportunity!

Team Characteristics that Led us to Victory

We have all been a part of other case study competitions/ events in the past so we knew the importance to build a good team. So when forming Team Creators, we identified our individual strengths and saw that we were diverse enough, that is, we all come from different domains. This helped us bring different perspectives to our brainstorming sessions, from where we worked independently on our assigned responsibilities. This was our first corporate win and we are extremely proud of the hard we put into winning this competition. 

A Few Final Words

Everything about Flipkart WiRED 6.0 was memorable and we will cherish it for a long time to come. But there were two moments that stood out for us. One was when the judges appreciated our innovative approach of focusing on simple yet impactful solutions, after the presentation in the final round. It was a great moment for us because we were unsure if the strategy would work. Thankfully it did. 

The second was when our esteemed Alum Mr. Heman Badri, SVP, Head of Supply Chain, announced us as the National Winners. It was great being a part of such a prestigious competition and we’re proud for coming out on top. #BeUnstoppable.

You might also be interested in reading the following stories about competition winners across the nation:

1. NMIMS Mumbai Wins The Governance Challenge 2022
2. HUL L.I.M.E. Season 14 Winners From ISB Lit The Stage! See How
3. Invaluable Insights From J&J Quest Season 10 Winners- Team NITIE
4. BOND with Pidilite National Winners’ (SIBM Pune) Amazing Insights!
5. ABFRL ShowStopper And Its Show Stopping Winners!