SIBM Pune Sweeps The FNB Challenge 2022 Runner-up Trophy

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The FNB Challenge is short for Fourish, Nourish, and Build which is a case competition launched by Tata Consumer Products in 2021. The success of its first edition propelled the company to launch its second chapter in 2022 and we are glad for that. With cash prizes of INR 3 lakh and PPI for job opportunities up for grabs students poured in to participate. The three of us- Shantanu Sachdeva, Sarthak Gupta, and Kartik Bhateja are first-year students from SIBM Pune. Given the competition was open only for first-years from select institutions, we also decided to participate and give it our best shot. The fact that our team- Infinte Warriors won the runners-up title proves that we did things right.   

We loved every part of this competition and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. In this article, we will share insights from our journey to help everyone who wants to participate in such amazing case study competitions.

Format Of The FNB Challenge 2022

The structure of the FNB Challenge 2022 was quite straightforward and everything went off smoothly. It was made up of the following rounds:

• Round 1 - Executive Summary Submissions
• Round 2 - Jury Evaluations
• Mentorship Phase
• Round 3 - Grand Finale

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were never short on motivation to give our best in every round. The whole event was conducted online and the company managed to pull off this level of engagement with brilliance and ease. All in all, it was a marvelous journey with worthy competitors, countless lessons, and an impeccable jury.

About the Jury of FNB Challenge 2022

The jury consisted of the top management at Tata Consumer Products Limited (TCPL) and it was a privilege to present our ideas in front of them. The judges were excellent and the scope of their expertise and knowledge was evident in their feedback and queries. 

The jury asked some really good questions which we couldn't have predicted but helped us improve our solutions. The jury checked us on all aspects of our suggestions including quality, feasibility, and scalability of the product. It was an enriching experience and we are extremely grateful for their insights. 

How We Developed Our Product Idea?

We had to develop a new product for the FNB challenge and present a well-rounded and complete plan. All three of us have had unique fitness journeys in the past, and we organically decided that we wanted to work on a protein bar. But since the competition is so heavy in this market, we wanted our product to be innovative and differentiated. And that's how we landed on the idea of a protein wafer bar.

While it did not take us a lot of time to think about the product itself, there was still a long way to go.

• First, we had to be sure that a protein wafer bar could exist in the real world without being damaged since our whole idea depended on that. For this, we connected with a few industry experts including a friend's father who gave us a go-ahead.
• As we went on with secondary research we found that Maltitol, a sugar substitute is a common ingredient in most protein bars which causes gastric troubles.
• But we wanted to create a healthy product and not compromise our consumer's health through the side effects of one of the ingredients. So we started working on an alternative.
• It took us a long time to figure out an alternate ingredient and then find the perfect balance of all the ingredients, but getting it done left us with a feeling of unparalleled accomplishment. 

We soon realized that this was also a path-changing find for us. The fact that our bar was Maltitol free became the unique value addition we were providing to our consumers. In the Q&A round, when the jury asked us about the differentiating aspects of our solution we were prepared for it and had the perfect answer. All in all, this took us around 2-3 months to work our whole solution out, we can proudly say that every bit of the effort we put in, and the time we spent, was totally worth it!

Check this out: Challenge Yourself With These B-school Competitions

The Most Important Ingredient for Victory

This experience reiterated our belief that research is of extreme importance when figuring out a solution, especially in such competitions. The quality of your research will translate into your solution, and will ultimately help you convince the panelists with your ideas and suggestions.

Thinking back to our final presentation, the fact that we were able to defend our product made all the difference between victory and loss. Because no matter how innovative you are, if you can't give proper answers to the jury’s questions and make sound arguments, you don’t really have a shot. 

About Our Team

Our team is made up of three friends turned roommates with unmatchable camaraderie and unique strengths. Two of us are from an engineering background and one is from hotel management. We used our skills and knowledge to produce a well-rounded solution that ultimately led us to a podium finish. 

Of the three of us, Sarthak Gupta was very good at formulating marketing strategies and used his skills to ensure all our PPTs were appealing and informative. Shantanu Sachdeva was brilliant in conducting research related to our target segment and produced ample content for our case problem and solution. And our hotel management graduate Kartik Bhateja focused on all our ingredient-based issues and ensured the product design was top-notch and aligned with industry standards.

A Final Word of Advice

We loved every bit of this competition and are always going to remember the time we spent on it. Our advice for anyone looking to win such case competitions is to respect the POVs of all your team members, always rely on data and research, and make the most of these learning opportunities. #BeUnstoppable

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