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Hero Campus Challenge Season 10: Ideas, Intensity, and India’s Brightest Minds
From intense problem-solving to final-stage presentations, here’s how India’s brightest students navigated Hero Campus Challenge Season 10 and emerged as national winners.
With Pre-Placement Interviews and prizes worth ₹25,00,000, Hero Campus Challenge Season 10 brought together some of the brightest minds in the country.
Emerging at the top were the following students:
- B-Track National Winners: Team Gen-Win - Kunal Kukreja and Srejan Upadhyay from Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur
- E-Track National Winner: Debaditya Roy from National Institute of Technology Agartala
Their journeys reflect not just competitive excellence but the ability to solve real-world business and engineering challenges with depth, clarity, and execution, making this season one of the most rewarding yet.
A Challenge Designed for the Real World
Hero Campus Challenge Season 10 was a multi-stage journey, designed to test participants at every level.
|
Stage |
Focus Area |
What It Meant |
|
Campus Charcha |
Context Building |
Understanding real-world problems |
|
Initial Submission |
Problem Structuring |
Building a strong foundation |
|
Shortlisting Rounds |
Depth & Feasibility |
Refining ideas through iteration |
|
Mentorship Phase |
Industry Alignment |
Validating with experts |
|
Grand Finale |
Execution & Storytelling |
Presenting to leadership |
Rewards That Go Beyond Winning
While the title of “winner” stood out, the real value lay in the experience and exposure.
|
Level |
Opportunity |
|
Winners (B & E Tracks) |
National recognition + career opportunities |
|
Finalists |
Direct interaction with Hero MotoCorp leadership |
|
Top Teams |
Mentorship and industry feedback |
|
All Participants |
Real-world learning experience |
B-Track Winners: Team Gen-Win, IIT Kharagpur
The B-Track National Winners, Kunal Kukreja and Srejan Upadhyay from Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur, didn’t start with answers, they started with questions.
Reflecting on their journey, Kunal Kukreja shared:
“Our strategy was to take a problem-first and insight-driven approach. We started by deeply understanding the core issues especially around mechanic behaviour, counterfeit parts, and gaps in awareness and incentives. Instead of jumping to solutions, we focused on identifying root causes through structured analysis and industry research.”
What made Team Gen-Win stand out wasn’t just their solution, it was how they worked together.
Srejan Upadhyay said that their complementary strengths became their biggest advantage.
“We divided responsibilities clearly, I focused on building the presentation, while Kunal handled the financial analysis, and while we shared feedback on each other’s work, the final call rested with the respective owner. Our strong understanding and open communication helped us navigate pressure effectively, and that really reflected in our outcome.”
E-Track Winner: Debaditya Roy, NIT Agartala
In the Engineering Track, the story was very different. The E-Track Winner, Debaditya Roy from National Institute of Technology Agartala, competed solo, and won.
“The most challenging part for me was that I took part solo, coming from a Computer Science background and tackling a mechanical engineering challenge. I dedicated over a month to the research and prototyping the solution. ” he explained.
For Debaditya, the biggest shift came through mentorship.
“I initially thought my mentor didn’t like my solution… but he turned out to be my biggest advocate,”
That guidance helped refine his idea into something practical and industry-ready.In the end, the win wasn’t just about rankings.
“Winning proved that even a team of one can deliver world-class results.”
What Set the Winners Apart
Across both tracks, the difference came down to a few key factors:
- Deep problem understanding
- Practical, scalable thinking
- Continuous iteration
- Strong storytelling
As Kunal Kukreja put it:
“It’s easy to propose innovative ideas, but ensuring they can actually be implemented in a real-world business context is what truly makes a solution impactful.”
Moments That Stay With You
Beyond the competition, it was the experiences that stood out.
“Interacting with the leadership team, including Dr. Pawan Munjal, was surreal,” shared Srejan Upadhyay.
“Watching a bike come to life every 18 seconds at the Gurgaon plant was unforgettable,” said Debaditya Roy.
Hero Campus Challenge Season 10 proved that the difference between a good idea and a winning one is depth, discipline, and execution.
The next season will come.
The next challenge will arrive.