Making it to the top 10 in TATA Steel-a-thon -By Amitesh Gaurav from XISS

This competition was nothing less than a rollercoaster ride where at times we were up, bright with great ideas and during others, we faced creative blocks. But the experience and the journey was indeed very educational not only academically but also personally where we noticed some great talents and mindsets. We reached the top 10 of TATA Steel-a-thon and were able to learn through the extremely talented competitors. 

Stepping into the case-study competition

The opportunity to be a part of such a prestigious competition was amazing for us. We support the idea that LGBTQ+ and PwDs are not people from different categories or segments, they are just like normal people who have their own uniqueness, talents, and worth. They are not supposed to be pitied or treated as unequal. 

Also, we believed that it would be an excellent opportunity for us to do an internship under TATA Steel considering the opportunities and exposure one comes across in the organization.

Challenges and roadblocks

There were 10 teams in the finale of TATA Steel-a-thon. Team Raphsody from XIMB proved to be a tough competitor as it had the same case based on D&I and the statistical data presented by the team was something that helped them bag the winning crown. 

We gathered data from primary and secondary sources along with some critical thinking and brainstorming to map out the entire prototype. The most challenging phase according to me was designing the workforce model for the prototype. We discussed and respected each other’s opinions and then came to a solution that everybody supported. 

One other crucial challenge was the management of time along with the ongoing classes and the daily routine one has to follow necessarily. But we walked past this problem by managing classes and our daily schedule and by setting time aside for meetups and preparation. We had to follow a strict routine to be able to crack the challenge in hand. 

Learnings and takeaways

With excellent support for the participants in case of any questions or inquiries, the entire process during the competition, TATA Steel-a-thon, was very seamless. The competition was very well framed and the judges were extremely skilled and knowledgeable in their respective fields. 

We as a team learned the skill of analysis, delegation, and presentation, along with the ability to mold our creative ideas into an actual functional model. A special moment for us was when Mr. Sourabh from our judge panel said that he liked our creative idea of depicting our model as a life cycle of the butterfly, which was indeed an overwhelming moment for us.