BITSoM's Team SRK Clinches Victory In TCPL Grow Beyond Better 2025

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Tata Consumer Products Ltd. (TCPL) is a name that resonates with household trust and purpose-led innovation. Every year, their flagship case study competition, Grow Beyond Better, brings together some of the brightest minds from B-schools across India to reimagine what’s next for consumer brands.

This year, we – Team SRK, comprising three MBA students from BITS School of Management (BITSoM), Mumbai – had the incredible opportunity to take part in the 4th edition – Grow Beyond Better 2025. What started as a spark of curiosity soon transformed into a month-long whirlwind of ideation, debates, learning curves, and creative breakthroughs.

And in the end? A moment we’ll never forget: we emerged as the National Winners.

Through this blog, we’ll take you behind the scenes – into our late-night marathons, our moments of “uh-oh,” and the final pieces that came together just in time. Here’s a glimpse into what it took to go beyond better.

The Challenge That Made Us Think Beyond The Ordinary

Grow Beyond Better 2025 wasn’t just about coming up with ideas; it was about crafting a solution that could live in the market, stay true to TCPL’s brand values, and create real consumer impact. Here’s how the competition unfolded:

With each round, the bar kept rising – and so did we.

Being A Part Of TPCL’s Grow Beyond Better 2025

When we first read the problem statement, what stood out was how relevant and grounded it felt. It wasn’t just a case–  it was a real question that reflected TCPL’s genuine curiosity about how business students perceive and reshape their offerings.

The competition was run like clockwork. From timely communications and seamless deadline management to a finale that felt smooth, focused, and well-handled – the experience was a credit to both Unstop and TCPL.

What really added weight was the panel of judges. With leaders like Tarun N P Varma (Global CHRO), Partha Biswas (President, Ready-To-Drink), Bhagyashree S Navare (VP, Packaged Foods), and Sudheendra U R (VP, R&D Foods) – every pitch moment counted. The questions, the insights, the feedback – everything was sharp, constructive, and high-stakes.

What Worked For Us (And What Didn’t… At First)

If we had to sum up our approach in one line, it was this: build something real. Our strategy wasn’t about just checking boxes on innovation or design; we wanted to craft a solution that could actually be implemented, one that made sense in today’s market while still staying true to TCPL’s values.

The Ideation Week

We kicked off the process with a week and a half of pure ideation – each of us came to the table with ideas, and the person pitching had to convince the others of its viability. The rest? Fully in devil’s advocate mode. We challenged assumptions, picked apart each other's logic, and poked holes wherever we could. That process gave us clarity – not just on what could work, but why it would.

The Refining

Once we locked our concept, we spent the next few weeks refining every layer – from product technology and packaging innovation to consumer targeting and brand positioning. At the same time, we were building a pricing model and financial projections that could hold up against current FMCG benchmarks.

Parallel to that, we were experimenting with how to tell our story. The pitch had a strict slide limit, so it wasn’t just about what we’d say — it was about how to say it cleanly, clearly, and creatively.

Roadblocks? Mentorship…Phew!

One of our early roadblocks? Defining the right target market and building a solid financial model. It took a few rounds of iteration and back-and-forth to get it right. Thankfully, the mentorship we received in Round 2 played a huge role – those feedback loops helped us tighten gaps and see things we had missed earlier.

All in all, this wasn’t just strategy on paper – it was constant friction, feedback, and figuring it out as a team. And somehow, that made it all the more real.

Also read: Case Study Competitions- Details, Winning Strategies, And More!

Three People, One Team (Winning Team)

One of the most important things that contributed to our victory big time was that our team thrived on complementary strengths.

What really worked for us was that each of us brought something different to the table. Kartik had a sharp eye for spotting market trends and identifying gaps, especially in the FMCG space. Ria led the marketing and creative direction – everything from brand positioning and storytelling to how we structured our slides. Sreelakshmi was the financial backbone of the team, leading the financial model and digging into research with precision.

Our diverse backgrounds made our teamwork shine.

During the ideation phase, that mix helped us keep each other sharp. When Kartik pitched one of the early ideas, Ria asked pointed questions to stress-test it, and Sreelakshmi stepped in to gauge its market feasibility. That back-and-forth – challenge, refine, reframe – became our default setting.

There’s one thing we must mention: working as a team wasn’t always smooth – but it was always worth it.

One of the conflicting times for us as a team was when Ria had worked out the script for our presentation — slide flow, narration, all of it — and Kartik suggested flipping the structure the night before submission to build a stronger reveal. Let’s just say it wasn’t an immediate yes. 

However, after reflecting on Kartik’s perspective, she chose to trust the creative direction and move forward with a shared sense of purpose. The script got rewritten, and the final version? Better for it.

What Makes Teams Work?

Our team dynamic was rooted in mutual respect, patience, and an appreciation of each member’s strengths. We valued each other’s working styles and supported one another, often stepping in to handle tasks when someone had a particularly busy schedule.

If there’s one thing we’d tell future teams, it’s this: learn to listen — and know when to let go. Respect and feedback go hand-in-hand. We didn’t always agree, but we trusted each other’s intent. That’s what helped us move forward.

What This Competition Taught Us

Looking back, it’s easy to think about the big finale moment or the excitement of seeing our names on the winner’s list. But honestly, the most valuable parts were everything that happened in between.

Over the course of the competition, we figured out how to truly work as a team – not just divide tasks but play to our strengths, trust each other’s judgment, and stay aligned on the bigger picture. Whether it was building the pitch deck or responding to last-minute feedback, we were constantly learning how to balance individual ownership with collective decision-making.

From a business lens, the biggest takeaway was getting a close-up look at product ideation and launch strategy within the FMCG space. We deep-dived into what it takes to go from insight to execution – especially when it comes to building financial models that reflect industry benchmarks.

The questions asked by senior leaders during the jury rounds made us think harder, think broader – and sharpen our case in ways we hadn’t even anticipated. And through that, we got a better understanding of TCPL’s vision and how our idea could fit into it.

A Memorable Moment!

Kartik and I (Ria) were in the middle of an important lecture when my phone lit up with a notification announcing the first-round results. A single phone notification turned into something enthusiastic!
I couldn’t contain my excitement and started smiling and waving my hands, only to be promptly (and rightly) chastised by the academic assistant. Right after class, Kartik and I ran to Sreelakshmi’s room, woke her up, and hugged her in pure joy. It was a moment of shared celebration—one that we’ll all remember for a long time.

The End (Or The Beginning)

We didn’t start the competition knowing we’d win. It began as an experimental “let’s just see what the case is about” – and somewhere between the brainstorming, the pitch decks, the late-night rewrites, and that mid-lecture result notification, we found ourselves all in.

What surprised us most wasn’t the scale of the competition or even the finale — it was how much we learned in the process. About the FMCG space, yes. But also about how we think, how we handle pressure, and how we challenge each other without falling apart.

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• Challenge Yourself With These B-school Competitions