This is how Chirag Mehta from IIM Bangalore won his spurs as a winner of TATA Imagination Challenge 2020

Analytical thinking and problem-solving are the two things that attract me as soon as I hear them. And if the challenge is by the prestigious company TATA, who would want to miss the golden chance. My journey of TATA Imagination Challenge 2020 shall always remain one of the most engrossing memories of my career. Here is an anecdote to reflect on the competition inside out.

TATA Imagination Challenge 2020 was a class apart! Something I have never seen on the D2C platform. Kudos to the team who came up with the format. Each round of the competition assessed a different skillset - all of which are required to be a leader. The last round had judges who were current TATA group company CXOs! I got to present to the CEO of Air Asia and the CEO of TATA Cliq! Getting this opportunity was the biggest win for me personally. I already felt like a winner (without the results even being declared).

What pulled me towards the challenge?

I participated in the competition because I found the format very interesting. 

• The first round was a 30-minute case-based quiz where we had 3 different cases along with excel data. 
• The second round was a realistic case based on the TATA company. 
• And the 3rd was a new business venture idea for the TATA group. 

All 3 of these tested different aspects of a person - Analytical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Creativity/innovative spirit. 

How I prepped my way to a unique imagination?

I think the most challenging phase was the 3rd round where we had to come up with a business idea of our own for the TATA group. 

Unlike regular case competitions, there was no problem statement or framework we could use. It was all based on imagination. I thought over this for almost 15 days - thought of more than 20 ideas. However, I kept discarding the ideas as I felt none of them matched the reputation of the mammoth TATA group. 

Finally, I stumbled upon my idea of organizing the food processing industry and worked on it tirelessly. It took me another 4 days and endless chrome tabs of research before I finally started working on the presentation. I had to be very sure that this idea would catch the eyes of the judges during the last round.

However, not being on campus meant one very big disadvantage - not being able to utilize the college library resources for research. I had to cover it up with traditional Google search and virtual access to library databases.

Once-in-a-lifetime experience!

The most special moment for me in the journey of TATA Imagination Challenge 2020 was when I saw the outcome of my presentation in Round 2. I was not very sure of whether I solved the problem or not. Further, the submission was supposed to be a video pitch of just 2 minutes. Explaining our entire solution of more than 10 slides in 2 minutes was a daunting task. However, when I saw the final video and presentation, I was appalled! It had come out very well and I felt proud of my efforts.

Another moment to recall was when the results of this competition were first conveyed via call in the midst of my summer placement preparation and I missed the call from the TIC representative 2 times. I called back the unknown number thinking it might be a buddy from one of the summer recruitment firms. However, it was Archana - an HR from Tata! As soon as she introduced herself, I could sense the good news! 

I was extremely elated to hear that I was a part of the top 10 MBA winners from more than 56000 registered students. It was a fabulous feeling!

Lessons to never forget

I learned that problem solving and creativity go hand in hand. It is not possible for you to solve a problem effectively without thinking in an unconventional manner.

One thing I will never forget is that CXOs mean very serious business. The kind of questions they asked us were very direct and critical to the success of our ideas. It is imperative for me to be prepared from all angles (even those not covered in my presentation) whenever I present to a CXO next. Learning this through a competition on D2C itself before entering the corporate world is something I truly cherish.

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