TVS Credit E.P.I.C 7.0: GenZ x GenAI – Rewriting the Rules of Lending

TVS Credit E.P.I.C 7.0 brought together some of India’s brightest young minds to reimagine the lending industry through innovation and technology. With the theme “GenZ x GenAI – Rewrite the Rules,” this year’s edition challenged students to blend analytical thinking, business acumen, and human empathy to solve real-world NBFC problems.

The scale itself was extraordinary; 1.35 lakh+ participants from over 8,000 campuses across the country joined the challenge. For many, E.P.I.C. wasn’t just a competition, but a platform to test ideas, push limits, and learn from real-world challenges that mirror the future of fintech and lending.

Competition Structure and Tracks

E.P.I.C 7.0 continued with its four signature tracks: Analytics, IT, Strategy, and Finance, each designed to test a different dimension of problem-solving. The challenge unfolded through three rigorous stages: an online quiz, a case submission, and an intense grand finale where teams presented to senior leaders from TVS Credit.

The IT track featured an additional coding round, raising the bar for innovation and execution.

After weeks of ideation and elimination, the finale saw some of the sharpest presentations where judges evaluated participants on technical depth, business relevance, and storytelling impact.

Striving for victory, the finalists battled it out in the last round and these were the winners of each track:

Winners Who Rewrote the Rules

Analytics Challenge – Nikita Rath, IIM Bangalore

Nikita began with one principle: business impact first, analytics second. Her model wasn’t just data-heavy; it was purpose-driven, aligning machine learning outputs with measurable lending improvements. She spent close to five weeks refining both model and narrative, often revisiting assumptions after mentor feedback. Her defining moment came during the finale’s rapid-fire Q&A, where composure and clarity earned her top honours.

Finance Challenge – The A Team (Sreelakshmi M Krishnan & Darvesh, BITSoM)

This duo lived by structure and substance. Their winning model for NBFC growth was backed by weeks of benchmarking, regulatory analysis, and stakeholder consultations. They ran simulations, sought expert validation, and stress-tested every assumption before the finale. “We didn’t just want a theoretical idea,” they said, “we wanted something a real NBFC could adopt tomorrow.” Their rigour and teamwork stood out.

IT Challenge – Team BackTrackHack (Bhavya & Atharva Pandey, TIET, Patiala)

BackTrackHack focused on solving a real-world problem: improving loan accessibility for rural users. The duo spent three weeks coding and testing a mobile prototype designed to simplify access to credit. From late-night debugging sessions to a near-perfect demo in the finale, their journey was a mix of technical breakthroughs and teamwork. “When our final build ran flawlessly just minutes before the submission deadline, that was our eureka moment,” they shared.

Strategy Challenge – Team Cred (Nikita Singh, Anurag Amit Roy & Velkarthik Anand B, ISB)

For Team Cred, innovation meant feasibility. Their strategy balanced ambition with execution, blending customer-centric design with scalable models. Countless nights of research and iteration led them to a presentation that was crisp, grounded, and insight-led. The team reflected, “Strategy is about saying no to good ideas so you can focus on great ones; that was our biggest learning.”

Team Dynamics and Strengths

Across all winning teams, one pattern stood out: diversity of skill sets created stronger solutions. Coders, analysts, strategists, and storytellers complemented one another; technical insight met business reasoning, and creativity met precision.

Conflict resolution was pragmatic. Teams relied on data, structured debate, and mentor input to settle disagreements. Persistence was a recurring theme; many finalists spent late nights debugging, redesigning, or rehearsing until the final hour.

Their shared core strengths included:

• Domain research to root ideas in industry reality.
• Technical optimisation for performance and scalability.
• Empathy-driven design to enhance customer experience.
• Crisp storytelling to translate ideas into impact.
  

Learnings That Redefined Innovation

E.P.I.C 7.0 wasn’t only about competition; it was a learning journey.

Analytics participants discovered the importance of translating data into business outcomes, not just models.

IT teams learned that a seamless user experience matters as much as backend strength.

Strategy participants mastered storytelling through clarity and focus, while Finance challengers gained a deeper understanding of lending economics and regulation.

Across the board, participants spoke about one key lesson: innovation isn’t just about doing something new; it’s also about doing something better for someone.

Memorable Moments: The Human Side of Innovation

E.P.I.C 7.0 had no shortage of memorable moments; from emotional breakthroughs to electrifying finale rounds.

• One finalist recalled their model failing during submission, only to fix it seconds before the deadline; “that rush was unreal.”
• Another team described the adrenaline of facing probing jury questions and the pride of hearing “That’s a smart solution” from a senior leader.
• A participant from the IT track remembered the moment their code finally deployed without errors after nights of debugging; “We screamed in joy at 2 a.m.
• For many, the most memorable moment was seeing their campus name flash on the winner’s screen, turning weeks of effort into a moment of triumph.
  

These stories captured the essence of E.P.I.C., grit, learning, and moments that define careers.

Judgement, Organisation, and Participant Reflections

Participants widely praised the clarity of the structure, transparent evaluation, and supportive communication by TVS Credit and Unstop.

Judges were appreciated for real-world questions that tested both innovation and practicality, not just theoretical ideas.

Masterclass sessions received special mentions for helping participants refine direction and narrative.

Takeaways from E.P.I.C 7.0

1. Anchor innovation in business impact. Technology and creativity matter most when tied to tangible value.
2. Feasibility beats flash. Judges reward ideas that can be executed, not just imagined.
3. Collaboration amplifies brilliance. Diverse teams outperform siloed minds.
4. Persistence pays off. Every late-night retry, every failed attempt contributes to the win.
   

The Future of E.P.I.C

E.P.I.C 7.0 proved once again that GenZ talent is rewriting the rules of the lending industry; not just with GenAI or analytics, but with empathy, persistence, and purpose.

With 1.35 lakh participants and ideas that combined tech with human understanding, the competition reaffirmed that innovation in lending is as much about people as it is about platforms.

To every participant and winner, congratulations on making #YourEPICMove.

Keep experimenting. Keep reimagining. Keep rewriting the rules.