What it takes to reach the finals of KPMG Ideation Challenge -By Supratik Sinha from XLRI Jamshedpur

KPMG Ideation Challenge was a competition like no other. Because ours was an idea that went beyond the purpose of making profits and a business plan, we looked at creating an ecosystem that would build grass-root level awareness about autism and dyslexia and bring about social change.

Our journey in XLRI was about discovering ourselves and exploring beyond the subjects we study there. The three of us share the same undergrad college, Jadavpur University and have the same sense of culture and belonging among us. We were kind of lost when our journey started at XLRI and it was then that we decided to try out something new to know ourselves and recognize our potential. KPMG Ideation Challenge was our first case competition as a team and it feels surreal to be one of the top 6 teams competing for National Finals among 840+ teams throughout the nation. 

What KPMG Ideation Challenge was all about

The challenge was unique and did not confine us by giving a specific problem statement. It allowed us to explore new ideas, put on an entrepreneurial hat and solve important problems for society. Thus, the nature of the competition and our quest for self-discovery made us take up the challenge.

The three of us are at our respective places, all of which are quite distant from each other. So, every day after our schedule of assignments and submissions were over, we used to sit together virtually and brainstorm till late in the night. The challenge was balancing our curriculum, exams and still devoting sufficient time to the competition given our different timetables. But looking back now, all our sessions and discussions were actually useful and have helped us a lot and they will definitely impact our next endeavours.

One of the major challenges that we faced was getting things done in an online setting. There were network issues, difficulty recording videos over zoom calls and most importantly, we weren’t able to conduct primary research on ground. Since our idea had to bring together a lot of people and their valuable insights, we had to reach out to as many people as possible. From friends studying CS abroad to doctors practising child psychology here in India. This networking helped us understand the problem better, and helped us be empathetic while developing a practical and scalable solution.

What’s unique about Team Deadpool 

We had a few conflicts about ideas and solutions but there weren’t any as we listened to each other a lot and considered all suggestions lined up. Speaking up and discussing a lot along with reading relevant materials actually helped us resolve our doubts over our course of action. The key USP of our team was that every conflict led to something constructive for the eventual product.

The team’s forte is being together through thick and thin, no matter what the outcome will be and we hope to keep the same promise in the future as well. Working hard, being flexible, helping each other are the core strengths that have helped the three of us to reach the very end of KPMG Ideation Challenge.

There were a total of 6 teams in the finale. Every team was good with their ideas and presentations and gave us tough competition. Picking one will be unfair towards others as each of them was brilliant and their ideas helped us garner a lot of new perspectives. The winner was definitely well-deserved as they were the ones who were already a start-up while for all the others, it was still an idea trying to take the form of a start-up. Thus, Team BlisCare was the toughest competitor for all other teams.

Learnings and Takeaways

KPMG Ideation Challenge 2021 was a journey that began in October and ended just weeks ago and it still feels empty to believe that it is over. The learning was not only on the business side but we grew more confident, practical and managed the hectic B-School schedule pretty well. We read a lot about children with disorders as our solution was building an ecosystem with children suffering from autism and dyslexia, their parents, doctors, special educators and NGOs. 

Speaking to parents of autistic children we realized their pain and we were humbled as we had enough in our lives and still cribbed for more. The agony of the parents and lack of facilities in our country was a reality check for us to care for the world beyond the gates of our esteemed B-School. Our idea was not just for business or KPMG Ideation Challenge 2021, it was a step towards society as responsible young individuals. We have learned and matured a lot in these months and we promise to keep our endeavour towards society going forward as well.

Moments that we will cherish

The best thing about KPMG Ideation Challenge was its mentoring sessions. We learned a lot from all our mentors and they guided us at every step answering every single doubt, taking mock practices and helping us in every single way. The competition was well thought out and organized. The judges asked us questions that covered every aspect of our presentation right from the target market size to the detailed financials. The questions which we were unable to answer made us think more in the further rounds and gave us valuable insights to further build upon our idea in the future.

Every moment we spent together as a team was special for us as we learnt a lot from each other. Picking up a special moment will be qualifying for finals and letting that news sink in. After the results were announced, we were on a call with each other and weren’t sure if we clearly heard our team’s name being called out. It was a surreal moment for us and still gives us goosebumps.