Wipro Earthian 2018 National Winner IIM-L Noida Campus' Charukesh's Story
Our senior batches have won Wipro Earthian twice in its previous editions. So, it was a matter of pride to participate in it this year. The competition was centered around sustainability. Hence, this made it all the more important for us as students of Sustainable Management to take part in it.
Wipro Earthian Problem Statement
The problem statement required us to conduct an on-ground study and understand the challenges from the grass-roots level. Before we set out on the field, we brainstormed about the scope and aspects that should be dealt with on-ground. We had done this to ensure that the inputs could be used constructively for analysis. Besides, the challenging phase was conducting one-to-one interviews and getting answers from the public. We needed this for our review and study.
The Team
We had an excellent bonding among the team. Surely, that helped in our journey. All of us are independent thinkers. Hence, it resulted in different opinions which in turn helped improve the overall outcome. All the members of the team strongly believe in sustainability. Having got the opportunity to work on a live problem made it all the more interesting for us.
Akanksha brought in a creative perspective towards the problem. Rahulselvan took on the tough job of playing the devil's advocate and helped us stay grounded. Similarly, I was able to assimilate all findings in a structured manner. The best in each one of us came out for a common goal, that is, of solving the problem.
Wipro Earthian 2018 Grand Finale
Wipro declared 10 National Winners from numerous teams participating from across the Nation. All 10 teams had done exemplary work in different domains, as mentioned in the problem statement of the competition.
Wipro Foundation had planned the competition from the start to the end in a meticulous manner. Hence, there was never a scope for any shortfall. Right from clarity in the problem statement to the expected deliverables, Wipro superbly framed everything.
Wipro had organized an award ceremony which was exceptionally well planned and executed. Furthermore, interaction with Azim Premji and Anurag Behar of Wipro was really engaging along with the other sessions organized as part of the ceremony.
We garnered numerous learnings from Wipro Earthian 2018. One is that we can solve everyday challenges by adopting an approach of problem-solving. The solution should take into consideration the people involved, the impact on the environment and the economic viability. Adopting such a holistic perspective ensures the sustainability of the solution.
During the award ceremony, we got a chance to interact with Azim Premji. He handed us the award. It was really inspiring to meet a stalwart of such repute in close quarters and get a glimpse of his ideologies. Overall, Wipro Earthian 2018 was excellent in terms of everything- judgment and organization.