Secured 5th place in the National Entrepreneurship Challenge (NEC) at E-Summit 24, IIT Bombay

In February 2024, our team E-cell MET From MET Bhujbal knowledge city institute of technology Nashik, Maharashtra embarked on a thrilling journey to compete in the National Entrepreneurship Challenge at E-Summit 24, hosted by IIT Bombay. With determination, preparation, and a touch of nerves, we set out to showcase our entrepreneurial skill and make our mark on the National stage.

I’m not the one personally putting this blog together; I’m doing it on behalf of the fantastic team that brought us to this success. Here, I’ll be diving into our experiences and the valuable lessons we learned, hoping to pass on some insights to those gearing up for future e-summits and NEC. Winning took us by surprise, especially considering it was our inaugural participation in the NEC and our first venture into competitions beyond our college and city.

The Round 1 started at 5:30 pm with task 1, and we were all nervous about what questions they would ask. However, we tackled our nervousness by saying the mantra ‘jo bhi hoga dekha jayega’. In task one, a quiz was held with 18 questions focusing on the establishment of an E-cell in our college, past experiences, and the experience gained from organizing events and handling challenges. We had 30 seconds for each question, and the results were calculated based on the time taken and correct attempts. We scored 53% in the quiz, and task one was completed. After a 15-minute break, task 2 was announced. This task consisted of some questions and Research Papers, and we were quite fearful of what it could entail, feeling demotivated by the previous result. However, we realized the importance of focusing on the next task and forgetting about the past. In task two, we were provided with 10 research paper PDFs and a PDF with 10 questions, each containing 5 subquestions with answers in true or false format. After 10 minutes, they informed us that some PDFs were incorrect, so they updated them and gave us an extra 10 minutes to induce panic. We also asked our team members outside to help find answers. In the end, we only completed 9 questions and submitted the form as time was running out. After submission, we felt relaxed and contemplated the results, expecting a 50–50 chance of being selected as the task was moderate. This task ended at 10 pm. We met some other E-cell members and people who participated last year to gain further insights into the rounds ahead. They provided food packets afterward. After just finishing our dinner, we were notified about the Inauguration Ceremony which was allowed only for NEC team members which initiated at 11:30p.m. After that , back to the hostels at 1 am. we started to discuss what all tasks happened today with our fellow mates and what all learnings can we take forward towards next tasks and discussed the about round with our college TPO, who is also our faculty advisor of E-cell MET Prof. Umesh Pathak, who urged and motivated us for the next round even though we don’t know the result of the previous round. Also, let me share an important tip: make sure to get at least 5–6 hours of good sleep. Many of us experienced sleep deprivation during the competition due to only getting 3–4 hours of sleep per day. The results were revealed at 3 o’clock in the morning. We checked at 6 a.m. and were surprised to see that we secured a spot in the top 26 teams out of 65. Have a good morning, everyone!

Round 2 starts with Josh and Hosh getting ready for the day. We hop on the e-vehicle and make our way to the venue where all the top 26 teams are in white shirts and black coats and pants, looking professional. Seeing them, we felt a bit unconfident, but we quickly reminded ourselves that professionalism should be our focus, not just our outfits. All teams were settled at 9 am and were about to start the competition. First, let me tell you the rules of this round: only 6 members were allowed to participate from the team, and it consisted of 3 mandatory tasks. Initially, Task 1 and Task 2 were played simultaneously. They started around 9:15 a.m. Task 1 was a 2-hour task that consisted of the following Problem statement: “You are hosting a 1-day climate entrepreneurship event and need to invite relevant entrepreneurs. Follow these steps:

1. Assign tasks to marketing, events, PR, and design teams.
2. Marketing: Create a sponsor database, send personalized emails to 5 companies with reasons for inviting them. Include website links.
3. Events: Compile a speaker database, send personalized invitations to 5 speakers with reasons for their invitation.
4. PR and Design: Design event posters, brainstorm 5 unique advertising strategies.” After carefully reviewing the problem statements, we collaboratively divided the tasks, considering each team member’s strengths and expertise to ensure optimal performance. Leveraging the power of AI tools, we delved deeper into the complexity of the problem statements to gain a comprehensive understanding. In the middle of our preparations, a new challenge emerged in the form of Task 2: a dynamic group discussion where 1 member engaged in smaller group conversations. The spontaneous topic assigned was “Should your E-Cell extend support to NGOs or prioritize profit-making startups?” This sudden turn of events required swift adaptation as he had a brief 5 minutes to prepare and formulate his arguments. All of these tasks need to be completed within a 2-hour timeframe. We did our best, and the coordination among us was spot on, getting us closer to victory. The team’s fantastic coordination, clever planning, and quick reactions were so important. Taking a quick 15-minute break helped us analyze and brainstorm task 3. In this task, one member from each team was selected again and grouped with two others. The teams of representatives had to pitch their ideas on the topic “if your E-cell has been out of action for some years due to various reasons and you have to choose between Basic or Advanced to restart with your team, which one would you go for?” After completing all the tasks, we quickly gathered for lunch. Each one of us was drained and needed time to recharge before Rajat Sharma’s session. We eagerly arrived and were captivated by his remarkable personality and resonant voice. Furthermore, we explored the startup expo where numerous innovative startups were showcasing their ideas and products. In the evening, everyone was tired, so we decided to attend the 10 minutes million show. This show provided valuable knowledge on how to present our pitch in less than 8 minutes. Just as we were about to sleep, we received a message from the core team to gather at SAC backlawns for informals night at 10:30 p.m. There, we had the opportunity to meet our mentor and interact with him until 12:30 a.m. After that, we returned to our hostels and continued our meeting with team members until 2:30 a.m. This is all that we accomplished during the day, and now we are waiting for the results to be declared. We all discussed the round and planned the next day’s strategy based on the information we received from our mentor, Mr. Mitesh Kakadia, from Hyderabad and their team provided key points on where to perform well and motivated us for the 3 rounds. After a refreshing night’s rest, we excitedly picked up our phones and discovered that we had successfully secured a spot in the prestigious TOP 10 rankings. Our joy knew no bounds!

On that exhilarating morning, our team woke up at the crack of dawn, precisely at 7 o’clock, to the sound of a ringing phone. The voice on the other end eagerly exclaimed, “Hey, we are in the top 10! Wake up, we need to go, hurry!” With a surge of excitement and adrenaline, we sprang into action, realizing that we had to report to the venue by 8:00 am. In a frenzy, we swiftly got ready, making sure not to forget any essential items for the upcoming challenge. In the midst of our preparations, we also made it a point to inform our esteemed faculty advisor, Prof. Pathak, about our remarkable achievement. Their response was a mix of genuine appreciation and invaluable guidance, further fueling our confidence and motivation. Having already experienced the previous round and armed with a well-crafted strategy, we felt a sense of assurance and readiness for the upcoming round of the competition. Now, let me explain the rules and schedule of the upcoming task. The round is starting in just 30 minutes, at 8:30 am. Our team can have up to 5 members. We have 3 tasks to choose from, and the last two are optional, which gives us flexibility in our approach. We have 1 hour to complete both tasks. After completing the tasks, we need to present our findings to a panel of judges. We only have 6 minutes for the presentation, so we need to be concise and effective. Then, we have an additional 2 minutes for questions from the judges.

Regarding the tasks:

• Task 1 involves creating a marketing strategy to boost sales for a bamboo farmer in a village who produces and sells bamboo products. We are required to create a maximum of 3 slides for this task.
• Task 2 focuses on increasing school attendance for underprivileged children who skip school to work. We need to explore ways in which NGOs can collaborate with schools to tackle this issue.
• Task 3 was optional and we did not complete it, so there will be no review for that.

We made the decision to tackle the first two tasks by distributing the workload and assigning specific topics as strategies. In order to expedite the process and ensure timely completion, we delegated some of the work to our backend team members. This approach allowed us to work more efficiently and ultimately meet our deadlines successfully.

In addition to the competitive events, a ceremony was held to both announce and celebrate the victorious participants. I intend to conclude this blog with a heartfelt ceremony that not only acknowledges and ponders over the entire path that led to this significant moment, but also serves as a chance to express appreciation for all the dedicated efforts that have converged towards this accomplishment. It was a nerve-wracking experience when the winners were being announced. At one point, the tension was palpable, and when we discovered that we had secured the 5th position, our spirits sank momentarily. However, our respected faculty member, Mr. Umesh Pathak, reassured us that achieving the 5th spot was indeed a remarkable feat in itself and offered words of encouragement that lifted our morale.

We would like to thanks Mrs. Shefali Bhujbal Mam and Principal R. S. Narkhede for their valuable support. We would also like to extend our gratitude towards Mr. Umesh Pathak(Faculty Advisor) and Mr. Arun Dalvi(Sub Faculty Coordinator) for their guidance throughout the journey. A big thanks to all the team members because of whom the achievement wasn’t possible. Lastly thanks to all the supporters and best wishers.