Best Summer Project Contest 2007

The Best Summer Project Contest (BSPC 2007) is a popular and prestigious annual management event organized by the Bombay Chapter of the Institute of Management Consultants of India (IMCI). It is the most important event in the calendar of B-Schools in Mumbai and is widely attended by MBA students, industry and consultants alike.

IMCI is a non-profit making body of professional management consultancy firms and individual consultants and is the only registered institution of its kind in India. In 1989, IMCI became the first Asian member of the global apex body, the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. The Bombay Chapter of IMCI is the largest among the nine chapters spread across the country.

The roots of this event go back to 1992 and it acts as a catalyst between the industry and the B-School fraternity. Business School students across the globe undergo a summer internship in the industry. During this period, the students act as "In-house Consultants" and are expected to provide solutions to complex business problems. BSPC gives a platform, where the best and the most effective Summer Projects are honored and appreciated.

Over the years, BSPC has evolved from being just a Summer Project Contest to a full-fledged Business Event, which plays host to luminaries from both, the corporate world and academia. In a sense, BSPC is a window to the issues and opportunities encountered by the businesses/industries in the coming year or two.

This year, BSPC attracted 23 entries from top B-Schools across the country vying for the top honors. The attendance was high with about 256 B-School students from all over Mumbai attending the contest. The event at Y. B. Chavan Auditorium was attended by Directors of leading Institutes together with faculties from the B-Schools.

This year too, BSPC proved to be a spectacular showcase for the best talents across the country taking head-on the uncertainties of the future.

The finalists who had been short listed for this years event were:

Anurag Aggarwal
Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi

Abhishek Chaturvedi
ITM Business School, Khargar, Navi Mumbai

Divya V Kanjani
Jankidevi Bajaj Institute of Mgmt. Studies

Ashish Upadhyay
S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research

Shantanu Gite
K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research

BSPC 2007 was held on 29th September, 2007 at Y. B. Chavan Auditorium, Sachivalaya, Mumbai. It was a close race with Ashish Upadhyay from S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai emerging as the winner. His project was "Himalaya Aapda Suraksha Abhiyaan" for Mountain Forum Himalayas, Shimla. The winner also received a cash prize of Rs. 25000/- along with a glittering championship rolling trophy.

The runner-up was Abhishek Chaturvedi from ITM Business School, Khargar, Navi Mumbai.
His Project was on "People Participation Model for MP Power Distribution Company" for Ernst & Young (MP Client's Office)

The judges were Ravi Duvvuru, Group Head - Compliance of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.,Suresh Mhatre, Vice President, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Nikhil Morsawala, Head Finance, Core Projects & Technologies Ltd., Neelakshi Radhakrishnan, CEO, Pansoft India Limited, M. K. Muthuvelu, Founder Chairman of Meticulous Group, Madras.

This years event was sponsored by Core Projects & Technologies Ltd., Qualcomm, Kotak MahindraBank, HDFC and Tata Consultancy Services.

The winning entry from SP Jain Institute, "Himalaya Apda Suraksha Abhiyan" involved preparation and pilot implementation of a comprehensive disaster mitigation and management action plan for the high earthquake risk prone districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Brief about the project: While is it popular as a tourist destination for its natural beauty, very few people know that the same scenic state is also the playground of tectonic plates making it one of the most earthquake prone regions in the country. It is equally devastated by cloud bursts, landslides and flash floods year after year. Overall, Himachal is one of the most disaster vulnerable states of India.

Himachal Pradesh can't be left alone in its fight for survival. In face of a disaster, remote regions inhabited by poor and nomadic tribes like Gaddis and Gurjars are especially vulnerable. Towards this effective Disaster Management techniques (preparedness to face disasters with minimum loss), disaster mitigation activities (relief and recovery work once disaster has struck) and long term rehabilitation policies need to be designed, implemented and institutionalized. This exactly was the theme of this years' winning summer (DOCC) project with leading Himalayan NGO, Mountain Forum Himalayas (MFH).
The aim was to come up with a policy paper on disaster mitigation & management in Himachal Pradesh and more importantly to implement and execute some of the proposed programs on ground so that the NGO could take them forward from there. Key management levers of project execution, financial planning and collaborative approach were used during the course of the entire 6 week project. The team was able to garner support from various quarters of the administration, other social organizations, the press and private sector as well, thereby turning this campaign into a statewide movement.

The winning team expressed their gratitude to Dr. Arun Chandan, Secrerary General of MFH and Prof. Nirja Matto, Chairperson of Center for DOCC, SPJIMR for their constant inspiration and guidance during the course of the project.

Other Award Winning DOCC Projects:

1. "Conducting a Feasibility study and preparing a Sustainable & Scaleable business plan "Genesis" to implement Managed Health Care among dwellers of Dharavi and MAVIM Self Help Groups" by Anshumaan Yadava and Gopal.
   
   Recognition
   International Business Plan Competition
   • Selected among TOP 20 Asian B-School teams
   • Business Plan presented at Asia Moot Corp 2007 in Thammasat University, Thailand
   "Medical Consultation on Health Care in India" by IIM-Ahmedabad
   • Scholarly Paper selected among Top 32 entries across India
     
     
2. Mayank and Sunit Garg did a project for the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Maharashtra - Head Office, Mumbai
   Project scope: Suggest measures to curb corruption
   • Visit government dept., understand process and suggest process improvements to curb corruption.
   • Assess awareness, perception & effectiveness of ACB in public and suggest improvement measures.
     Achievements:
   • Coverage by NDTV India
   • Coverage by Times of India

Brief about DOCC:
Development of Corporate Citizenship (DOCC) is built around SPJIMR's philosophy of value based growth and influencing management practice. The DOCC concept is created to build the managerial potential of participants while sensitizing them to Indian ethos and culture. Under the DOCC program, the participants undertake a 6 weeks social project of social relevance. This brings management education closer to reality in the Indian context. This also gives the participants an opportunity to work in an unstructured environment and acquire a balanced perspective on the needs and realities of Indian society. This unique experience churns out a world-class management talent pool.

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