Announcements

PGDM participants Kushagr Sharma, Ayushi Thakur and Aakash Sarkar and Eshan Sharma (alumnus, PGDM Class of 2026) were recognised among the Top 100 Unstoppable B-School Leaders 2026 under the Unstop Talent Awards 2026. The recognition honours students for their cumulative performance across business school and corporate competitions over the academic year, celebrating consistency, problem-solving and competitive excellence.

Although recognised individually, Kushagr, Ayushi and Aakash shared several competitive experiences while representing SPJIMR on national case-competition platforms. One of the defining milestones in that journey came at Colgate Transcend 2025, where they competed together in the Sales and Marketing track and emerged as national champions.

Their journey at Colgate Transcend was marked by resilience. After initially missing out on direct qualification, the team secured a place in the finals through the wildcard round. With limited time to prepare, they revisited every aspect of their recommendation, strengthened their analysis and refined their presentation ahead of the final round.

Looking back, the team believes the difference lay not in changing the idea itself but in presenting it with greater clarity and conviction. Rather than relying on ambitious assumptions, they focused on a practical, well-supported solution that could withstand detailed questioning from the jury. The approach earned them the national title and a prize of ₹5,00,000.

While Colgate Transcend remains a memorable shared achievement, each student’s journey throughout the academic year extended beyond a single competition. Through participation in multiple national business challenges, they worked on diverse problem statements, collaborated with different teams and continually refined their approach to structured problem-solving. Their individual performances across these experiences ultimately led to their inclusion among Unstop’s *Top 100 Unstoppable B-School Leaders 2026*.

Reflecting on the recognition, the students agreed that the greatest value of case competitions lies not only in the outcomes but in the learning they offer. Each competition presented a new business context, challenged them to think from different perspectives and provided opportunities to improve with every iteration. Eshan Sharma noted, “A defining moment was realising that the creativity of your presentation matters as much as the creativity of the solution. Additions like a mock demo or a video instead of a slide go a long way.”

Their advice to students considering similar competitions is simple: participate consistently, remain open to feedback and focus on the learning process. Over time, those experiences build analytical thinking, confidence and the ability to solve business problems under pressure.

The appreciation reflects our participants’ commitment to excellence, as well as SPJIMR’s strong culture of experiential learning and participation in national business competitions.

About Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)

SPJIMR’s Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) is a two-year, full-time residential programme equivalent to an MBA. Approved by AICTE and accredited by NBA and AMBA (UK), the programme combines academic rigour with immersive learning experiences to develop responsible and industry-ready leaders.