PAST HIGHLIGHT
2013
Meraki 2013: Celebrating Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Meraki, FIIB’s flagship Business Plan Competition, concluded its second edition on 15th-16th March 2013. With 83 teams from across India, the event showcased innovative business ideas and fostered collaboration between budding entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
Winners:
- Enerture (Great Lakes): Focused on solving India’s power issues with solar-fed hydrogen products.
- Rainmakers (Jamnalal Bajaj): Provided financial solutions for Indian farmers.
- Cloudwhyte (IIT Kharagpur): Developed innovative location-based mobile apps.
Top 10 Teams and Business Plans
1st Place: Enerture (Great Lakes Institute of Management)
Focus: Tackling India’s energy challenges with solar-fed hydrogen fuel cells.
- Enerture proposed an innovative solution combining renewable energy sources to create clean, efficient power.
- Their technology promises to reduce dependency on conventional fuels, paving the way for a sustainable energy future.
- Prize: ₹1,00,000 + Trophy + Certificate
2nd Place: Rainmakers (Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies)
Focus: Empowering farmers through financial solutions.
- Rainmakers aimed to stabilize farmer incomes via micro-lending, forward contracts, and crop insurance.
- Their model addressed the systemic challenges in Indian agriculture, helping reduce risks for small-scale farmers.
- Prize: ₹75,000 + Trophy + Certificate
3rd Place: Cloudwhyte (IIT Kharagpur)
Focus: Personalized mobile apps with location-based features.
- Cloudwhyte developed cutting-edge applications to enhance user experience with real-time localization.
- Their platform targeted both businesses and individuals, offering tailored solutions for engagement and convenience.
- Prize: ₹60,000 + Certificate
4th Place: EcoAgro Solutions (BITS Pilani)
Focus: Sustainable agricultural practices for improved productivity.
- EcoAgro focused on implementing eco-friendly farming methods to boost crop yields while conserving resources.
- Their solution emphasized soil health and water management for long-term agricultural sustainability.
5th Place: Urban Hues (IIM Indore)
Focus: Affordable urban housing with eco-friendly designs.
- Urban Hues integrated green technologies to create sustainable, cost-effective housing projects.
- Their approach addressed the growing demand for environmentally conscious urban living spaces.
6th Place: Technovate (IMI, Delhi)
Focus: AI-powered healthcare diagnostics and management.
- Technovate introduced artificial intelligence to improve healthcare accessibility and accuracy.
- Their platform streamlined patient care, enhancing efficiency in diagnostics and treatment.
7th Place: FarmChain (NITIE, Mumbai)
Focus: Blockchain solutions for agricultural supply chains.
- FarmChain used blockchain technology to ensure transparency, reduce wastage, and improve efficiency in supply chains.
- Their solution directly addressed challenges like fraud, inefficiency, and lack of accountability in agriculture.
8th Place: FoodArt Ventures (Jamia Millia Islamia)
Focus: Culinary innovation in the food and beverage industry.
- FoodArt Ventures reimagined dining experiences with unique food concepts that blended art and gastronomy.
- Their model appealed to urban consumers seeking creative and memorable culinary experiences.
9th Place: ThinkGreen (SRCC, University of Delhi)
Focus: Urban afforestation services with a subscription-based model.
- ThinkGreen offered city dwellers and corporates a way to contribute to green initiatives through tree planting.
- Their scalable model emphasized environmental impact and community engagement.
10th Place: HealthBridge (MDI, Gurgaon)
Focus: Digital health platform connecting rural and urban healthcare.
- HealthBridge created a seamless network between rural patients and urban healthcare providers.
- Their technology-enabled platform improved access to quality healthcare in underserved areas.
Competition Structure
The competition included three stages:
- Registration and Executive Summary Submission: 69 teams participated in this phase.
- Business Plan Submission: Teams submitted detailed plans for evaluation.
- Final Presentations: The top 10 teams presented their ideas to an elite jury.
Jury Panel:
- Manish Kheterpal (Ex-Director, Providence Equity Partners)
- Amit Khosla (Managing Director, AsiaBridge Capital)
Entrepreneurship Summit
- Emerging Trends in Entrepreneurship
Speakers:
- Anshoo Sharma (Lightspeed Venture Partners)
- Anish Pasari (Lumis Partners)
- Moderated by Manish Kheterpal
Key Takeaways:
- Leveraging market trends to create scalable and innovative business models.
- Challenges for Young Entrepreneurs
Speakers:
- Ambarish Gupta (Knowlarity)
- Sourabh Deshpande (YourStory)
- Moderated by Ishan Gupta (Edukart)
Key Takeaways:
- Overcoming funding challenges and building leadership capabilities for sustainable growth.
Why Meraki is Unique
- Nurturing Innovation: Feedback from experts helped teams refine their plans.
- Exposure to Leaders: Teams gained insights from venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.
- Real-World Impact: Practical solutions with the potential for commercialization.
