Announcement Overview

V‑Guard Industries Ltd announced the winners of its 16th Big Idea competition on 28 September 2026. The national‑level event, aimed at uncovering emerging talent in business and engineering, concluded with a valedictory function at the Radisson Blu, Kochi, where Chairperson & Managing Director Mithun K. Chittilappilly presented the awards.

Competition Scope

The competition attracted more than 3,500 team registrations from institutions across India. After multiple evaluation rounds, 22 teams representing 18 institutions qualified for the Grand Finale held on 24, 25 and 26 September 2026.

Business Plan Category

  • Winner: Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli.
  • Runner‑up: Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development, Pune.
  • Second runner‑up: Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam.
  • Special Jury Awards: Indian Institute of Management, Shillong and Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi.

Cash prizes were ₹3 lakh for the winner, ₹2 lakh for the runner‑up, ₹1 lakh for the second runner‑up, and ₹25,000 each for the two special jury awardees, together with trophies and certificates. The Business Plan competition was themed “V‑Guard: Choices That Create Value,” requiring participants to propose strategic choices for V‑Guard to focus on, fix, enter, or exit, and to develop plans showing potential financial and competitive benefits.

Tech Design Category

  • Winner: Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi.
  • Runner‑up: Chennai Institute of Technology.
  • Second runner‑up: Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology (Team A), Kerala.
  • Special Jury Awards: Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology (Team B), Kerala and VIT University, Chennai.

Cash prizes were ₹1.5 lakh for the winner, ₹75,000 for the runner‑up, ₹50,000 for the second runner‑up, and ₹10,000 each for the two special jury awardees, together with trophies and certificates. The Tech Design competition focused on reinventing V‑Guard product categories—Stabilizers, Water Heaters, and Kitchen Appliances—and included an Open Innovation track inviting AI‑driven solutions for any V‑Guard product.

Leadership Commentary

Mithun K. Chittilappilly stated that the Big Idea platform enables V‑Guard to engage with the country’s brightest young minds and understand their approach to real‑world business and engineering challenges. He highlighted that, as V‑Guard approaches its 50th anniversary, the company remains committed to fostering innovation and providing opportunities for young talent to contribute to the evolving business and technology landscape.

Additional Information

The press release notes that the information is provided under an arrangement with NRDPL and that PTI assumes no editorial responsibility.