Nexus 2023

Launching with enthusiasm, The Bhawanipur Entrepreneurship and Start-Up Training (BEST) Collective of The Bhawanipur Education Society College hosted “Nexus 2023: NEXT US” This event provides an excellent platform to let the students showcase their business ideas and strategies. Nexus, symbolizing “NEXT US,” this year taking a unique approach, to let the students enjoy the thrill of looking at themselves as future entrepreneurs.  On November 20th, 2023, the event unfolded at the college campus with the participation of 13 colleges from Kolkata.

The inauguration was held at the Jubilee Hall on the 6th floor at 9:00 am and was graced by Prof. Dilip Shah, the Rector and dean of Student Affairs who in his motivational speech, emphasized resilience, learning from losses, and the enthusiasm to persevere. Prof. Shah focused on the significance of reasonable profit, highlighting the importance of ideas, imagination, and networking for stability. He concluded with a symbolic gesture by striking the pinata, full of money, hanging above the stage to begin the business fest on a high note.

The event hosted five business management challenges across different locations on the campus, each named after a role played by entrepreneurs:

1. Pitch Wars: Battle of Ideas
2. Brand Voyage: From Local Treasures to National Icons
3. Budget Brilliance Challenge
4. Footbrawl Auction Challenge
5. Business Maestro Challenge: Unleash Your Strategic Prowess

 Pitch Wars: Battle of Ideas

Pitch Wars: Battle of Ideas was a platform where participants demonstrated presentation, persuasion, and critical thinking skills. Teams, with up to three members or individuals, competed in rounds that included pitching ideas, engaging in debates, and defending visions on assigned topics. The first round involved presenting ideas, the second focused on rebuttals and defence, and the final round featured a dynamic Q&A session for qualifying teams, testing their in-depth knowledge and ability to think on their feet.

To judge this event Mr. Pradeep Goptu, an acclaimed Economist and business writer known for his biographies on business tycoons was cordially invited.

Winners among the Eleven participating colleges were

First Position: St. Xavier University and The Bhawanipur Education Society College
Second Position: Sivanath Sastri College
Third Position: Seth Anandram Jaipuria College

Brand Voyage: From Local Treasures to National Icons

Brand Voyage, an educational game, lets players explore India’s states, developing strategies to propel local brands to national acclaim. Teams were assigned a region, and tasked with crafting a marketing plan. Mr. Siddharth Malik, an IIT BHU and IIM Calcutta graduate, judged based on strategy, presentation clarity, multimedia usage, research analysis, and Q/A.

Eight colleges participated, presenting brands like “Maatighar,” “Oswal Soap Group,” “7 Sisters Crafts,” and “Rollcut Kulfi.” The top three spots went to exceptional performers, with

First Position: St. Xavier’s University
Second Position: Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration
Third Position: The Bhawanipur Education Society College

Budget Brilliance Challenge:

Budget Brilliance, an immersive college challenge, engaged 10 participating colleges in the strategic management of fictional companies within constrained budgets. Judge Harshit Chokhani, esteemed COO of Anandpushp Terogies Pvt Ltd and former CEO of Delhi World Public Schools of North East, brought his vast experience in education to assess teams. Notably, he is also one of the esteemed faculty members of our college. The evaluation parameters encompassed budget allocation strategy, data analysis prowess, presentation clarity, a rigorous Q/A session, and adaptability to dynamic scenarios. Each team received a unique company profile and a predefined budget for rounds. The key task was judiciously allocating funds across various company sectors, with a focus on growth, profitability, and sustainability.

First Position: Seth Anandram Jaipuria College
Second Position: St. Xavier’s University and Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration.
Third Position: ICFAI Business School.

In a thought-provoking conclusion, the judge, Mr. Chokhani emphasized the nuanced nature of success, stating that nothing is definitively right or wrong. He underscored the importance of quick thinking, asserting that to excel, one must be 10 minutes faster in ideation than their peers.

Footbrawl Auction Challenge:

The Foot Brawl Auction Challenge took participants on an exhilarating journey, merging football knowledge, strategy, and team-building excitement. They assembled dream teams, bid on football stars, and showcased prowess through quizzes, auctions, and mystery challenges. This event tested their knowledge of football as they navigated through three rounds: a challenging quiz on football (both National and International), an engaging FIFA football player auction, and finally a Q&A session while justifying selections and strategies to the judges, Mr. Murtaza Khambaty an alumni of our college, The Bhawanipur Education Society, he is also a  sports enthusiast especially in football and Mr. William Patrick who is Assistant coach at Southern Sports Association in 2006 and is currently serving as the head coach with Indian Sports Academy.

Winners among the seven participating colleges were:

First Position: Scottish Church College
Second Position: Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration
Third Position: The Heritage Academy

Business Maestro Challenge: Unleash Your Strategic Prowess

The Business Maestro event unfolded as a dynamic platform, challenging teams to push the limits of business knowledge and problem-solving. Through a lucky draw, each team was assigned a sector and parent company, providing a unique challenge. With a tight 6-minute timeframe, teams like “In focus,” “Adanitech,” “Tatakart,” and “Vocals from Locals” presented innovative ideas. Mr. Ritwik Bhawsinghka, an accomplished investment banker and startup mentor, served as the judge, evaluating teams on business plan creativity, debate skills, research, knowledge persuasion, and presentation and rebuttal skills.

First Position: The Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration
Second Position: The Army Institute of Management
Third Position: The Bhawanipur Education Society College

The closing ceremony featured an electrifying band performance by “Milestone”. Prof. Dilip Shah, Prof. Minakshi Chaturvedi, Coordinator B.com (Morning) and Ms. Samiksha Khanduri from the Dean’s Office gave out the prizes and certificates to the winners and participants to the various colleges, with Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration emerging as the overall champions of Nexus -NextUs 2023. To enhance the Nexus experience, a snippet of the upcoming grand youth fest, Umang 2023, was presented through a captivating video, leaving everyone awestruck and brimming with excitement. The event concluded with everyone dancing heartily and bidding farewells, promising to reunite for Umang 2023.

Reporters – Ruchika Sachdev, Tanisha Hirawat

Photographers – Paras Gupta, Papon Das, Nischay Alokit