Three top B-Schools from India have been shortlisted as the finalists for the IRF Rising Star Challenge 2015 to be held on September 15, 2015 at India Retail Forum (IRF) 2015 in Mumbai. The finalists include Indian School of Business, IIM Bangalore and Welingkar’s Institute of Management.
Every year, IRF offers a platform to over 300 of the brightest minds from India’s finest B-schools to compete and present the smartest ideas in retail at the IRF Rising Star Challenge, presented by Tommy Hilfiger. These young minds get the opportunity to present their Business Plans in 15-minute presentations in front of India’s leading retail business heads.
For this year’s competition, 100+ teams from India’s top 20 B-Schools competed for the ultimate retail brainteaser prize. Now, the three selected finalist teams from Indian School of Business, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and Welingkar’s Institute of Management will attempt to crack the code of omni-channel retail live at the IRF stage on September 15.
The topic for this year’s IRF Rising Star Challenge is “CREATING AN OMNI-CHANNEL MODEL THAT BLENDS THE BEST OF SMARTPHONES-AND-SMARTSTORES – CUSTOMERS SHOP 24X7, RETAIL SALES AND PROFITS GROW TWO-FOLDS. ”
IRF 2015 Rising Star Challenge invites India’s top business Schools teams to suggest a Retail Business plan with the most innovative and unique use of new media and technology for seamless omni channel retail, with the following Key direction : Marriage of technology, behavioural science and a creative idea to fully immerse the customer, at every touch point. Not just optimising e-commerce, mobile and store channels to sell effectively, but ensuring a seamless and meaningful customer experience whenever customers interact with the brand.
Contestants’ business plans should include all elements from the design of a compelling omni-channel retail customer proposition through to a clear implementation roadmap and financial plan, to ensure a comprehensive, achievable solution which addresses the key CEO and C-level questions:
- How should we develop our ecommerce and omni-channel retail business over the next five years?
- How can we transform our multiple sales channels into a true omni-channel retail business?
- We are launching our online channel for the first time – how can we ensure it is successful?
- Will online and omni-channel retail be profitable for us?
