Maruti Suzuki WagonR: Think Big!

Nurturing talent seems to be a growing business in India. We’ve witnessed automobile companies set up talent hunts, however such recruitment drives have been under the focus of motorsports. It is rare to see an automobile company work towards nurturing and assisting future entrepreneurs, however the Maruti Suzuki WagonR Think Big Challenge is a platform set up to do just that.

It its second year of operations, the WagonR Think Big Challenge has witnessed a rather high response with over 18,500 contestants sending in their business ideas. These are carried out at a regional level and a total of 19 regional finalists were selected. These 19 contestants then competed for the top 4 spots on the national final, where they fight it out for the top spot.

Throughout the journey, the participants are tested for their business ideas, entrepreneurial acumen & mettle to execute a successful business venture. Rigorous mentoring sessions by industry experts and constant scrutiny by the judges are part and parcel of this event. It is definitely no walk in the park and the plan is to actually find a viable and workable business idea that idealizes the whole ‘Think Big’ line of thought.

This year, Ms. Aparna Bhatnagar, an IIM graduate and resident of Jaipur, walked away with the top honors. Her idea of the Green and Good online store proved to be a sustainable business model which incidentally she already has up and running, however to take it to new heights she was seeking the involvement of a venture capitalist as well. Her concept works on sourcing and retailing ‘green’ goods, or environment friendly items that are mainly sourced from artisans around the country.

As the winner of the WagonR Think Big Challenge2, Aparna got to drive home in a brand new WagonR with Rs 10 lakh as prize money as well as venture capital funding for her project.

So, if you feel that you have the makings of being India’s next bright industrialist, its time to put on your thinking caps and work on a suitable business venture for The WagonR Think Big Challenge is sure to be back next year.