Audi, the German luxury carmaker, today announced the winners of AUDI-INDIA Future of Change Automobile Design Contest & Business Strategy Contest. This unique nationwide contest attracted over 900 registrations and over 250 submissions, which had a mix of young professionals and students of top business and design schools across the country. Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India, handed over the first and second prize to the winners of Automobile Design and Business Strategy Contest during the CII – NID Design Summit, New Delhi
“We are delighted with the phenomenal business and design plans that AUDI – INDIA Future of Change has received from both students and young professionals. The idea of the contest was to create a space to nurture these young minds and give them a path to explore and harvest their innovative ideas. The participation from India’s leading design and business schools and working professionals truly demonstrates the tremendous level of zeal to learn and desire to succeed. Presentations by the finalists led to an intelligent exchange of ideas and showcased the vast creative potential, pioneering ideas and solutions for Future Urban Mobility and Business Strategy. At Audi India, we are delighted to encourage the gen-next to be catalysts for future growth and development in Indian luxury auto market”, said Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India.
After much filtering and many rounds of judging, the best 7 entries competed for the Automobile design contest finals and 8 students and 2 professionals competed for the Business Strategy Contest finals. The AUDI – INDIA Future of Change Business Strategy Contest finals was held on 08 December at the International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi and 09 December saw the finalists presenting their Automobile design plans during the CII – NID Design Summit, New Delhi.
- Vijayendra Jadhavrao from NID, Ahmedabad emerged as the winner of Automobile Design Contest
- Sidharth Ramachandran and Ayushi Agarwal from IIM, Kozhikode emerged as winners of Business Strategy Contest
- Arun Vohra from Ricardo Consulting and Bhargavi AR from IHS Automotive emerged as winners of Business Strategy Contest in the professional category
- Prizes included traineeship with Audi Design Studio in Germany and an Audi Driving Experience in Dubai
Achint Parekh and Ekta Babbar from ISB Hyderabad were the runners up of Business Strategy contest; Mahesh Shinde and Dhananjay Chile from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad took the second position in the Automobile Design Contest.
“We have provided added momentum to this program by giving winners an opportunity to experience the world class automotive engineering practices by way of a traineeship with Audi. In line with our core brand values of progressiveness and sophistication, I am confident that ‘AUDI-INDIA Future of Change’ has established benchmarks in nurturing talent to spur the growth of the Indian luxury automotive industry, said Michael Perschke”, Head, Audi India.
“As an automobile designer, the AUDI – INDIA Future of Change Automobile Design Contest has helped me in carving out some of my best designs. It has always been my ambition to design an automobile for India and catering to the needs of the masses through design is a wonderful opportunity any designer could get, said Vijayendra Jadhavrao from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.
“AUDI – INDIA Future of Change Business Strategy Contest started off as an exciting challenge for me and my team member Sidharth, both passionate auto enthusiasts. It finally culminated in an intense competition at IMI Delhi and I am thrilled to know that our ideas and vision for Audi was appreciated by Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India and other eminent industry veterans, said Ayushi Agarwal from IIM, Kozkhikode.
INDIA Future of Change is a unique Brand India program launched by the IdeaWorks last year and is supported by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. The program uses multiple contest platforms to engage students across the best campuses in the world with contemporary India. IIM Ahmedabad, IIT Bombay, Financial Times, INSEAD, University of Reading, NID Ahmedabad, Stanford Design for Change Center and CIID, Copenhagen are amongst those who are partnering this global effort. NID Ahmedabad and IMI, Delhi came on board as knowledge partners for the design and strategy contests.