NITI MANTHAN
A Case Study Competition
Dear Colleagues, Mentors, and Students,
It gives me immense pleasure to present the proposal for NITI MANTHAN — a flagship case study competition conceptualised and designed by Agrani Udyam, the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Cell of PIBM. This initiative is rooted in our belief that true business acumen is not solely developed in classrooms — it is forged through the fire of real-world problem solving, collaborative thinking, and strategic application of knowledge.
NITI MANTHAN has been envisioned as a three-phase journey: from the grassroots screening of talent within mentoring groups, to the rigorous analysis of HBR case studies, and culminating in the development of original case studies presented before industry experts. Each phase is deliberately structured to challenge students at progressively deeper levels of cognitive engagement — moving from recall and application to synthesis and creation.
The role of our faculty mentors is central to this design. I urge each mentor to view this not merely as a coordination exercise, but as an opportunity to guide and witness their students rise to their intellectual best. The meticulous documentation you will be maintaining is not bureaucratic overhead — it is a testament to the rigour and fairness that NITI MANTHAN stands for.
I look forward to the enthusiastic participation of all stakeholders and to witnessing the extraordinary talent that lies within our student community.
NITI MANTHAN (translating to "Policy Discourse" or "Churning of Ideas") is a multi-phase, academically rigorous case study competition hosted by Agrani Udyam — the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Cell of PIBM. Drawing inspiration from the age-old tradition of manthan — the churning that produces something precious — the event is designed to churn the intellectual and strategic potential of PIBM's student community.
Unlike conventional competitions, NITI MANTHAN is structured as a continuous learning journey spanning three weeks. It integrates practical tools like FORAGE, globally acclaimed HBR case studies, and real-world mentorship, providing participants with an immersive, industry-aligned experience. The competition is open to all students across mentoring groups, ensuring inclusivity while maintaining meritocracy through a well-defined, multi-stage selection process.
Grounded in globally recognised HBR case studies and structured evaluation frameworks that mirror industry standards.
26 dedicated faculty mentors guide their groups across all three phases, ensuring personalised academic support and fair documentation.
Final presentations before external industry experts bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world business practice.
All 26 mentoring groups participate, ensuring every student has a pathway to showcase their analytical and strategic abilities.
Foster the ability to dissect complex business scenarios, identify root causes, and propose structured, evidence-based solutions.
Develop students' capacity to formulate and articulate business strategies aligned with real-world organisational challenges.
Sharpen oral and written communication through structured presentations and documentation across all phases.
Encourage original research and synthesis of industry data in the creation of student-developed case studies in Phase 3.
Strengthen the faculty-student mentoring relationship by embedding structured collaborative engagement into a competitive format.
Expose students to professional evaluation standards through external judges, aligning academic output with corporate expectations.
| Phase | Name | Timeline | Activity | Participants | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Forage Screening "Skill to Strategy" |
10 Apr – 15 Apr 2026 | Internal mentoring group rounds using FORAGE platform. Mentors identify top presenters. | All students in 26 mentoring groups | 26 selected teams (1 per group). Google Sheet documentation by each mentor. |
| Phase 2 | Club Round HBR Case Analysis |
16 Apr – 22 Apr 2026 | Fishbowl technique for case allocation. Teams analyse HBR cases with mentor guidance, then present to judges. | 26 selected teams + 5–6 judges | 10 finalist teams. Evaluation sheets maintained by judges. |
| Phase 3 | Grand Finale Niti Manthan Round |
23 Apr – 2 May 2026 | Strategic Decision Making through Case Study — 10 finalist teams analyse one comprehensive cross-domain case study covering all MBA specialisations. Final presentation before industry experts on 2 May. | 10 finalist teams + external judges | Cross-domain case analysis. Final winners declared. |
Phase 1 serves as the foundational screening layer of NITI MANTHAN. Each of the 26 faculty mentors is responsible for conducting an internal screening round within their respective mentoring groups between 10th April and 15th April 2026. The goal is to identify and nominate the most deserving team — one that best demonstrates case study aptitude, structured thinking, and strategic application within their chosen MBA specialisation.
To ensure a standardised and skill-aligned screening process, Agrani Udyam will provide each mentoring group with an Excel Sheet containing pre-curated case simulations segmented by MBA specialisation — Marketing, Finance, HR, Business Analytics, and Project Management. Students must complete the simulation relevant to their domain and obtain their FORAGE Certificate upon successful completion. Certificate submission is mandatory for eligibility to advance.
The Excel Sheet distributed by Agrani Udyam contains FORAGE virtual work experience programmes mapped to each of the five MBA specialisations:
📣 Marketing: Simulations focused on brand strategy, consumer behaviour, campaign analysis, and go-to-market planning.
💰 Finance: Simulations covering financial modelling, investment analysis, risk assessment, and corporate valuation.
👥 HR: Simulations involving talent management, organisational behaviour, workforce planning, and HR strategy.
📊 Business Analytics: Simulations centred on data interpretation, dashboard design, business intelligence, and decision modelling.
🗂️ Project Management: Simulations addressing project planning, stakeholder management, risk mitigation, and agile frameworks.
Students must complete the FORAGE module corresponding to their specialisation and share their certificate with their faculty mentor as proof of completion.
After all students in the mentoring group have completed their domain-specific FORAGE simulation and submitted their certificates, the faculty mentor must conduct an internal evaluation. Based on the quality of the case analysis and presentation, the mentor will select exactly ONE team from the entire class to advance to Phase 2. Selection must be merit-based, transparent, and documented in the Google Sheet submitted by 15th April 2026.
Agrani Udyam distributes the domain-segmented Excel Sheet to all 26 mentors. Each sheet lists FORAGE simulation links for all five MBA specialisations — Marketing, Finance, HR, Business Analytics & Project Management.
Students must complete their domain-specific FORAGE simulation and obtain the digital certificate. Submission of this certificate to the mentor is a pre-condition for eligibility in the internal selection process.
The faculty mentor selects exactly one team from the entire mentoring group based on the quality of the case analysis and presentation. This team advances to Phase 2 and represents their group at the Club Round.
Each mentor must maintain a Google Sheet recording student names, specialisation, FORAGE certificate status, evaluation scores, and team selection rationale. Submission deadline: 15th April 2026.
Phase 2 — the Club Round — is the competitive centrepiece of NITI MANTHAN. On 15th April 2026, all 26 qualified teams are brought together by Agrani Udyam. In a spirit of transparency and fairness, each group is assigned an HBR (Harvard Business Review) Case Study through the fishbowl technique: case study names are written on chits and placed in a bowl, from which each team draws one at random, eliminating any possibility of favouritism or pre-preparation bias.
Following the allocation, teams are given from 16th to 21st April to study, analyse, and prepare their presentations on the assigned case study. During this preparation period, mentors play a critical support role — guiding students in structuring their analysis, identifying key business problems, and formulating recommendations. Mentors must maintain a record of their mentoring sessions and the nature of guidance provided.
The Club (Agrani Udyam) prepares one chit per HBR case study (26 chits for 26 teams). All chits are placed in a transparent bowl. Team representatives from each group draw one chit in a public setting before their peers. The case study drawn is immediately noted and made official. No exchanges or substitutions are permitted post-draw. This process ensures absolute fairness in case allocation and adds an element of spontaneous challenge — testing a team's adaptability.
Mentors must document guidance sessions, topics discussed, and student progress during the 16–21 April preparation window. This record is submitted to the coordinator.
On 22nd April, all 26 teams present in 5 parallel classrooms simultaneously, each hosted by 1–2 judges, to ensure efficient scheduling and focused evaluation.
Each judge is provided a standardised evaluation rubric covering: problem identification, analysis depth, solution quality, presentation clarity, and Q&A handling.
Based on consolidated scores from all 5 sessions, the top 10 teams are identified and informed about their advancement to Phase 3 by end of day on 22nd April.
Phase 3 is the Grand Finale of NITI MANTHAN — the Niti Manthan Round. Unlike Phase 2, which tested domain-specific analytical skills, the Grand Finale challenges teams to think across boundaries. All 10 finalist teams receive one single, comprehensive case study that integrates challenges spanning all five MBA specialisations — Marketing, Finance, HR, Business Analytics, and Project Management — demanding truly holistic, strategic thinking.
This is not a case of isolated domain expertise. Teams must demonstrate their ability to connect dots across functions, make trade-offs under constraints, and present a unified strategic recommendation. Faculty mentors guide their finalist team throughout the preparation period (23rd April – 1st May 2026), and a distinguished panel of external industry experts evaluates all 10 presentations on 2nd May 2026.
1. Case Study Format: One case study will be provided to all 10 teams simultaneously. The case will present a real-world or realistic business scenario involving a company or sector facing a multi-functional challenge that cuts across Marketing, Finance, HR, Business Analytics, and Project Management domains.
2. Cross-Domain Coverage: Teams are expected to address all five functional domains within their analysis and recommendations. Ignoring any one domain may lead to deduction of marks. The case is designed such that no single specialisation can solve the problem alone — integration is the key.
3. Preparation Period: Teams will have from 23rd April to 1st May 2026 (approximately 9 days) to analyse the case, conduct additional research if required, and develop a structured presentation. Mentor guidance is permitted and encouraged during this period.
4. Presentation Format: Each team will present for 12–15 minutes, followed by a 5–7 minute Q&A session by the jury panel. Presentations must be submitted in PowerPoint/PDF format to the coordinator by 1st May 2026 (EOD).
5. Evaluation Criteria:
• Problem Identification & Situation Analysis — 20 marks
• Cross-Domain Integration & Strategic Coherence — 25 marks
• Depth of Research & Supporting Data — 20 marks
• Feasibility & Innovation of Recommendations — 20 marks
• Presentation Quality & Q&A Handling — 15 marks
Total: 100 marks
6. Integrity & Originality: All analysis and recommendations must be the team's original work. Use of AI tools must be disclosed. Plagiarism or fabrication of data will result in immediate disqualification.
7. Final Declaration: Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Grand Finale on 2nd May 2026 by the jury panel in the presence of faculty and institutional leadership.
A single comprehensive case study covering Marketing, Finance, HR, Business Analytics, and Project Management is provided to all 10 finalist teams simultaneously, ensuring a level playing field.
Teams must synthesise insights across all five MBA domains into a unified strategic recommendation — testing not just knowledge but managerial wisdom and cross-functional thinking.
Faculty mentors provide guidance during the 23rd April – 1st May preparation window. Mentors must document all sessions and support provided to the finalist team.
All 10 finalist teams present before an eminent panel of external industry experts. Winners of NITI MANTHAN 2026 are declared at the conclusion of the Grand Finale event.
26 mentors · One per group
All students · Competitive pathway
Phase 2: Internal · Phase 3: Industry