V-Guard Announces Winners of the Big Idea 2026 Competition

 Photo: Big Idea 2026 competition winners, along with Mithun K. Chittilappilly, Chairperson & Managing Director, V-Guard Industries Ltd., Ramachandran Venkataraman, Director and Chief Operating Officer, V-Guard Industries Ltd., Antony Sebastian, Executive Director, V-Guard Industries Ltd. and Sudarshan Kasturi, CFO, V-Guard Industries Ltd. Thanks & Regards  

Kochi, September 26, 2026: The 16th edition of the V-Guard Big Idea competition, a flagship event by V-Guard Industries Ltd. to discover emerging young talent in the business and engineering fields, concluded successfully on September 26th. In this annual national-level competition, Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli, won first place in the Business Plan category, and Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi secured the top spot in the Tech Design category.

Mithun K. Chittilappilly, Chairperson & Managing Director, V-Guard Industries Ltd. presented the awards to the winners at the valedictory function held at Radisson Blu, Kochi.
The V-Guard’s Big Idea Business Plan and Big Idea Teach Design Competition this year received more than 3,500 team registrations from institutions across the country. Following multiple rounds of evaluation, idea presentations and pitches, 22 teams from 18 institutions advanced to the Grand Finale held on September 24, 25 and 26, 2026.

In the Business Plan category, Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli emerged as the winner, while Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development, Pune was named the runner-up, and Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam secured the second runner-up position. Special jury awards in this category were presented to Indian Institute of Management, Shillong and Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi.

In the Tech Design category, Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi claimed the winner's position, with Chennai Institute of Technology as the runner-up and Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology (Team A), Kerala as the second runner-up. Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, Kerala (Team B) and VIT University, Chennai received special jury awards in this category.

This year’s Business Plan Competition was themed “V-Guard: Choices That Create Value”, with finalists tasked with presenting insightful and innovative ideas on what V-Guard should focus on, fix, enter, or exit, and developing business plans that demonstrate how these choices could drive stronger financial outcomes and competitive positioning while addressing customer needs and go-to-market strategies. The Tech Design Competition focused on reinventing key V-Guard product categories by addressing real-world challenges and developing impactful solutions across Stabilizers, Water Heaters, and Kitchen Appliances, with an Open Innovation track that invited participants to develop AI-driven solutions for any V-Guard product category.
“Big Idea has grown into a meaningful platform for us to engage with some of the country’s brightest young minds and understand how they approach real-world business and engineering challenges. We are pleased with the successful completion of the 16th edition, which once again showcased the creativity, curiosity and problem-solving abilities of the participants. As V-Guard moves towards its 50th year, we remain committed to fostering innovation and creating opportunities for young talent to engage with industry and contribute to the evolving business and technology landscape” said Mithun K. Chittilappilly, Chairperson & Managing Director, V-Guard Industries Ltd.

The Business Plan Competition winners were awarded cash prizes of ₹3 lakh, ₹2 lakh, and ₹1 lakh for the first three positions, respectively, along with two Special Jury Awards of ₹25,000 each, trophies, and certificates of appreciation, while the Tech Design Competition winners received cash prizes of ₹1.5 lakh, ₹75,000, and ₹50,000 for the first three positions, respectively, along with two Special Jury Awards of ₹10,000 each.
The event provided a platform for young minds to interact with V-Guard’s senior leadership, gain insights into real-world business challenges, refine their thought processes, and foster a spirit of innovation.