IIM Ranchi, in collaboration with Steel Authority of India (SAIL), successfully hosted NationForged: The SAIL Transformation Conquest, marking a significant collaboration between academia and industry
and drawing enthusiastic participation from leading management institutions across the country.
The event commenced with a briefing by Prof. Rajeev Verma, Chairperson - Corporate Relations, IIM Ranchi, who outlined the genesis of the competition. He highlighted that registrations for the SAIL Case Competition were opened during the MSME Conclave at IIM Ranchi and explained why partnering with SAIL was a natural choice, given its scale, legacy and relevance to India’s industrial ecosystem. The competition received an overwhelming response, with over 950 registrations from institutions nationwide.
This was followed by a welcome note by Prof. Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Director, IIM Ranchi. He emphasized the pedagogical importance of case competitions, noting that such platforms are not merely about winning, but about applying classroom learning to real-world industry challenges and gaining deeper insights into organizational decision-making.
The Chief Guest, Sanjay Dhar, Executive Director (HR - Learning & Development), SAIL, spoke about the organization’s journey, highlighting its evolution from a supply-focused enterprise to a professionally managed industrial giant. He expressed appreciation for the collaboration with IIM Ranchi and shared his enthusiasm for evaluating the case submissions.
Addressing the participants, Chief Guest, Abhijeet Kumar, Executive Director (Marketing), SAIL, discussed SAIL’s marketing philosophy, brand-building efforts, and the strategic role of marketing in a core manufacturing organization.
Following this, the Guest of Honour, Sitendu Roy, General Manager & Head - Go to Market & Pricing Excellence, Tata Motors, highlighted how platforms like NationForged effectively connect real-world business challenges with innovative student thinking, enabling participants to translate classroom concepts into practical, industry-relevant solutions.
The event was also graced by Rizwan Ahmad Siddiqui, Deputy General Manager (HR - Learning & Development), SAIL, and Nilanjan Nag, Marketing Manager, SAIL.
The competition witnessed an overwhelming response, with over 950 registrations from the top 25 NIRF-ranked institutions in the Management category. Following a rigorous screening process, the top five teams were shortlisted for the final round, comprising three teams from IIM Ranchi and one team each from IIT Delhi and IIM Indore.
During the final round, the shortlisted teams delivered in-depth analyses and well-structured strategic recommendations, which were followed by a rigorous question-and-answer session with a distinguished panel of senior leaders from SAIL.
The event concluded with a felicitation ceremony graced by the Director of IIM Ranchi, the Chief Guests, and members of the SAIL leadership panel, who acknowledged and celebrated the outstanding performances of the finalist teams. The Winner’s title was secured by Team Loaners from IIT Delhi (Ankush and Vartika Verma), while the First Runner-Up position was bagged by IIM Ranchi’s Team Pluto (Abhinava Ramanan G and Mutharasu R). The Second Runner-Up position was secured by Team Sharpe Shooters from IIM Indore (Arnab Ghosh and Asha Singh).
The Winners were awarded a prize money of ₹1 lakh, followed by ₹50,000 for the First Runner-Up and ₹25,000 for the Second Runner-Up, while the remaining finalist teams received ₹12,500 each. The ceremony marked a fitting conclusion to a highly competitive and intellectually enriching case competition, celebrating analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and collaborative problem-solving.
The SAIL Case Competition reaffirmed IIM Ranchi’s commitment to fostering experiential learning and strengthening industry-academia engagement, providing students with a valuable opportunity to engage directly with real-world business challenges.
