BMSCE team tops Capgemini's competition with e-learning platform

A comprehensive e-learning platform designed to bring education to all in India won the Capgemini's global Innovators Race competition. The winners, third year Computer Science and Engineering students from BMS College of Engineering Bangalore, Ankit Agarwal and Chirantan Mahipal, collectively known as team "Technetium" took home the first prize, including ₹16.89 lakh ($25,000) in cash.

Agarwal and Mahipal are scheduled to travel to Capgemini's San Francisco Exchange in June, where they are set to work with Capgemini's experts to bring their technology into reality.

Capgemini, one of the world's leading providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services had the judges at the global Innovators Race competition score proposals on technology and innovation, feasibility, creativity and originality, and sustainability. After the initial pitch, each team took part in a Q&A session.

Participants had to design solutions to real life business challenges set by global brands.

Figure 1: Team Technetium’s Ankit Agarwal and Chirantan Mahipal of BMSCE scoops first prize of Capgemini’s global Innovators Race competition. (Source: BMSCE)

During the Q&A, Technetium was asked by Reliance Jio to create an innovative learning platform, where teachers and students can connect without cultural or lingual barriers. "Natura Ready" was asked by Brazilian cosmetics brand Natura to suggest a digital mobile solution that brings Natura's business development consultants closer to consumers.

"We are on cloud nine," said Agarwal. "We based our e-learning platform on our own experiences and the challenges that we faced during our education. We also wanted to overcome the country's issues of multiple languages and minimal connectivity. We are now totally focused on making our solution live, and an educated India a reality."

The top two teams, voted into the final by the public, showcased their creations to a panel of industry gurus comprising Lanny Cohen, Capgemini's Global Chief Technology Officer; Mark Thompson, International Editor of CNN Money; and Dan Bieler, Principal Analyst at Forrester.

Technetium's innovation journey will be filmed right through to its fruition and will be available for viewing online later this year.