Samsung, India’s most trusted consumer electronics and smartphone brand, has kicked off the fifth edition of its pan India campus program Samsung E.D.G.E. The brightest minds from the top colleges of the country will work on real-life problem statements, interact with Samsung’s top leaders and provide unique solutions to the problem at hand.
This year, students from 20 campuses that include top B-Schools, engineering colleges and design schools will participate in the event, which will be held in a virtual format.
The program consists of three rounds. The first round is about ideation, where the team members come together and put up an executive case summary. The top teams that are shortlisted in campus round work on a case study, submit and present their detailed solutions at the regional round. At the end of the regional round, top 8-10 teams are selected and mentored by Samsung leaders on their respective solutions.
The finale 8-10 teams battle it out in the National Round to arrive at the three winning teams. “At Samsung, innovation is at the heart of everything we do and our quest with each program is to enable the young minds of India and provide them with platform to innovate. Over the years, Samsung E.D.G.E. has proved to be an enabler wherein students have the platform to showcase their creative solutions to real life issues. As we enter the fifth edition of the program, we are hopeful of getting even more insightful solutions from students,†said Mr. Ken Kang, President & CEO, Samsung SWA.
For the program, students can form a team of three members from within the campus belonging to different years/specializations. In the ideation round, teams are expected to work on research, analysis, brainstorming and formulating the most innovative approach and submit the executive summary which broadly defines the strategy proposed. The jury comprising of Samsung leaders and managers accordingly will shortlist campus teams to represent the institute in the Regional Rounds.
In 2019, Samsung E.D.G.E. witnessed participation from 3,873 students comprising 1,291 teams and representing 20 leading institutes of the country. The theme for the year was ‘Driving for Change’ for local communities wherein the participants were encouraged to address micro issues of local importance and present innovative solutions.
The winning team ‘Skyforce’ from IIM Lucknow comprising Himshikha, Abhilash I and Nithiya CH, presented a solution for ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers to become more efficient. ASHA workers are community health workers spread across India. The team proposed a technology- based solution to address issues that ASHA workers face such as tracking, information asymmetry, and manual data registration etc. The finale of the campus program was held in Gurugram.
Launched in December 2016, Samsung E.D.G.E. is a first-of-its-kind campus program that provides an opportunity to the country’s talented students to exhibit their talents, exchange meaningful insights and get a head-start in their careers.