BITS School of Management (BITSoM), in collaboration with CreatED, an innovation hub for high-schoolers, concluded CaseQuest – an inaugural sprint involved 50 high school students who developed no-code application solutions for the avant-garde fashion and lifestyle brand – Nicobar. The young participants addressed live business challenges presented by the team from Nicobar Design Pvt. Ltd., spanning critical areas such as enhancing customer feedback and loyalty, and revolutionising gifting and styling experiences. Without writing traditional code, students ideated, prototyped, tested, and launched functional no-code applications.
Prof Saravanan Kesavan, Dean and Professor of Operations, BITSoM commented on the program, saying, “CaseQuest reflects our approach to education, which emphasises experiential learning and preparing students for the future. Seeing these high school students address business problems with curiosity, creativity and technical skills within a limited timeframe was a joy.”
Spanning four days, the sprint began with a crash course in management with Dr Parasuram Balasubramanian covering business strategy, marketing, financial accounting, and a discussion on the case study. Next, CreatED founder, Aashna Saraf, Ed.M. (Harvard), led creative ideation modules, teaching students to generate innovative app ideas. Day 2 focused on practical technology skills, with students using no-code tools like V0.dev and Bubble.io to create app prototypes and learn UI/UX principles. Day 3 involved refining ideas with mentor guidance, including discussions on AI integration in retail. On the final day, students presented their solutions to a panel of industry and academic leaders.
A prize of Rs. 1,00,000 and a Dean’s Letter of Recommendation were awarded to the team that developed “NicoNet,” an in-store analytics platform. This solution was recognised for its potential to provide insights into Nicobar’s retail operations. Each student in the winning team came from a different city – Tiana Dalal (Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai), Hansika Mahbubani (The Shri Ram School, Moulsari, Delhi), Saanvi Khetan (The International School, Bangalore) and Mohnish Bhadra (Dubai International Academy, Dubai)
The CaseQuest sprint was supported by faculty, industry collaborators and the Center for Executive and Professional Development team of BITSoM. Dean Saravanan Kesavan played a key role in initiating the program. Dr Parasuram Balasubramanian provided inputs on management. Aashna Saraf, founder of CreatED designed and conceptualise the program, drawing on her experience in building innovative education programs and mentoring students. Simran Lal, Raul Rai, and Rashi Sethia from Nicobar Design Pvt. Ltd. and Uday Virmani, Assistant Dean of BITSoM, presented real-world challenges and constructive feedback during the final presentation.
