The line between disorder and order lies in logistics! Asian Paints, reigning as a leading brand in the décor space brings to you the seventh season of Chain Reaction, inviting students to bring to light their strategic takes on this year's case study. Configure, optimize and get ready to break through!
Eligibility: This competition is open to 2nd-year full-time students pursuing flagship programs of 8 eligible management institutes. To ensure a level playing field for all participants, students who have interned with Asian Paints are not eligible to participate in Chain Reaction 2026.
Team Rules & Guidelines: Students must register in a team of 3. One person cannot be a member of more than one team. All the team members are required to verify and confirm their details to form a team. Cross-college teams are not allowed. Cross-specialisation teams are not allowed. At max 2 students from a team can be outgoing student-exchange students. Any deviation from the above will result in immediate disqualification of the entire team.
Executive Summary Submission: Only registered teams will get access to the case. Each team needs to submit an executive summary in a 2-slider PPT and PDF format. The first slide should contain the team name and names of the members, and the remaining slides (up to 2) are for analysis or deliverables to the problem at hand. Any supporting Excel sheets etc. should be embedded in the PPT itself. The appendix can be put beyond these 2 slides as the last slide. References (if any) should be given due credit.
Naming Convention: TeamName_CampusName_CR26
Campus Rounds: Based on the case submissions, 5 teams per campus will be shortlisted as Campus Finalists. These teams will make a detailed presentation on the case in front of the esteemed jury. Each team will get 15 minutes to present and 5 minutes for Q&A (A total of 20 minutes). Campus Winners and Campus Runners-Up will be announced on the same day. Campus Winners stand a chance to win Pre-Placement Interviews from Asian Paints.
Mentorship Phase: Each of the shortlisted teams will be assigned a mentor from Asian Paints. The shortlisted teams will work with their respective mentors to prepare their innovative submissions for the Grand Finale.
Grand Finale: The National Finalists (8 Campus Winners) will present their ideas to the senior leadership team of Asian Paints. Further details of the national level round will be disclosed after all the campus rounds are complete. What are we looking for? The entries must have practical assumptions and solutions - Widen your horizon beyond Google and think the case through from different perspectives. A sound understanding of trade-offs in business - cost vs efficiency, involvement vs margins, etc. We love primary research - try to identify the stakeholders involved - show us how you understand the world of décor and supply chain. Innovative and creative solutions are sure to captivate us! What's in it for you? A chance to get a Pre-Placement Interview opportunity from Asian Paints for Campus Winners. National Winners and National First Runners-Up will receive ₹1,50,000 and ₹1,00,000 respectively. Campus Winner and Campus First Runners-Up will receive ₹ 50,000 and ₹30,000 respectively. Participation Certificates.