- This national competition aims to provide students with the opportunity to engage with ITC’s leadership, gaining insights into the company’s best practices and success stories from across sectors like FMCG, Agri, Hotels, Paperboards and Packaging
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, NOV 9
MICA, Ahmedabad on Friday announced that Team Dysfunctionals, comprising 4 second-year students Trisha Roy, Prithvi Khanna, Lokit Khatri and Avinash Jha, emerged as the National Winner in the Marketing Track of ITC’s Interrobang Season 14. Representing MICA, the team competed against top B-Schools across India, including teams from XLRI, SCMHRD, Pune, ISB, NMIMS-M and IIFT-D.
This national competition aims to provide students with the opportunity to engage with ITC’s leadership, gaining insights into the company’s best practices and success stories from across sectors like FMCG, Agri, Hotels, Paperboards and Packaging.
The Marketing Track competition focused on a case study for Dark Fantasy, which faced category degrowth despite an increasing market share in the premium experience biscuit category. The challenge required the team to devise a comprehensive communication strategy to rejuvenate the category and boost consumer engagement. Team Dysfunctionals adopted a funnel approach—analyzing the industry, competitive landscape, and consumer behavior—to identify a communication white space. Their strategy aimed to reposition Dark Fantasy as an accessible yet premium brand, ultimately driving penetration and increasing consumption frequency.
The national round brought together ITC’s leadership, including Sumant B., Executive Director, ITC Limited, who shared insights into ITC’s journey and growth. After rigorous analysis and compelling presentations to ITC’s senior management, Team Dysfunctionals from MICA was declared the national winner.
Reflecting on the journey, Trisha Roy shared, “A hundred days of sticking together, late-night grinds, and sheer perseverance—every bit of it was worth it. My work focused primarily on the research side, specifically on the quantitative analysis. This included identifying consumer cohorts, conducting on-ground primary research, and using statistical tools to uncover insights and trends. While I concentrated on the statistical aspects, Prithvi delved into the cultural dimension. Together, we combined our findings, providing the team with valuable insights that informed the development of a positioning strategy.”
Avinash Jha and Lokit Khatri added, “Winning the ITC Interrobang is more than a victory—it’s cliché, but I feel it is a testament to resilience, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. It is about pushing boundaries, thinking strategically under pressure, and realizing the power of collaboration to turn ideas into impactful solutions.”
