Opportunity brief
ECONOX, The Economics Society of College of Vocational Studies, University of Delhi, presents a three-round case study competition that brings together economics, finance, business strategy and real-world decision-making.
The Competition
- Businesses today operate in an environment where a seemingly small change in regulation, technology or consumer behaviour can have a much larger impact on the way companies make money.
- A change in the economics of a payment method can affect much more than the payment itself.
- It can influence pricing decisions, customer behaviour, margins, loyalty, transaction values and competitive strategy, forcing businesses to rethink how they operate.
- This competition puts you in the position of decision-makers facing exactly such a challenge.
- You will be required to move beyond textbook concepts, understand the underlying business problem, work with the information available to you and develop a strategy that is financially sound, commercially viable and capable of surviving real-world competition.
- The case will revolve around a leading Indian company and a contemporary development in India's business and digital-payments ecosystem.
What awaits you?
Round 1 — The Economic Pulse (7 October 2026, Wednesday)
The journey begins with an online quiz designed to test your understanding of economics, finance, business, markets and contemporary economic developments.
- 20 questions
- 15 minutes
- Eliminatory in nature
Only the teams that demonstrate the required level of economic and business acumen will advance to the next stage.
Round 2 — The Catalyst (8 October 2026, Thursday)
- The shortlisted teams will receive a real-world business case based on a leading Indian company.
- A recent change in India's UPI payment ecosystem has created a new strategic challenge for the company.
- The introduction of a 0.4% MDR on eligible UPI merchant transactions above ₹2,000 may appear to be a payment-cost issue at first glance. However, its implications can extend into margins, customer behaviour, payment preferences, pricing and the broader customer ecosystem.
- Your task is to analyse the case, identify the core problem and develop a strategic response.
- There will be no single framework or prescribed route to the solution.
- Teams will have to decide for themselves what matters, what trade-offs exist and which strategy is most viable.
- The shortlisted teams will submit their solution in the form of a PDF within the stipulated deadline.
Round 3 — Beyond the Transaction (13 October, Tuesday)
- The strongest teams from Round 2 will advance to the final presentation round.
- This will be more than simply presenting your slides.
- You will have to defend your assumptions, justify your financial logic, explain your strategic choices and respond to questions from the judges.
- The final round will test not only the quality of your solution but also your ability to think on your feet.
Guidelines
- The competition will be conducted entirely online.
- The competition consists of three rounds, Online Quiz, Case Study & PPT Submission, and Online Presentation.
- Round 1 will consist of 20 questions with 15 minutes allotted for the quiz.
- Round 1 will be eliminatory in nature.
- The case for Round 2 will be provided only to the teams shortlisted from Round 1.
- Teams will be required to analyse the case and submit their solution in the prescribed PPT format.
- Only a selected number of teams will advance to Round 3.
- The final round will consist of an online presentation followed by a Q&A with the judges.
- Detailed instructions regarding PDF format, submission procedure and presentation guidelines will be communicated to shortlisted teams.
Rules
- Timely submission of all rounds is mandatory.
- Plagiarism or use of unfair means will result in immediate disqualification.
- All submissions must be original work of the participating team.
- The use of AI will be governed by the competition rules communicated by the organising committee.
- Teams must adhere to the prescribed time limits and submission formats.
- The decision of the organising committee and judging panel shall be final and binding.
- The organising committee reserves the right to modify timelines or competition procedures in case of unforeseen circumstances.