The Helm: General Management Case Challenge

Overview

• The General Management and Leadership Clubs (GMLC) of IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta are excited to present The Helm, a national-level general management case competition.
• Participants step into the shoes of business leaders who must rescue a struggling company or resolve a high-stakes boardroom conflict.
• The competition tests the ability to see the whole enterprise, connecting strategy, finance, operations, marketing and people into one coherent course of action.

Round 1: Online Quiz (9th November 2026):

• Participants are tested on core general management concepts and business awareness.
• The quiz will consist of 20 questions to be completed in 20 minutes on Unstop.
• Only the team leader will attempt the quiz on behalf of the team.
• Ties will be broken based on time taken.
• The top 50-100 teams will proceed to the next round.

Round 2: Case Submission (10th–15th November 2026):

• Shortlisted teams will receive a case based on a business turnaround or boardroom situation spanning multiple general management areas.
• Teams must submit a 4–6 slide solution in PDF format, excluding the title, team, thank-you and appendix slides.
• The submission deadline is 15th November 2026, 11:59 PM IST.
• Further details and criteria for evaluation will be made known in due course.
• The top 8 teams will proceed to the final round.

Round 3: Final Presentation (Virtual), 20 November 2026:

• Finalists will present their solutions live to an esteemed panel of judges over a video call.
• The presentation will be 10 minutes long, followed by a Q&A session of 5 minutes.
• Teams will be evaluated on the quality of their solution, delivery, and handling of the Q&A.

Rules:

• Registration is allowed in teams of 2–3 members.
• Registration is open to IIM A, IIM B, IIM C, IIM L, IIM K and IIM I students.
• A person can be associated with only a single team.
• Multiple registrations by a team or person will lead to disqualification.
• All submissions must be original. Plagiarism will lead to disqualification.
• In case of any discrepancy, the decision of the organising team shall be binding.

Terms and Conditions:

• All decisions regarding eligibility, authenticity and final judgements will rest with the organising committee of IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta.
• The format, structure and schedule of the competition may be modified at the discretion of the organisers.
• The decisions of the organisers shall be final and binding on all participants.