Opportunity brief
About Horizons 2026:
Horizons is the flagship annual management conclave of the Industry Interaction Cell (IIC), IIM Kozhikode, bringing together industry leaders, practitioners and students. The theme for 2026 is "Beyond the Algorithm: Insight · Imagination · Impact".
About the Challenge – Meridian 2.0:
AI can now research, analyse and draft in minutes what took consulting teams weeks. So what is a consulting firm for? In Meridian 2.0, you will step into the shoes of a leadership team rebuilding a consulting firm for the AI era – rethinking its services, people, pricing model and client value. The final round will be judged by a Managing Director from Deloitte India.
Eligibility:
- Open to undergraduate and postgraduate students (MBA, Executive MBA, BBA, B.Com, B.Tech/BE, M.Tech/ME) from any recognised institute in India.
- Teams of 1–3 members; cross-college teams are allowed.
- A participant can be part of only one team.
Rounds:
- Round 1 – Online Quiz (21 October 2026):
- A timed online quiz on Unstop covering consulting, business strategy and AI awareness. Top teams advance to Round 2.
- Round 2 – Solution Submission (Deadline: 23 October 2026, 11:59 PM):
- Shortlisted teams receive the case brief and submit EITHER a 2-page solution document (PDF) OR a 3–5 minute video pitch.
- Grand Finale – On-campus (25 October 2026, IIM Kozhikode):
- Top teams present their solution in person to the jury, followed by Q&A.
Prizes:
- Total prize pool worth ₹50,000.
- Certificates for all finalists.
Rules:
- All submissions must be original work of the team; plagiarism will lead to disqualification.
- Use of AI tools is allowed, but must be disclosed in the submission.
- Submissions must be made on Unstop before the deadline; late entries will not be considered.
- Finalists must attend the Grand Finale in person at IIM Kozhikode.
- The decision of the jury and the organising team will be final and binding.
Contact:
- Industry Interaction Cell, IIM Kozhikode.
- Email: iic@iimk.ac.in
- Phone: +91 97496 27384