The evolution of marketing has been dynamic and disruptive since it was first introduced in the mid-1950s. Acknowledging the need to harness the potential of young minds pursuing this challenging academic stream, 15 years ago, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) collaborated with CNBC-TV18 to build a platform that would help foster the next generation of marketing geniuses - Lessons in Marketing Excellence (L.I.M.E.).
This platform has emerged as a beacon for aspiring marketers, providing them with real-world challenges and a stage to showcase their talents. What began as a humble initiative has now evolved into one of India's most prestigious competitions, attracting top-tier B-schools across the nation.
L.I.M.E. stands as a testament to the power of collaboration between academia and industry & HUL’s commitment to nurturing leaders of tomorrow. Each year, top-tier B-schools in India engage in a battle of wits, creativity, and strategy, as they tackle real-life marketing challenges. These challenges are not just hypothetical scenarios but mirror the complexities of the dynamic business landscape, offering students a platform to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations.
What sets L.I.M.E. apart is its unwavering commitment to addressing themes of national significance, such as the Make in India Campaign, Marketing for the Election Commission,
Thriving in the New Normal, Plastics Usage that nudges participants to work on innovative solutions to relevant topics that influence our nation. Staying true to its objective, this year L.I.M.E. delved into the realm of digital commerce, focusing on democratising Digi-commerce for India through the Open Network of Digital Commerce (ONDC).
The leadership team at HUL, along with the CNBC-TV18 team, is entirely committed to and involved in this unique endeavour. Leading the effort at the forefront is Mr. Rohit Jawa, President of Unilever, South Asia, and CEO and MD of HUL. Speaking of the partnership on L.I.M.E & the finale presentations, he said, “As we celebrate 15 years of L.I.M.E. we take immense pride in building a platform that lends a voice to the youth of the country and budding marketeers of India Inc.
It is the moment of India & as India’s leading FMCG, HUL has the chance and responsibility to shape it well through pioneering initiatives like L.I.M.E. What we witnessed in the season 15 finale was an incredible showcase of perspective and creative strategies to solve real business challenges. They truly get the omnichannel landscape, they see the untapped potential of our million-plus small retailers, and their passion was contagious!”
Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director HR of Unilever & CHRO, Hindustan Unilever who has been a strong advocate for youth upskilling in the country, endorsed Mr. Jawa’s views saying “Over the past 15 years of L.I.M.E we have seen some stellar marketing talent unlock the chance to build a career with HUL and lead some of our iconic brands & categories, which stands as a testament to the legacy we have nurtured. L.I.M.E is a great example of collaboration between industry & academia, and we will continue investing in the future of India by turning the spotlight on its youth.”
The finale of L.I.M.E. season 15 saw an insightful conversation between Rohit Jawa and Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18 where Rohit also delved into how HUL is leveraging cutting-edge technology to complement its marketing strategies in its bid towards digital adoption.
After this discussion, the spotlight shifted to the L.I.M.E. presentations by the four finalist teams, showcasing their intellect and marketing acumen to a distinguished industry panel.
Judging this year’s finalists was none other than the brain behind India’s digital commerce company, Mr. T. Koshy, CEO, ONDC. Among the esteemed jurors were stalwarts such as Hephzibah Pathak, Executive Chairperson of Ogilvy and Mather India; Kedar Lele, Executive Director of Sales & CD at HUL; Anchit Nayar, CEO of Beauty E-commerce at Nykaa; Srinandan Sundaram, Executive Director of Nutrition & Ice Cream at HUL; and Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe, South Asia, and Chairman of Leo Burnett, South Asia.
Shedding light on ONDC and the various possibilities it offers, Mr. Koshy commented, “An open network gives humongous possibilities to diverse segment of buyer applications, seller applications, and logistics providers. These are the building blocks of commerce that become a possible avenue for innovation. Today, if somebody has an innovative idea to create catalogues, he will need to sell it to an existing platform. Whereas on ONDC, he has a very interesting possibility of being present and still succeeding or failing based on his capabilities. So, the power is moving from a limited number of intermediaries to the brands and, eventually, to the users. And this, I believe, is going to unleash innovation and specialisation that nobody would have thought of."
Facing stiff competition and rigorous evaluation, Team Lime-Light from IIM Kolkata emerged as the champions of L.I.M.E. Season 15. The champions of L.I.M.E. Grand Finale Season XV not only took home a grand prize of Rs. 10,00,000 but also won the honour of representing India at the global Unilever case study competition, the Unilever Future Leaders’ League 2024. Furthermore, the winning team will have the privilege to join HUL’s prestigious Unilever Leaders Internship programme, giving them the opportunity to build a marketing career with India’s No. 1 FMCG brand.
Basking in the glory of their win, Neha Doshi, IIM Kolkata, quipped, “LIME emerges as a pivotal platform for B-school students in facilitating the refinement of their problem-solving acumen. With L.I.M.E.'s unwavering focus over the years on topics pertinent to the dynamic Indian business landscape, it cultivates critical thinking and adaptability."
Runner Up, Saumil Agarwal from XLRI said “Participating in HUL L.I.M.E. was a transformative experience for me. The challenge provided an exhilarating platform to apply theoretical knowledge to real-life marketing scenarios, enabling a dynamic learning environment. The intense competition, televised on CNBC-TV18, not only honed our problem-solving skills but also showcased our capabilities to a national audience, making it a uniquely enriching experience”.
As the soiree concluded, a toast was raised to the spirit of innovation, creativity, and resilience that defines the essence of marketing. L.I.M.E. continues to be a beacon of excellence, shaping the marketers of tomorrow to navigate the ever-changing business landscape.
Watch the highlights of these insightful proceedings exclusively on CNBC-TV18.
