HCL Jigsaw’s Fifth Edition Concludes with the remarkable participation of 1.30 Lakh students all across India

Winners were titled as ‘India’s Top Young Problem Solvers’
Sunit Jaiswal, M.C. Kejriwal Vidyapeeth, Howrah and team wins Grade 6 Category for Innovative Solution on ‘Comprehensive Waste Management’
A total prize purse of Rs. 12 Lakhs disbursed to the winners
Around 1.30 Lakh Students from 1400 Schools Competed in the virtual competition

Kolkata, 12 September: HCL Group, a US $13.4 billion global conglomerate, today announced the winners of the fifth edition of HCL Jigsaw, India’s Biggest Problem-Solving Assessment Platform for young minds. The competition saw participation from around 1.30 Lakh students representing over 1400 schools across India, culminating in a grand finale held virtually on 8th September 2024. The top young minds from Grades 6 to 9 battled it out in a series of rigorous challenges designed to test their critical thinking, research skills, and ability to collaborate on real-world problems.

Over 1.30 students from 1400 schools from key cities such as Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru across 8 states and Union Territories registered for the virtual competition.

The fifth edition of HCL Jigsaw was structured across three assessment rounds. The first round, which served as a qualifier, was a Pan-India MCQ-based Olympiad that took place from 15th to 16th June and from 2nd to 4th August 2024. Following this, the top 20 percentile of students from each grade advanced to the semi-finals, held on 24th and 25th August 2024. The semi-finalists collaborated in teams to solve real-world problems, with the top five teams per grade progressing to the finale.

During the finale, the finalists presented their solutions to a distinguished jury panel, which evaluated their ability to research, think critically, and communicate effectively. The winners were selected based on their innovative solutions to complex, real-world challenges.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajat Chandolia, Associate Vice President and Head of Brand at HCL, said, “HCL Jigsaw 5.0 has set a new milestone in nurturing India’s brightest young minds. With over 1.30 lakh participants from across the country, the competition showcased the incredible potential of students to tackle complex, real-world challenges. The remarkable 23-fold increase in participation speaks volumes about the growing enthusiasm for problem-solving and critical thinking. Aligned with HCL’s philosophy of ‘Human Potential. Multiplied,’ we are committed to empowering the next generation by providing platforms that nurture their talents. The innovative solutions presented by this year’s winners reaffirm our belief in the boundless possibilities that young minds can achieve with the right guidance and opportunities.”

Finalists were assigned unique themes to test their problem-solving capabilities. The top team of three students from each grade (a total of 12 students) were declared the winners along with the two teams as runners-up of HCL Jigsaw 5.0. The winners of the fifth edition of HCL Jigsaw are:  

Grade 6 participants were assessed for designing a solution around the theme of ‘Comprehensive waste management’. The winning team is:
Arav Verma, Delhi Public School, Kanpur
Sunit Jaiswal, M.C. Kejriwal Vidyapeeth, Howrah
Manasvi Chopra, DAV Centenary Public School, Ghaziabad

Grade 7 participants were assessed for designing a solution around the theme of ‘AR/VR for improving in-patient experience’. The winning team is:
Meera Chadha, The Heritage School, Noida
Vindhya Katiyar, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, Chennai
Anirudh Sriram, Silicon City Academy of Secondary Education, Bengaluru

Grade 8 participants were assessed for designing a solution around the theme of ‘Reducing carbon footprint of e-commerce’. The winning team is:
Ardas Madan Mahajan, Shiv Nadar School, Noida 
Ayaan Krunal Shah, Reliance Foundation School, Surat 
Trisha Verma, City Montessori School, Lucknow

Grade 9 participants were assessed for designing a solution around the theme of ‘Automating the retail shopping experiece’. The winning team is:
Vivaan Banka, Lotus Valley International School, Gurgaon
Pratyush Pant, Salwan Public School, Ghaziabad
Dipal Zilpe, St. Xavier’s High School, Hiwri Nagar, Nagpur

This year’s competition introduced new features, including pre-recorded video content and live sessions led by industry experts, aimed at enhancing participants' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Since its inception, HCL Jigsaw has engaged thousands of students across the nation, providing a platform for showcasing their problem-solving abilities and offering winners unique opportunities to visit HCL’s Innovation Labs, where they are exposed to cutting-edge technologies and potential career pathways.