In the Business Strategy Global competition, all teams have to imitate their business operations prepared by the students for 10 years, where each day of the competition was equivalent to one full year. Jaskawal and his team had to take decisions in favour of the footwear company they started. During the competition, the teams were judged on the basis of the decisions they made. The ranks were based on the highest overall GDP and the one with the highest value at the end of the 10-year mark would win the competition.

Although for the first 4 ‘years’, Jaskawal’s team was fluctuating between the 2nd and 3rd positions, his team’s decision proved fruitful as they went on to win the competition. From calculations to business simulations, this was the practical application of all that his team had studied in their business program with UFV. “From my perspective, this is a very useful test as it tells us the practical use of everything we’ve studied so far. It’s an enriching experience.” Jaskawal said.

After winning this level, Jaskawal’s team was invited to take part in the next round of the international business competition which was an invite-only event. In this competition, they had to compete with different winning teams from all around the world.

‘Talent is a universal gift, but it takes a lot of courage to use it’, Jaskawal Bhangu, staged exemplary courage as he went on and aced the international business event all by himself. A company has various roles and departments that function individually in order to ensure the smooth running of the company. But, imagine the production, finance, marketing, HR, strategic planning with various other departments in a footwear company and all of them were run by just one man, Jaskawal himself. With multiple roles to play and having no team by his side, it was an uphill task for Jaskawal, considering that it was an international level competition he was a participant of.

Jaskawal said that his winning point was also the USP of his company. By some means, Jaskawal’s footwear company had a superior quality rating with a very low-cost price per pair of shoes. He further adds that a strong marketing strategy and early market penetration were also the key factors that paved the way for this one of its kind success. Here’s what Jaskawal had to say when we asked him a few about his competition.

What motivated you to take part in the International Competition?

After I won the university competition and was invited to the global championship, I was quite motivated to take part in the international competition. I got a chance to see how good I am at a global scale while competing with winning teams from all around the globe.

How was the experience to take on international teams alone?

My team missed the deadline to register themselves but I didn’t want to lose this opportunity. I did consult my team before taking any decision but, it was extremely difficult as I had to manage all roles and responsibilities on my own. While other teams had dedicated participants who were performing predefined set of roles, I had to take care of everything myself. I realized how important it is to manage your time efficiently.

Do you have a piece of advice for UFV students?

Of course, I would advise all students to put in a lot of time studying and learning. Your time is really valuable, be it at UFV or anywhere else. Focus on growing yourself in whatever you are doing. To take sensible decisions is of utmost importance. It just so happens that my decision-making skills helped me win an international competition.

Jaskawal now is graduating this fall and has got a lot of experience under his belt. He imagines himself as a venture capitalist in the near future. He also sees himself in a capacity that his decisions make larger and a bigger impact. He concludes by saying, “I want myself to grow even faster than I already am.”