In Conversation with 132 Connect

In a time when it is really difficult to get a good job, finding a satisfying career path seems next to impossible. The problem is greater for recruiters as they end up hiring the wrong talent. 132Connect aspires to bridge this gap. In conversation with Kartik Sharma & Pavan, about their Ericsson Innovation Award winning startup, 132Connect.

- What is 132 Connect?

For engineering students: 132Connect is a platform to connect with career opportunities in the market place in a more efficient way. This is done by exposure of student to customized industry information and domain knowledge, helping them being industry ready.

For recruiters: 132Connect is a platform to effectively engage and identify employable talent who are currently non accessible.

- How did you come up with the idea and what is the problem statement that you are trying to solve? 

Both of us have engineering background and experience of working in well structured companies. However after feeling that learning has stagnated in those structures and currently visible jobs do not align with professional interests, we went on to attend series of entrepreneurship focused workshops. The idea of a platform arrived after interviewing students and seeking opinions from experts regarding the current status of higher education ecosystem. We are trying to address inefficiencies in this ecosystem that leads to low employ-ability of students and low visibility of employable students to recruiters.

- What makes 132 Connect different from other ventures in the same domain? 

Most of current ventures expose students to industry in a generic manner, while 132Connect focuses on matching mutual expectations of industry and a student first, and then exposing the student to industry information in a gradual and personalized manner. This will help a student identify career interests and develop industry relevant skills at the same time.

- How was your experience at Ericsson innovation Awards 2015 and what are your future plans? 

We got constructive feedback at Ericsson Innovation Awards and judging panel appreciated the business concept intermixed with recruiters and domain experts and a personalized approach for candidates who would use the platform. Additional to this, we had opportunity to interact with key personnel from HR department of Ericsson AB.

Getting business concept validated from top of the line professionals is always a motivation booster.

Currently, we aspire to finish the development of the platform and then run a pilot to further refine our business concept. Cash prize from the Ericsson Innovation Awards will help us bear the costs of this stage.

- What is your revenue generation model? 

Subscription plans for recruiters. Though it seems an obvious revenue generation model, a framework will be worked out after insights from the pilot project.

- Anything else you would like to say about your startup?
As Indian higher education ecosystem is experimenting with personalized learning methods. It will be our pleasure to connect with motivated individuals and groups who want to explore the usage of technology to customize learning experience for students.

- About Ericsson Innovation Awards 
Ericsson Innovation Award is an open competition for students all over the world. Take the chance to develop your idea into an innovation that has reached the market. Team Blendlee wins the EUR 25,000 first prize for their platform for self-development based on the concept of blended learning at the event. Taking home a top prize of EUR 25,000, the winners beat off strong competition from runners-up Pik-Do (USA), third-placed 132 CONNECT (India) and Bridge (Ukraine), who came in fourth place.

Reference Pages:
Ericsson press: Link 
Yahoo News: Link 
132Connect FB : Link

Breaking: BMW i3 Wins 2014 World Green Car And World Car Design Of The Year!

Breaking news from InsideEvs.com. The BMW i3 swept both awards it was a finalist for which were 2014 World Green Car And 2014 World Car Design Of The Year. Here's what InsideEVs had to say:

From the shortlist of finalists, a winner in both categories emerged. Here first are the shortlisted automobiles:

World Green Car
- Audi A3 Sportback g-tron (+ Audi e-gas)
- BMW i3
- Volkswagen XL1

World Car Design of the Year
- BMW i3
- Mazda3
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The winner, in both categories, is the BMW i3.

So, BMW can now add 2014 World Green Car and 2014 World Car Design of the Year to the list of awards the i3 has racked up.

In regards to the 2014 World Green Car award, BMW’s Dr. Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing, stated:

“To have the BMW i3 named World Green Car of the Year is a great honor.  From the production process onwards, the BMW i3 is a truly sustainable vehicle, created with the needs of the 21st century city in mind.”

Meanwhile, the World Green Car judges offered this comment:

“Radical in looks, construction, and powertrain, the BMW i3 is one of very few clean-sheet-of-paper cars designed from the ground up for efficiency, with the different needs of the new century’s megacities in mind. From its last-kilometer navigation system to take drivers from car to destination, to the shipped-around-the-world carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell without a B-pillar, the BMW i3 pushes boundaries on many fronts.”

Eligibility for World Green Car is as follows:

To be eligible for the 2014 World Green Car award, a vehicle had to be all-new, or substantially revised, in production and introduced for sale or lease to the public in quantities of at least 10 in at least one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2013 and ending May 31, 2014. Tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle’s environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.

Moving on to the World Car Design of the Year award, BMW’s Dr. Ian Robertson commented:

“On behalf of the BMW design team, we are delighted that the BMW i3 has received the World Car Design of the Year award.  Our designers created a car that, through its design and use of sustainable materials, is an expression of the future.”

The design judges posted this statement on the i3′s selection:

“Unlike other BMW cars, the i3 has a boxy shape, which suggests roominess and efficiency. But it still retains BMW’s typical dynamism thanks to the larger diameter wheels and the very short overhangs both on front and rear. Besides that, the i3 expresses the sub-brand’s own character with using unique design features, including the black bonnet and the side window graphics that goes through the rear pillar. The interior is more surprising and attractive. It marks radical leap of car interior design, and it spreads as calm yet rich feeling as a modern living room.”

 About the World Car Awards

Now in their tenth year, the annual World Car Awards are now the number one awards program in the world based on Prime Research’s 2013 report. The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.