Press Release
2015/03/04
NMIMS Mumbai Wins National Finals of Henkel
Innovation Challenge 2015
Team Dark Side to represent India at Henkel Innovation Challenge 8 Global Finals in
Vienna, Austria
Mumbai: NMIMS, Mumbai is the India winner of Henkel’s international student
competition – Henkel Innovation Challenge 8. The young team with its innovative idea
“Nanobend” will represent India at the Henkel Innovation Challenge 8 global finals in
Vienna, Austria from April 8th to April 10th, 2015.
The winning team presented their project ‘Nanobend’, which is a coating on the walls that
eliminates air pollutants and provides a clean air at home. It is moisture absorbent and
nutrient rich, facilitating growth of algae similar to vines. The algae would absorb carbon
dioxide and produce oxygen.
The winning team, Dark Side, has outwitted the other semi finalists, who were from
prominent colleges across India - NMIMS, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, IIFT, NITIE,
Welingkar Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Management - Indore, Indian Institute
of Management – Kozhikode, Symbiosis Institute of Business Management to name a few.
The 10 teams were selected from a wide variety of disciplines across India where they had to
develop a visionary product or a new technology for one of the three Henkel business
sectors: Beauty Care, Laundry & Home Care or Adhesive Technologies. Throughout the
competition, the teams are provided with extensive support from Henkel managers, who act
as mentors, advising the participants on further developing their innovative concepts. This
allows the young visionaries to gain priceless, wide-ranging business experience.
Page 1/3
The Jury members for this elite competition were Mr. Jeremy Hunter, President, Henkel
Group – India, Mr. Dilip Chabria, Marketing Lead, team Indus and Mr. Raman, Director,
SIBM.
At the event, Mr. Jeremy Hunter, President, Henkel Group India said, “We are overwhelmed
by the response received from the students across India for our Henkel Innovation Challenge
8. Innovative ideas presented by the students have been setting a new standard and we had
to take a tough call as the ideas presented were brilliant and well researched. At Henkel,
through such events we constantly try to seek different avenues where students can
participate and shore up to the upcoming challenges in their future.”
Excited about winning the National Finals, winning team of NMIMS said “We are thankful to
Henkel for providing us with such a big platform to sharpen our skills and encourage us to
develop our idea and compete with the best in India. Now our focus is to make India proud at
the global level”.
About Henkel Innovation Challenge
Once again this year, the competition attracted students from various disciplines from all over
the world: ideas were submitted by teams of two from no less than 30 countries, including
Brazil, China, the USA, France and India. The students’ task was to create an innovative and
sustainable product or technology for a Henkel brand, based on the trends and market needs
in 2050.
The Henkel Innovation Challenge takes place for the 7th time. In the last seven years 30.000
students around the world already participated in the competition. For Henkel, this event
offers the opportunity to get to know outstanding international students in person and to
profile Henkel as a potential employer. Henkel has a workforce of around 47,000 people from
more than 120 nations in over 75 countries worldwide. Every year more than 1,500 students
across the world carry out an internship at Henkel and in so doing gain initial experience of
working at the company.
Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas:
Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds
globally leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Corporate Communications
Page 2/3
brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 47,000 people and reported
sales of 16.4 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of 2.5 billion euros in fiscal 2013. Henkel’s
preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX.
Photo material is available at http://www.henkel.com/press
Contact
Sheba Varghese
Archana/Renuka
Henkel
Corporate Communications
Media Agency – Percept Profile
Phone
+91 22 392 966 81
+91 9920940003 / +91 9975512680
Email
sheba.varghese@henkel.com
archana@perceptprofile.com /
renuka@perceptprofile.com
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Corporate Communications
Page 3/3