Samsung India concluded the fourth edition of Samsung’s pan India campus program, Samsung E.D.G.E. that witnessed participation from 3,873 students comprising of 1,291 teams and representing 20 leading institutes of the country. The theme for this year was ‘Driving for Change’ for local communities wherein the participants were encouraged to address micro issues of local importance and present innovative solutions.

The winning team ‘Skyforce’ from IIM Lucknow comprising Himshikha, Abhilash I and Nithiya CH, presented a solution for ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers to become more efficient. ASHA workers are community health workers spread across India. Team ‘Skyforce’ were awarded a cash prize of INR 4 lakh and a Galaxy Note 10 Plus for each member. The team proposed a technology-based solution to address issues that ASHA workers face such as tracking, information asymmetry, and manual data registration etc. The finale of the campus program was held in Gurugram.

Eight teams qualified for the finale after the regional rounds. The team from XLRI Jamshedpur ‘Muppets’ got the second prize by proposing a solution to overcome linguistic and cultural disparity in imparting education to tribal children using Samsung technologies. They were followed by ‘Team SMS’ from MDI Gurgaon who suggested a ‘Smart Saathi App’ to address the menace of drug addiction. XLRI Jamshedpur and MDI Gurgaon received a cash prize of INR 2 lakh and INR 1 lakh, respectively as prize money. All participants at the grand finale received Galaxy Buds.

“At Samsung, we strongly believe in innovations that enable change. Through the Samsung E.D.G.E. campus program, our vision is to cultivate bright young minds and give them a platform to showcase their creative solutions to real life issues. The ideas presented today showcase the quest amongst students to create effective solutions and contribute to the transformation of the society,” said Sameer Wadhawan, Head, Human Resources, Samsung India.

Launched in December 2016, Samsung E.D.G.E. is a first-of-its-kind campus program that provides an opportunity to the country’s brightest students to exhibit their talents, exchange meaningful insights and get a head-start in their careers. The program, stretched over three months, saw over 50% increase in participation by students from B. Tech, Master of Business Administration and Master of Design.

The program consists of three rounds. The first round is about ideation, where the team members come together and put up an executive case summary. Post evaluation, one team per campus is shortlisted. The top teams that are shortlisted in campus round work on a case study, submit and present their detailed solutions at the regional round. At the end of the regional round, top 8 teams are selected and mentored by Samsung leaders on their respective solutions. The finale 8 teams battle it out in the National Round to arrive at the three winning teams.

Hooray! Warm welcome to 72 young minds from top B-schools, CA and design institutes who joined as management trainees at Samsung India this week. We wish this one step for them is a giant leap for their future. Together we will transform the world

Before these trainees were allocated their first projects to work on, they went through a rigorous yet fun filled two-week induction program that was peppered with chats and interactions with senior leaders at Samsung India, spending time at retail outlets to understand Samsung’s last mile reach, business overview sessions and many team activities.

A day spent at Samsung retail stores gave the 72 fresh management trainees joining Samsung India a strong understanding of the company’s last mile reach. Today, Samsung products are sold from over 150,000 retail outlets across the country

On the final day of induction, all 72 got their first look of the vibrant Samsung India headquarters on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road where they will start working. They had a fun time exploring different corners of the youthful, energetic office and also its different facets, including the Executive Briefing Centre, which is a good place to get familiar with a host of Samsung products and technologies.

72 young management trainees have joined the Samsung India family from top B-schools, CA and design institutes. Spread across 375,000 sq ft over eight floors, the cool headquarters of Samsung India is a perfect example of how a millennial friendly office should be

The 9,000 sq ft gym with a yoga and Pilates room became an instant hit with the young lot, with many of them looking forward to strengthening their fitness goals after they come onboard. Many caught up with employees of different teams at Samsung at the breakout areas on different floors.

Work is worship. It is also fun. Our 72 new management trainees spent time at the swanky gym and yoga centre inside the Samsung India headquarters and experienced how to balance work and life

Why is Samsung one of India’s best places to work… 72 young management trainees who joined Samsung India this summer got to know at our swanky gym, indulging in a bit of yoga

The Samsung India office is built for millennials. The breakout areas on each floor double up as spaces to relax and unwind, and sometimes as informal meeting rooms

One of the five core values of Samsung is ‘A company is its people’. At Samsung, we are dedicated to giving out people a wealth of opportunities to reach their full potential.

We welcome on board these young minds. Together we will transform the world.

Pranjal Mehta, student of IIT-Madras, got the opportunity to intern with Samsung India, after winning the inaugural Samsung E.D.G.E. competition. He shares his experience at Samsung with India Newsroom. 

“Engineering students trump MBA candidates to win Samsung E.D.G.E.,” read the news headline. I couldn’t believe it! What looked like an impossible-to-win-but-let-me-try-it competition was now on my trophy shelf.

I had never imagined winning the Samsung E.D.G.E. competition, considering our undergraduate engineering team was up against students from top B-Schools. But the win turned us into overnight rockstars in our college. For a brief moment, we became the talking point in B-School campuses too.

Pranjal and his teammates from IIT Madras receiving the first prize from Mr. HC Hong, President and CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia at the inaugural Samsung E.D.G.E. competition

As the euphoria wore off, we realized that we may not be eligible to intern with Samsung India, a privilege promised to winners of Samsung E.D.G.E. We were undergraduates, while internship opportunities existed for B-School graduates.

But cool companies do things differently is what I realized when I received an internship offer for summer of 2017. I jumped at this opportunity and joined the Samsung Pay team since our winning business case was on “Leadership Strategy for Samsung Pay”.

My teammates chose to take the technical route and joined Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore, Samsung’s biggest R&D facility outside Korea.

I arrived for my internship in Delhi on a hot May evening. This was only my second time in Delhi, the first being for Samsung E.D.G.E. competition. I was excited. I’m a Rajasthani who grew up in Bangalore and has been studying in Chennai for the last two years. I like exploring new cities. Add to that the opportunity to work at one of the global tech giants. What more could you ask for at 20!

Pranjal (L) with his mentors – Manasvi Vedhera (centre) and Sanjay Razdan (R) of Samsung India

After finishing the paper work, I was introduced to the Samsung Pay team. My guide Manasvi Vedhera turned out to be a brilliant mentor. By the second half on the first day, I felt like I’m at home.

I spent the first week understanding everything about Samsung Pay. As with a lot of interns, I was full of energy and ideas, but I soon realized that not all ideas are good. I would throw ideas at the Samsung Pay team and they’d explain why it had not been done or what the roadblocks are and how we could go about it. This learning was a remarkable experience and helped me develop my business acumen.

Engrossed in work… Life at Samsung India is a healthy mix of hard work and fun, according to Pranjal

I spent a lot of time identifying new use cases. I also worked with colleagues across the globe to do feasibility checks for these use cases, both technical and business.

The Samsung Pay team did a fabulous job in accommodating a rookie like me. They were extremely friendly and cooperative. Few of the best memories I have with the team are from the elaborate lunches hosted by our director Sanjay Razdan. Age never felt like a barrier between me and my colleagues. I was engaged in the team’s ongoing projects to gain corporate experience and make me business ready.

I can now confidently say that I have a sound understanding of the payment scenario in India and across the globe. Through the internship, I had the opportunity to visit offices of popular Indian startups and MNCs, organize meetings, give presentations and attend mobile phone launches. All this has helped me become a much better professional.

“Then there are several cool lounges to unwind…”

Samsung also has some amazing facilities for its employees – a multi-cuisine cafeteria that serves Indian, continental as well as Korean food. Then there are several cool lounges to unwind.

One of the things that I really loved was the amazing offers available for employees. Unfortunately, I could not avail these offers; I would have loved to buy a Galaxy S8. Just think about the headline doing the rounds in my campus. “Pranjal goes for a Samsung internship with a different branded phone and returns with Galaxy S8”. Maybe next time when I’m here I can have this privilege.

There are other perks too. Samsung invests well in its employees (and interns). I come from a prestigious yet government-run institution. Hostel food is good enough to keep us just above underweight. From those standards, the lunch in office canteen is delicious.

Pranjal (centre) at the Masterchef competition organized by Samsung India

One of the best memories I will take back from here is the Samsung Masterchef competition I took part in with my teammates. We cooked spring rolls which disappeared into the bellies of the audience, 3.142 microseconds after the judge praised its stuffing.

Even beyond these materialistic perks, the satisfaction of working on and for something touching millions of lives across the globe is beautiful.

I have loads of stories to tell my friends when I get back. One particular story that I would like to share is when I walked into a Samsung store with a date and told them I work at HO – the royal treatment that came next worked wonders! Hope Samsung has stories to tell about my work here to future interns as well!