From small beginnings in 2004, the Tata Crucible Business Quiz has expanded its reach and prize money. Giri Balasubramanium, the quiz master terms this platform the “Wimbledon of business quizzing”, calling it a competitive sport and not merely a quiz competition. Earlier confined to eight cities, the quiz is now conducted in 25 cities, including tier II cities in its spectrum.
Talking about the decade long journey, Giri says, “One tends to think that business knowledge is limited to the metros, which according to me is a very wrong opinion that people carry.” Further, such platforms are like a “passport to success and knowledge” for people living in small towns, he says.
“Some 10-15 years ago, the prizes won in such competitions were a cup or a shield…today you win cars, foreign trips, cash prizes,” the quizmaster adds. Such prizes act as an incentive to the participants who are in turn required to have prepared for the quiz. According to Giri, a good quizzer is one who is confident and has the ability to make meaningful conversations. “The combination of the two,” he says, “increases one’s success.”
“Going into the interiors of India, one discovers that people are still driven by the traditional business areas like manufacturing, public sector banking etc. Therefore, unlike the preceding times, when the engineers and MBAs were the only committed participants, the public sector participation has increased the level of competition.”
The new season of the quiz kicked off at Coimbatore last month and will conclude in Mumbai on October 13.
