MAM
ŠKODA AUTO India introduces ‘Single Wicket’: a unique nationwide hunt for the next gen cricketing stars
MUMBAI: ŠKODA AUTO India announced the commencement of its unique cricketing talent scouting programme – ŠKODA 'Single Wicket' – for the young and aspiring players in the ‘Under 12’ and ‘Under 14’ age categories. The first edition of this tournament will be organized between July 2019 and January 2020, and stands to witness the participation of 100,000 students, from 5,000 schools, across 50 cities nationwide.
ŠKODA Single Wicket is a six-ball/one-over cricket tournament played between two players alternatively, that is, each participant will get a chance to bat, bowl, and demonstrate their skill set to an independent panel of jury members/selectors during the ‘City Trials’. The top eight performers, from each category, would advance to the ‘City Finals’ whereas all the participants will take home the official ŠKODA Single Wicket jerseys. Meanwhile, the parents and the guardians accompanying their loved ones will be able to experience the Czech marque, at specially designed ŠKODA AUTO engagement zones.
The shortlisted 100 individuals, in the U-12 and the U-14 categories, will travel along with their parent to Mumbai, Maharashtra for the ‘National Finale’. Here, the national champions, across the two categories, will be awarded ₹ 10 lacs each while the runners up will take home ₹ 5 lacs each. An incredible pool of talent, technique and potential, the ‘City Winners’ from across the nation, will be awarded prizes worth ₹ 15,000 each.
Commenting on the introduction of the ŠKODA Single Wicket, Mr. Zac Hollis, Director – Sales, Service and Marketing, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “With Single Wicket, we celebrate the spirit of cricket and sportsmanship, in India. This first of its kind nationwide talent search programme is an innovative exercise to reach out to our customer, transcending geographies, and, who knows, in doing so we may discover India's next gen cricketing stars.”
Brands
Beep App launches Gen-Z career platform, clocks 30,000 plus placements
Pune startup turns scrolling into career action with learn-explore-earn model
PUNE: Beep App has rolled out its newly positioned career-focused app aimed at Gen-Z users, as it looks to bridge what it calls a growing gap between exposure and employability among young Indians.
Formerly known as EventBeep, the platform is built around a simple but timely idea: turning everyday scrolling into meaningful career action. The app targets students and early professionals, offering a unified space to explore career options, learn relevant skills and access internships and job opportunities.
At a time when short-form content dominates screen time, Beep is attempting to flip the script by embedding structured, career-oriented insights within a familiar scroll-based interface. The idea is not to disrupt user behaviour, but to redirect it.
The platform spans a wide range of fields, including artificial intelligence, product management, design and data analytics. It provides users with insights into role expectations, required skills and step-by-step career pathways, supported by inputs from industry practitioners.
At the heart of the offering is a “learn, explore, earn” model that integrates discovery, skill-building and hiring into one ecosystem. The company says this closed-loop approach is already gaining traction, with over 30,000 placements facilitated so far.
“Gen-Z does not lack ambition; what they often lack is structured direction,” said Beep App founder and CEO Saurabh Mangrulkar. “The Beep App is designed to organise that exposure into actionable pathways so users can move from intent to execution with greater confidence.”
The launch comes amid a broader shift in India’s job market towards skills-first hiring, where practical experience and demonstrable capabilities are increasingly valued alongside academic qualifications.
Founded in 2021, Beep App has grown steadily within the student ecosystem, connecting over 6.5 million users with opportunities across more than 1,500 colleges and 7,800 hiring companies.
Looking ahead, the company plans to deepen its content across emerging sectors, expand its hiring network and build more personalised career pathways tailored to user behaviour.
As Gen-Z continues to navigate a complex and fast-evolving job market, platforms that can turn curiosity into clarity may well shape the next wave of career discovery.
