MAM
Tata Crucible’s Business Quiz concludes on Sunday
MUMBAI: The second edition of the Tata Crucible – Business Quiz reaches its climax in Mumbai on 24 July.
The business quiz is a search for excellence. It had launched last year to commemorate the death centenary of JN Tata and the birth centenary of JRD Tata and Naval Tata – three leaders of the Tata Group.
The quiz was organised in nine cities including Chennai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. The last regional final was held in Mumbai a couple of days ago. The eight finalists who will go for glory on Sunday include Vizag Steel and Accenture.
Around 3000 participants took part in the Tata Crucible – The Business Quiz 2005. There was no entry fee for participation. Teams travelled from cities like Bhubaneshwar, Mysore, Cochin, Vizak, and Goa to take part.
The format of the quiz designed by the quizmaster Giri Balasubramaniam had a share of oral, visual and software power rounds. The Tata Group states that the participants at the quiz were a good mix of youth and experience. All centres garnered huge participation from various age groups, right from young corporates in Hyderabad to senior citizens in Mumbai
The broad spectrum of quiz this year included questions which evaluated the depth and width of knowledge of the contesting teams. The quiz had participants who were doctors, advocates, professors, scientists, defense personnel (Indian Army), bankers, stockbrokers, IT professionals and corporate executives. The companies who came forward to compete with one another included Dell, Google, Bhilai Steel Plant and LIC.
This year the quiz was a battleground where the teams strategically selected the city of participation and flew to other venues that were perceived as soft destinations. There were almost 15 teams who travelled to other locations rather than participate in their own city.
For instance The Accenture team from Mumbai travelled to Pune to participate in the quiz to improve their chances of winning. However, looking at the fierce competition in Pune, the team returned to Mumbai without participating. Eventually owing to their determination and amazing quizzing acumen, they qualified as one of the national finalists.
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
