White Knight, the flagship B-Plan competition of IIM Kozhikode held under the aegis of Backwaters provides the ultimate platform for the ideation of that one big idea that has the potential to transform lives around us. The event looks for the team that can make a difference, looks at a problem as an opportunity, thinks beyond the obvious and comes up with sustainable solutions.

Will you be the next White Knight? Explore….Innovate…Conquer!

The B-plan should fall in any one of these 3 categories:

PEOPLE: Business plans under this category are intended to benefit the not so prosperous section of society. Business plans under the PEOPLE category may include but are not limited to any of the following business objectives:
• Overcome poverty
• Overcome one or more problems (such as education, health, technology access) which threaten people and society
• Increase wealth of the 'Bottom of the Pyramid'

PLANET: Such business plans which could have a positive impact on our planet. Business plans under the PLANET category may include but are not limited to any of the following business objectives:
• Pollution control
• Renewable sources of energy
• Environmentally sustainable development

PROFIT: We invite enterprising plans through which you can showcase your commercial abilities. With the turbulent domestic and global markets posing challenges, can you come up with that one plan which escapes this onslaught of creative destruction? Business plans under the PROFIT category should fulfil the following conditions:
• Plans which do not fall under the purview the other two categories i.e. PEOPLE & PLANET
• Plans which are privately owned and administered to earn profit with increasing the wealth of their owners as the fundamental objective.
 

Executive Summary Round: This round aims at gauging the idea that has been proposed. An executive summary has to be submitted in not more than 3000 words. Please download the submission template here. Entries should be mailed to whiteknight@iimklive.com in pdf format.

Mentoring: Shortlisted teams will be given an opportunity to fine tune their plans under the mentorship of a Venture Capitalist. Further details will be shared with the shortlisted teams.

Campus Round: Teams selected for final presentation will be invited to the picturesque IIM Kozhikode campus to present their plan to a jury of eminent members including Venture Capitalists, Academicians & Industry Experts.

Rules
1. White Knight is open to all students, working professionals and start-ups (which are less than 1.5 years old)
2. Teams of 1-3 can be formed comprising students, working professionals or a mix of both.
3. Participants in a team can be from the same or different institutes or from the same or different organizations.
4. No participant should be a part of more than one team.
5. Each team can submit only one business plan for the competition.
6. All team members must belong to the age group of 18-35 years.
7. No team at any stage of evaluation will be allowed to change the basic concept of the business plan.
8. There must be strictly no IPR infringements in the submissions. On discovery of such infringements, the respective team(s) will be disqualified with immediate effect.
9. The acceptance/rejection, evaluation, mentoring, etc. of submissions are governed by the rules and regulations set by the organizing committee of Backwaters 2011.
10. Members of the Evaluation and Mentoring Panel will be appointed on the basis that they are prohibited from disclosing or using any details of the participants Business Plan, or any other information submitted in connection with White Knight, except in accordance with the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, and in their capacity as member of Evaluation Panel and/or Mentor. 
11. White Knight cannot accept any responsibility for the performance by any Evaluation Panel member and/or mentor. While every effort will be made to preserve the confidentiality of each submission, it is suggested that highly sensitive material be excluded from the entry if a team is concerned about the confidentiality of such material. Note, however, that finalist teams will be making brief presentations to an open audience. Of course, technical drawings and formulae need not be shown at this presentation, or even included in the business plan. Protection of IP rights is ultimately the responsibility of each team.
12. The organizing committee retains discretionary rights around the number of teams shortlisted for the final presentation round. In case,the organizing team in consultation with the jury comes to the conclusion that there aren’t sufficient numbers of scalable plans in a particularcategory, it reserves the right to scrap that category in totality. However, shortlisted teams from that category will still be eligible to compete for the overall award. 
13. The organizing committee may change the Terms and Conditions of participation at any time without specific notice. The amended Terms and Conditions of Entry will be effective immediately upon being posted on the Website. Important changes to the Terms and Conditions may be highlighted on the Website for the convenience of the participants; however, it is the sole responsibility of the teams to regularly visit the Website to read any changes to the Terms and Conditions of Entry.
14. The applicant is solely responsible for any taxes, duties, charges or levies to be paid to any person in connection with any money (including any prizes) they pay or receive in connection with White Knight.
15. Details around travel reimbursement and mentoring for participants shortlisted for the final round will be communicated to them separately in due course of time.
16. The organizing committee may at any time and for any reason disqualify a participant from White Knight if the evaluation panel, mentoring panel or Investors in their absolute discretion, determines that such disqualification is warranted
17. The organising committee and the jury reserve the right to reject or withhold any submission or participation without assigning any reasons. In this regard, the decision of the organising committee is final.
18. Disputes, if any, will be subject to jurisdiction in the courts of Kozhikode, Kerala only.
 

Details of final campus round will be communicated to shortlisted teams
 

Winner: Rs. 50000
Winners of Remaining 2 Categories (Other than White Knight Winner): Rs. 25000 Each

Funding Pool in excess of Rs 10 crore*
Contact Persons: Dhaval Thakkar:   +91-9048723184
                           Ankit Suri:           +91-8943477768
                           A.Raghu:              +91-8943288661
In case of any queries or concerns, write to us at whiteknight@iimklive.com

*Funding is at the sole discreation of the VC's

Registrations for this event are now closed
 

White Knight Round 1 results. The event co-ordinators shall get in touch with the shortlisted teams soon