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“The Spirit of Competition”
To the victor may the spoils belong, but to be victorious you must enter the fray. Ankit Aggarwal believes that everyone deserves a chance to display, and assess their skills in the rarified field of B-schools competitions. Yourstory learns of how he came to represent the urge for competition in the guise of a unified platform of information. 

Ankit explained his motivations and entrepreneurial vision behind Dare2compete.com saying “With hundreds of B-schools organizing events at different points of time, there was a need for a platform that could help students find out about competitions and events for participation and the colleges needed a medium to reach out to maximum students across the country for conducting a successful competition. With more than 3700 registrations from top 60 B-Schools and after collaborating with 43 top B-schools, Dare2compete.com is trying to address this need. Vision is to create a platform where colleges and management students could interact, share and compete.” 

If one supposes that information is the only ware that Ankit has to offer, then one might be surprised by his range, he informs saying “Dare2compete.com is not limited to just an information bulletin board, it provides a wide variety of services to students, it has online forum where students can discuss and debate on a range of subjects like marketing, finance, politics etc. Collaborating with premiere B-schools it has been organizing quizzes regularly the last two with IIFT had attracted more than 1400 participants.”

“Moving away from conventional approach of downloading a quiz and then uploading the answers Dare2compete.com allows students to take quiz online. These quizzes could be attempted by students without any hassles with a simple registration. The solutions are posted immediately after the quiz and results can be seen online in a couple of hours after the quiz. This platform could be leveraged by colleges to conduct their quizzes and reach out to students across the country for a wide participation. IMT and IIFT have already used this approach to conduct their quizzes with IIFT attracting more than 1400 participations. Students can log on to the website and take a look at videos that would enhance their understanding of management subjects. These videos are further supported by articles and essays. To ensure that students don’t miss out on any deadlines for a competition it has tied up with top 42 B-Schools to share information of various events and competitions on real time basis.”

“Scope is providing services to management students who have the born-desire to compete and succeed in life. We will provide all that is needed to make a good management community incorporating all the needs and wants of the students. In the coming months we will be venturing out into new areas like jobs, magazines etc. to provide as much value as possible to all the stakeholders.”

The idea of a unified competition sound board seems so simple that many must be wondering why they did not come up with it first. Ankit explains how he came to pursue the lifestyle that gave rise to his idea saying “Dictionary defines Entrepreneur as “Someone who organizes a business venture and assumes the risk for it”. I would like to define it as “Someone who takes up the ownership to venture out shouldering all the risk irrespective of what the world thinks about your success and non-success”.

I wanted to set myself free to try my hands on something where I have all the freedom to do anything. The learning in this case becomes peerless and unmatched by what any job can offer. Till the time I am learning I do not mind trying something different.” 

He explains how Dare2compete shall expand their repertoire in the coming years saying “This is one of its kind and currently the emphasis is on brand building. Our network of 43 top B-schools which include IIMs, XLRI, FMS, NITIE, IMT, SP Jain etc. will become our strength and has already created a platform in which information flow from and to organizers to the students happens instantly. Students do not have to wait for friends to forward them emails regarding competitions, they now get the information in real time.”

“While Dare2compete.com has walked a long journey in this short span, establishing itself as a one-stop shop for all needs of management students, the vision for this website is much larger. The website intends to reach out to each-and-every student of top 50 B schools and has a goal of making the website the biggest of its kind in India by 2010.”

Dare2compete.com has a network of 43 top B-schools, which is still growing. Ankit has been feted and celebrated for his work by the very competitions that he publicizes

Ankit reports “We have already established ourselves by getting recognized as online media partners of few B-school events lines up this year, like Passion 09 (IMT Ghaziabad), Eureka 2009 (IIT Bombay), Ignisense 09 (SIIB), Neev 2009 (SCMHRD) etc. Many more are still in talks and will come this year around.”

Ankit invokes the trinity of “Results, determination and passion” and credits them with his lasting love of entrepreneurship.

To the entrepreneur still awaiting for a higher sign to pursue their calling, Ankit advises
”Go for your dreams. Dreams are the only thing that is yours and you do not need any approval for the same. Think big, Think Fast and Act Fast. Do not worry about the results; they will come along if you will stick there.”

Yourstory believes in the spirit of competition and believes that it is duly represented in Ankit. We wish Dare2Compete and Ankit luck with their plans for expansion and success at every step.