Kalam Stream Challenge 2026: ASM's IBMR PGDM Students Present Business Ideas with Real-World Impact
Updated: 2 days ago
At the Kalam Stream Challenge 2026, twelve PGDM students from ASM's IBMR showed that great business ideas begin with everyday frustrations. Their three ventures tackled pricey jewellery, crowded hospital waiting rooms and the mountain of packaging waste left behind by online shopping.
ASM Group of Institutes organised the national-level student innovation and model competition on Sunday, 11 October 2026, at ASM's CSIT, Pimpri, Pune. The event marked the 95th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India whose belief in young minds still drives innovation across the country.
Watching IBMR's future managers pitch like founders before a national audience was a big milestone and a proud moment for the institute.
What Is the Kalam Stream Challenge?
The Kalam Stream Challenge brings students together on a national stage to present research, prototypes and fresh ideas across science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Judges look for solutions to genuine problems, explained with clarity and conviction.
For PGDM students, the bar is higher than a clever product. A winning pitch must show who the customer is, how the business will run, what it will cost and how it can grow.
IBMR's Three Ventures at a Glance
Venture | Industry | Team |
Jewels Aurelia | Fashion and jewellery | Kratika Parashar (Team Leader), Aakansha Gupta, Shreyash Badase |
CareQ AI | Healthcare technology | Aditya Koche (Team Leader), Rohit Mahajan, Dhruv Jain, Harsh Kajave |
LoopPack | Sustainable logistics | Dhruv Chokhawala (Team Leader) |
Jewels Aurelia: Why Buy Five When One Can Become Five?
With gold prices climbing, many shoppers turn to cheaper jewellery that fades or tarnishes. Matching different outfits also means buying more and more pieces.
The team's answer is a 5-in-1 modular, reversible jewellery piece that can be styled five different ways. Their plan covers manufacturing, responsible use of recovered metal, quality testing and community impact through NGO partnerships. Selling direct-to-consumer (D2C) keeps prices within reach and puts the brand in direct touch with its buyers.
The vision: jewellery that is smarter, more affordable, more versatile and more sustainable.
CareQ AI: Shorter, Smarter Hospital Queues
Anyone who has waited hours at a hospital OPD knows the problem. CareQ AI is an AI-powered platform that puts the key information in patients' hands before they even leave home:
Search hospitals and see essential details
Check whether beds are available
Book an OPD token
Track estimated waiting times
On the hospital side, the platform sorts emergency, priority and general cases, helping staff keep patients moving. The result is less uncertainty for patients and smoother days for healthcare teams.
LoopPack: Packaging That Comes Back
Online shopping has made single-use boxes and plastic mailers part of daily life. LoopPack proposes a loop instead of a bin:
Durable totes: Woven polypropylene bags built to survive more than 30 deliveries.
QR returns with cashback: Customers scan the tote and drop it with a delivery agent or the local kirana store, earning UPI cashback.
Reverse hubs: Small warehouses that clean, track and return the totes to circulation.
By turning packaging into a reusable service, LoopPack links shoppers, delivery partners, neighbourhood shops and logistics firms in one sustainable system.
Distinguished Dignitaries
Leaders from science, research, education and public administration graced the event.
Chief Guests
Dr. Arvind A. Natu: Chairman, Board of Governors, IISER Kolkata and MANIT, Bhopal; German Research Ambassador.
Shri A. K. Sinha: Former Senior Scientist, ISRO; Former Director (R&D), Bharati Vidyapeeth University College of Engineering, Pune.
Guests of Honour
Dr. Heera Lal, IAS: Secretary, National Integration Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
Prof. Ananya Mukherjee: Vice-Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR.
Dr. Sandeep Pachpande: Chairman, ASM Group of Institutes, Pune.
Dr. Dilip Deshmukh: Head of the Science Department, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune.
Er. D. Gokul: Senior Scientist and Project Manager, SSLV, ISRO.
Mr. Daram Muralidhara Reddy: Dean and Research Coordinator, Ashoka Women's Engineering College, Kurnool.
Mr. Rishiraj Singh Parihar: Director, SBITM, Betul, Madhya Pradesh.
Mr. Fasalu Rahman: Founder and CEO, STEM-Xpert.
Shri APJ M. Sheikh Dawood: Grand-nephew of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Vice-President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation.
A Proud Moment for ASM's IBMR
Jewellery, healthcare and logistics: three industries, three ventures and twelve determined students. The Kalam Stream Challenge 2026 gave ASM's IBMR PGDM students a national platform to prove that management education is about building solutions, not just studying them.
Each team weighed customers, costs, operations and growth, exactly the skills that turn a promising idea into a sustainable business. Dr. Kalam dreamed of a generation of young Indians who would create rather than wait, and these students answered that call.
ASM's IBMR congratulates every participant and extends sincere thanks to its faculty, mentors and management for their constant guidance.
ASM's IBMR remains committed to developing managers and entrepreneurs who turn everyday problems into opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where did the Kalam Stream Challenge 2026 take place?
On Sunday, 11 October 2026, at ASM's CSIT, Pimpri, Pune. ASM Group of Institutes organised it to honour Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on his 95th birth anniversary.
How many IBMR students took part?
Twelve PGDM students from ASM's IBMR participated.
Which ventures did IBMR present?
Jewels Aurelia (modular jewellery), CareQ AI (hospital queue management) and LoopPack (reusable delivery packaging).
How does CareQ AI help patients?
Patients can find hospitals, check bed availability, book OPD tokens and track estimated waiting times on one platform.
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