IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) culminated months of intensive competition in a heated global final that saw a team from India competing against regional winners Europe and Southeast Asia. Team Strategist from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, New Delhi, who came out as the team to beat in the Middle East and India competition, were the global first runners up behind first place winners team Diliman Fighting Balloons from University of the Philippines.

The competition, which was announced last year, saw teams from Europe, Asia, Middle East, and India winning over their peers in regional championships that included finalist teams shortlisted from 135+ entries received from 75+ universities from the Middle East and India region alone. After earning their spot in the Grand Finals, winning teams from around the world went head-to-head to land the global first place title, along with an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai.

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the competition this year; we are particularly proud to see one of our regional finalist teams from India almost take first place globally.Competing in the global finals was a feat of its own and truly demonstrated the outstanding and promising quality of entries that gave the judges a major challenge in the final selection process. We have been seeing this competition grow over the years and believe this to be an essential part of preparing students for the big problems they will need to solve when they start their careers and are thrilled to be part of their journey. said Hanadi Khalife, senior director of MEA & India operations at IMA.

A rigorous selection process overseen by a jury of finance and accounting professionals and IMA leaders from around the world had selected the winners. As part of the competition, university students were challenged to demonstrate their analytical skills, strategic foresight, and creativity in teams of three to five members, formulating their cases and in turn, presenting their work to a panel of management accounting experts.

Over the years, IMA has challenged thousands of students from some of the top universities around the world and found a growing appetite amongst students looking forward to demonstrate their capabilities to take on big business problems. For its 10th year, IMA invited eligible students from the region to solve a business case titled: Should Star Textiles Cut Out Intermediaries?

The IMA student case competition has received major praise from top multinationals in the region such as Hock International, CMA Exam Academy, ISDC, Miles, JAMA, IMAs Riyadh Chapter, Wiley CMA, and Morgan who have come forward to support students in their journey, as Platinum and Gold sponsors respectively.