IIM Trichy Student Wins MMA’s ‘Best Management Student of the Year 2026’ Title

Chennai, October 2026: Ms Aayushi Singhal of Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli (IIM Trichy) has been crowned ‘Chanakya – The Mastermind 2026’ and adjudged Best Management Student of the Year 2026 at the 25th MMA All-India Management Students’ Convention 2026.

The grand finale was held on Monday, 12 October at Valluvar Kottam Auditorium, Chennai. She won a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.

The national-level contest, organised by the Madras Management Association (MMA), drew over 5,000 participants from premier B-schools across India. After rigorous preliminary rounds testing analytical thinking, business acumen, leadership and communication skills, 10 finalists were shortlisted for the finale.

The finale featured two challenging rounds, including a Grand Jury Round modelled on the Miss Universe / Miss World format, where finalists drew a jury member by lot and faced impromptu questions to test presence of mind and clarity under pressure.

Demonstrating exceptional composure and intellectual agility, Ms Singhal emerged as the winner amidst enthusiastic applause.

The Convention, themed ‘Future-Ready Leadership: Reinventing Management for a Changing World’, brought together over 1,600 students and faculty, reinforcing MMA’s commitment to nurturing agile and responsible future leaders.

About MMA: Established in 1956, Madras Management Association is the largest affiliate of AIMA with over 8,000 members and 800 programmes annually.