India, 30th December 2024: SBI Life Spell Bee Season 14, India’s most prestigious spelling competition, an initiative by Mirchi, concluded with a thrilling Grand Finale in Kolkata. SBI Life Spell Bee Season 14 has crowned its Champion with Ms. Chaya M V, age 13 years from Presidency School, RT Nagar, Bengluru, studying in class VIII bagging the ‘Spell Master of India’ National Title. Amidst an atmosphere brimming with enthusiasm and excitement, the event culminated in the announcement and felicitation of the National Champion, whose outstanding performance throughout the competition reflected exceptional skill, dedication, and a deep passion for language. The runners-up of this competition, Mr. Medhansh Vaddadi, age 13 years from Cambridge Court High School, Jaipur and Mr. Yashwin Pachauri, age 14 years from Kennedy High Global School, Hyderabad too demonstrated commendable skills at the SBI Life Spell Bee Grand Finale. These young minds stood out as deserving winners, showcasing their precision and confidence in navigating complex words.
The event was graced by Indian Actress, Fashion Designer & Television Presenter, Ms. Mandira Bedi, who enthusiastically hosted the Grand Finale of SBI Life Spell Bee Season 14 and revealed the winners. The National Champion of SBI Life Spell Bee Season 14 was awarded the prestigious grand prize of INR 1,00,000/- along with an all-expenses-paid expedition to Disneyland, Hong Kong, accompanied by their parents.
This year’s competition theme, ‘Be Spellbound’, emphasizes on the power of words and spellings to change the way youngsters of today express themselves. It signifies SBI Life’s commitment to foster growth opportunities for India’s young population. The theme aligns with the brand’s core values, emphasizing the importance of exploring possibilities, shaping their growth story, and thereby their efforts contributing to the nation’s progress.
Mr. Ravindra Sharma, Chief of Brand, Corporate Communications and CSR at SBI Life Insurance, commented on the success of the partnership, saying, “With the culmination of another chapter of SBI Life Spell Bee Season 14, we would like to congratulate not just the winners but also to all the children who participated with incredible enthusiasm and grit. We believe in the transformative power of early opportunities, as they lay the foundation for a lifetime of lasting & meaningful impact. Through this initiative, we aim to offer young minds a platform that empowers them to break free and pursue their dreams, while also supporting the aspirations of their loved ones as they progress in life. We believe that each child has unique capabilities and by providing the right platform, we hope to cultivate an environment that promotes continuous learning and development.”
“At SBI Life, we are committed to empowering young minds, paving the way for a brighter future not only for them but also for their loved ones. This belief aligns perfectly with our core philosophy of ‘Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye’. With SBI Life Spell Bee, our intent is to create a legacy of constant support, which results in shaping the aspirations of the youth in the coming years. This initiative mirrors our resolve to empower the young minds and provide them the opportunity to spark progress and shine on a national level,” he added.
Elated on the win, Ms. Chaya M V, the ‘Spell Master of India- SBI Life Spell Bee Season 14, expressed her excitement, saying, “When I won this, I felt truly ecstatic. When we received the first rounds of tests as MCQs, we threw caution to the wind and began with low hopes for the first 70-ish words. Those were-in my opinion-the hardest words by far, solely due to the added options. When I qualified for regional and later national levels, I took immense efforts to reach the top ten! Overall, it was quite a surprising journey with a lot of wonderful people, places, and experiences. I never really practiced much, but I read a lot of books and have been exposed to a lot of different words, especially from fantasies. I truly feel that my obsession has led to this success. I have been blessed with lots of support from numerous people including my family and teachers and also my friends, who have been pestering me with pronunciations ever since.”
Ms. Pooja Gulati – National IP Director, ENIL, Entertainment Network India Limited said, “We are really proud of the way the common vision between SBI Life Insurance and Mirchi is aiding students academically. In its 14th Season SBI Life Spell Bee has grown and the competition and participants have stayed true to their promise. They left us Spellbound. We look forward to making the initiative even bigger in the coming season to make it far more exciting for spellers and viewers.”
This season drew participation from over 2 lakh students across 500 schools in across 30 cities, making it a multifaceted competition spread over five challenging phases. The competition commenced with intra-school contests, followed by inter-school competitions. Advancing through city-level and regional finales, the top 54 participants reached the highly anticipated National Finale, set to simulcast on Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Sonic and HD+. It will also be available to watch on Jio Cinema.
