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Harsh Bhardwaj
Harsh Bhardwaj

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Pitch v1

JANMARG - 3-Minute Smart India Hackathon Pitch

Opening Hook (0-30 seconds)

[Walk up confidently, make eye contact with judges, smile naturally]

"Good morning, judges. Quick question—how many of you have a pothole on your daily route that you've basically become friends with?"

[Pause for any chuckles or nods]

"I have one. I call him 'Deepak.' Every day, I dodge Deepak, and every day I think—why is he still here after six months? That frustration? That gap between seeing problems and getting them solved? That's exactly what we're here to fix today."

The Solution (30-75 seconds)

[Gesture with open hands, speak with conviction]

"We are Team Strategic Minds, and we've built JANMARG—the Jan Accessible Network for Mobilization, Accountability, Reform, and Governance."

[Brief pause, let the name register]

"Here's how simple it is: You see a broken streetlight, garbage pile, or yes—a pothole like Deepak. You open our app, snap a photo, and hit submit. Your phone's GPS automatically tags the location. That report goes straight to the right government department. Three taps, and you're done."

"But here's the thing—we've all seen complaint apps before, right? Most become digital black holes. So how is JANMARG different?"

The Magic (75-140 seconds)

[Get more animated, use hand gestures to illustrate points]

"Three game-changers. First, we have an AI 'Spam Buster' that filters duplicate reports automatically. Sorry, you can't report Deepak 200 times in one day."

[Quick smile]

"Second, we give government officials superpowers. They get a live dashboard—imagine Google Maps, but showing problem hotspots across the city. They can see exactly where to deploy resources most effectively."

"And third—this is my favorite part—radical transparency. Every complaint gets tracked like a package delivery. Pending, In Progress, Resolved. But here's the kicker: when a contractor says 'job done,' they can't just check a box. They must upload photo proof. And then the community votes on whether it's actually fixed!"

[Lean forward slightly]

"No more 'repaired' streetlights that are still dark at night."

Addressing Concerns (140-170 seconds)

[Shift to a more conversational tone, as if anticipating questions]

"Now, I know what you're thinking. 'What about fake reports?' Our AI plus community verification handles that. 'Will people actually use it?' We've gamified civic engagement—leaderboards, community recognition. Make it rewarding, not a chore."

"'What about rural areas with poor connectivity?' The app works offline. It saves reports and syncs automatically when you get signal."

"This isn't theoretical. Similar systems in other regions have shown that citizens are absolutely ready to engage—they just need the right tool."

The Impact (170-180 seconds)

[Build to crescendo, speak with passion]

"Look, JANMARG isn't just about fixing Deepak the pothole. It saves government money by catching small problems before they become massive, expensive ones. But more importantly, it rebuilds something we desperately need: trust."

[Make eye contact with each judge]

"We're not just building an app. We're building a transparent bridge between citizens and government. We are Strategic Minds, and with JANMARG, we're paving the way for a more accountable India."

[Confident smile]

"Thank you."


Delivery Tips:

  • Timing: Practice with a timer—aim for 2:45 to leave room for natural pauses
  • Energy: Start warm and conversational, build energy through the middle, end with conviction
  • Eye Contact: Rotate between judges, don't focus on just one
  • Gestures: Use natural hand movements to illustrate points (phone tapping, dashboard viewing)
  • Pause Power: Use brief pauses after key points like "JANMARG" and "radical transparency"
  • Voice: Vary your pace—slow down for important names/concepts, speed up slightly during explanations
  • Recovery: If you stumble, just keep going smoothly—judges won't notice minor slips

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