Following the QUESTION
Two young Bengalureans, bitten by the quizzing bug, have conjured up a firm which conducts quiz competitions across the world
These Bengaluru youngsters are quite an enterprising lot – and if it means going the extra mile in pursuit of a passion, so be it. Two city-zens, Sachin Ravi and Raghav Chakravarthy have always been keen on honing their brain power– and their upward transition speaks volumes about their love for quizzing. These two lawyers in the city quit their careers to become quizmasters and started Walnut Knowledge Solutions. In fact, in 2016, their company appeared in the Limca Book of Records for being the first company to conduct a quiz in Antarctica. In a candid chat, they tell us more. “One of our friends, Subhodeep Jash, represented Walnut and hosted a 30-minute quiz segment that featured questions on Antarctica, climate change and other such topics. This was part of the 2041 Antarctic Expedition 2016,” says Raghav.
QuizShala is their flagship school programme that conducts quiz activities in city schools in Bengaluru. “It is a programme that is delivered through yearlong workshops for school children in different grades. In a workshop, we use questions, stories, and curiosity-centered activities to help children broaden their horizons about what is happening in the world and in the syllabus as well,” explains Sachin Ravi. “The programme focuses on enhancing one’s personality by placing emphasis on how to read, write, listen and speak better,” adds the 26-year-old.
Sachin and Raghav completed schooling in Bengaluru and went on to pursue an undergraduate degree in law at the Symbiosis Law School in Pune. “In school, we were both the best quizzers and because we used to participate in a number of quiz competitions, we would travel abroad to explore more,” says 28-year-old Raghav Chakravarthy, who is also an avid trekker and loves trekking in the Himalayas, saying, “It is a very beautiful experience.”
Sachin is a foodie and really wants to learn to cook one day. He says, “I just love food and I am excited about exploring different cuisines. I love travelling to unexplored places and soaking up different cultures wherever I travel.”
Raghav adds, “Our second international quiz was conducted in Uganda in April 2017 by Archita Jain, founder of Superheroes Incorporated. Recently in May 2017, we conducted our third international quiz in Berlin.”
Both the youngsters were the national champions in Sweden during university days. “While in college, we got to travel to Sweden for a quiz. We were the national champions of the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Quiz organised by the Swedish Embassy. The grand prize for the event was an all-expenses paid trip to Sweden and we were hosted by partnering companies in Sweden. It was a memorable trip for both of us,” Sachin recalls.
Sachin and Ravi have already carved a niche for themselves in the quizzing space, and now, “We didn’t want to have any regrets later in life, and we knew that we could make a meaningful impact through our form of delivery. The fact that we’ve been able to build a business around our passion for quizzing has been all the more gratifying and humbling,” Raghav concludes.