SBI Life Spell Bee, one of India’s long-running spelling competitions, concluded its Grand Finale, marking the successful culmination of the 15th edition of the initiative in association with Mirchi. Eleven-year-old, Master Avik Agrawal, from Bombay Scottish School, Powai, Mumbai, emerged as the winner, through a gruelling competition that witnessed participation from over 1.25 lakh students across 300 schools nationwide, earning him the prestigious ‘Spell Master of India’ national title.

Amit Jhingran – MD & CEO, SBI Life, Nupur Jhingran, Avik Agrawal, Mandira Bedi, Sumonto Chattopadhyay, Ravindra Sharma, Chief of Brand, Corporate Communications and CSR, SBI Life

The Grand Finale, hosted by Indian actor, fashion designer and television presenter Ms. Mandira Bedi, witnessed an engaging face-off among the country’s top young spellers, who advanced through multiple competitive rounds testing spelling accuracy, vocabulary, and presence of mind. Kushagra Pandey, age 13 years from The Millennium School, Lucknow, was declared the First Runner-Up, while Jasmine Jonwal, age 13 years from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Pratap Nagar, Jaipur, secured the Second Runner-Up position. All the finalists demonstrated strong language skills and consistency throughout the competition.

As the National winner, Avik Agrawal was awarded a cash prize of INR 1,00,000, along with an all-expenses-paid trip to Disneyland, Hong Kong, as a recognition for his performance and progression through the competition.

This year’s edition was anchored around the theme ‘Bee Spellionaire’, which positions knowledge and language skills as a form of long-term value for young learners. The concept underscores the role of spelling and vocabulary in building confidence, clarity of expression, and critical thinking among students. Through this initiative, SBI Life continues to provide structured platforms that encourages learning beyond classrooms and supports the holistic development of our future leaders.

Mr. Ravindra Sharma, Chief of Brand, Corporate Communications and CSR at SBI Life Insurance, said, “The theme of SBI Life Spell Bee, ‘Bee Spellionaire’, reflects our endeavour to create intellectual wealth for our future leaders by enriching their vocabulary and introducing them to new words that expand knowledge and sharpen articulation. This growing richness of language fosters confidence and clarity, empowering young Spellionaires to express their thoughts and vision, to carve a better future for themselves and the nation. At SBI Life, we describe this spirit of progress as ‘Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye’.

He further added, “Platforms such as the SBI Life Spell Bee engage young learners by nurturing curiosity, competence and confidence – qualities that are fundamental to building a confident nation. We are humbled by the enthusiastic nationwide participation in the 15^th edition of SBI Life Spell Bee, the promising performances offer a glimpse into the potential of our enterprising future leaders.”

Avik Agrawal, ‘Spell Master of India’ -SBI Life Spell Bee Season 15, said, “It was enriching to meet so many children from across the country, and I have learnt a lot from this experience. I am grateful to the organizers for giving me this opportunity and platform”.

Commenting on the Grand Finale, Mr. Yatish Mehrishi, CEO, Entertainment Network (India) Limited, said, “Season 15 of Spell Bee showcased some of the country’s finest young spellers. The new gamified format and engaging finale experiences helped us connect more deeply with students. It is encouraging to see the continued support of schools, parents, teachers and students in making Spell Bee India’s largest spelling competition. Mirchi remains committed to enriching the lives of students through experiential properties like Spell Bee.”

SBI Life Spell Bee witnessed participation from students across multiple cities and schools, with the competition conducted through several stages including school-level, city-level, regional, and national rounds. The National Grand Finale was aired on Jiostar and simulcast on Nickelodeon, Nick HD+ and Sonic, extending the reach of the initiative to audiences across the country.

About SBI Life Insurance

SBI Life Insurance (‘SBI Life’ / ‘The Company’), one of the most trusted life insurance companies in India, was incorporated in October 2000 and is registered with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in March 2001.

Serving millions of families across India, SBI Life’s diverse range of products caters to individuals as well as group customers through Protection, Pension, Savings and Health solutions.

Driven by ‘Customer-First’ approach, SBI Life places great emphasis on maintaining world-class operating efficiency and providing hassle-free claim settlement experience to its customers by following high ethical standards of service. Additionally, SBI Life is committed to enhance digital experiences for its customers, distributors and employees alike.

SBI Life strives to make insurance accessible to all, with its extensive presence across the country through its 1,154 offices, 28,534 employees, a large and productive network of about 268,792 agents, 73 corporate agents and 9 bancassurance partners with more than 40,000 partner branches, 149 brokers and other insurance marketing firms.

In addition to doing what’s right for the customers, the company is also committed to provide a healthy and flexible work environment for its employees to excel personally and professionally.

SBI Life strongly encourages a culture of giving back to the society and has made substantial contribution in the areas of child education, healthcare, disaster relief and environmental upgrade. In 2024-25, the Company touched over 53,000 direct beneficiaries through various CSR interventions.

Listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (‘BSE’) and the National Stock Exchange (‘NSE’), the company has an authorized capital of Rs. 20.0 billion and a paid-up capital of Rs. 10.0 billion. The AuM is Rs. 4,814.6 billion.

For more information, please visit our website-www.sbilife.co.in and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

(Numbers & data mentioned above are for the period ended September 30, 2025)