Airtel iCreate 2026 — ₹6L Case Competition for 1st-Year MBA Teams

Airtel iCreate 2026 is the 1st Year B-School Track of Bharti Airtel's flagship case competition. It brings first-year MBA students from a select group of Indian business schools together to crack live business problems set by the company and pitch their thinking to Airtel's senior leadership.

The challenge is run by Airtel and hosted on Unstop. Teams work their way through a case brief, an online business simulation round, a detailed submission round and a mentorship phase before the national finale, which is held at Airtel's Gurgaon headquarters.

Why does it matter for a first-year MBA student? Because the rewards are unusually concentrated: a prize pool of up to ₹6 lakh for the top two teams, mentorship from Airtel leaders for the top 10 finalists, and PPI/PPO opportunities for finalist teams depending on eligibility. It is prize money, corporate exposure and a possible pre-placement offer in one shot — and it costs nothing but your team's time to enter.

• Prize pool of up to ₹6 lakh — ₹4,00,000 for the winner and ₹2,00,000 for the first runners-up.
• Open only to full-time first-year flagship MBA students at Airtel's list of eligible B-schools.
• Teams of exactly 3, with at least one male and one female member; cross-specialisation teams allowed and no limit on teams per institute.
• Finalists get Airtel leadership mentorship, PPI/PPO opportunities depending on eligibility, and a certificate of participation.
• Grand finale at Airtel's Gurgaon headquarters, with travel and accommodation provided.
• Register on Unstop by 17 July 2026.

Entry is restricted to full-time first-year flagship MBA students at the B-schools on Airtel's curated eligibility list.

• Only full-time flagship MBA students in their first year qualify. Part-time, distance-learning and executive MBA candidates are not eligible.
• Every team must have exactly 3 members.
• Each team must include at least one male and at least one female participant.
• Members may come from different specialisations — teams can mix specialisations freely.
• A student may join only one team. No participant can be listed on more than one entry.
• There is no cap on how many teams a single eligible institute can send.

Airtel iCreate 2026 — ₹6L Case Competition for 1st-Year MBA Teams is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

The most recent application window for Airtel iCreate 2026 — ₹6L Case Competition for 1st-Year MBA Teams closed on 17 Jul 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.

iCreate is a prize-based case competition rather than a grant, loan or investment, so the rewards arrive as cash prizes, mentorship and career opportunities.

• Winner: ₹4,00,000
• First Runners-Up: ₹2,00,000
• The two top prizes together make up a prize pool of up to ₹6 lakh.
• Finalist teams are considered for PPI/PPO opportunities, depending on eligibility.
• National finalists get networking access to Airtel's leadership team plus a certificate of participation.
• The top 10 finalist teams are paired with mentors from Airtel's leadership during the mentorship phase.
• Airtel covers travel and stay for finalists attending the grand finale.

Airtel iCreate 2026 — ₹6L Case Competition for 1st-Year MBA Teams is offered by Airtel. It is delivered directly by Airtel as a competition.

1. Case Release and Brief Submission — Once registered, teams get access to the case study. Each team submits a PDF of two slides or two pages setting out its approach and proposed solution.

2. Simulation Round — Shortlisted teams take part in a business simulation run online, where they make strategic decisions aimed at maximising ROI.

3. Detailed Submission Round — Teams that advance submit a PDF of 6–8 slides or pages along with a two-minute video explaining their analysis and the impact of their solution.

4. Mentorship Phase — The top 10 finalist teams are mentored by leaders from Airtel.

5. Grand Finale — Finalists present their solutions to Airtel leadership at the company's Gurgaon headquarters, with travel and accommodation arranged for them.

Before you apply to Airtel iCreate 2026 — ₹6L Case Competition for 1st-Year MBA Teams, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

Airtel iCreate 2026 — ₹6L Case Competition for 1st-Year MBA Teams is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹6L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.