Campus Fund Grand Challenge 2026 — Pitch Competition for Student Startups — Frequently Asked Questions

It is the seventh edition of a national competition run by Campus Fund exclusively for ventures built by student founders. The challenge has existed since 2020 and is described as the biggest competition of its kind in India. Entrants compete for a place in the Top 15, and those teams go on to pitch live at the Grand Finale in Mumbai for a jury of investors, founders and business leaders.

You can apply if you are currently a student, if you have dropped out, or if you graduated in 2023 or later. Founders at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level are all eligible, regardless of the subject they studied. Any college and any city in India works. On a team, at least one founder must satisfy the student, dropout or recent-graduate criterion and must hold 25% or more equity in the company.

Campus Fund does not state a fixed funding amount as a prize for the Grand Challenge, so there is no published cheque size to point to. What participants gain instead is visibility with leading investors, direct feedback from the jury, networking with founders and business leaders, and possible investment leads. Outstation finalists also have their travel and accommodation to Mumbai covered.

No. Applying to the Grand Challenge is free of charge.

Applications close on 10 October 2026. You apply by submitting the online application form through Campus Fund's official portal, which is the entry point linked from this page. There is no offline route mentioned.

Yes, solo founders are welcome to apply — a co-founder is not mandatory. The 25% rule applies to teams and companies: at least one founder who meets the eligibility criteria (current student, dropout, or graduate from 2023 onwards) must own 25% or more of the equity in the company.

All entries go through a rigorous screening by the Campus Fund team. Promising ventures are shortlisted and the Top 15 startups are announced in November 2026. Those 15 teams are then invited to pitch their startups live to the jury at the Grand Finale, which is how the top performers of the challenge are decided.

The Grand Finale takes place in Mumbai on 10 December 2026. If you are a finalist travelling from outside Mumbai, Campus Fund covers both your travel and your accommodation for the event.

No. The published eligibility rules for the Grand Challenge do not list DPIIT recognition or MSME/Udyam registration as a condition. What matters is your founder status — current student, dropout, or graduate from 2023 onwards — and, for teams, that at least one eligible founder holds 25% or more equity.

Screening looks at four things: innovation, scalability, team strength and market potential. At the Grand Finale, the jury evaluates each live pitch on clarity, viability, impact and how well it is presented. The jury is made up of leading investors, renowned founders and influential business leaders.

Campus Fund Grand Challenge 2026 — Pitch Competition for Student Startups is offered by Campus Fund. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.