How to Apply for DTI Ideathon & Hackathon 2026 — ₹18 Lakh Mentorship Challenge

The programme publishes a defined journey rather than a single screening round. Applications move through these stages in order:

• Registration — you sign up individually on the official Unstop listing and submit your idea or prototype.
• Ideathon / Hackathon — you take part in the track you selected, working on your solution or build.
• Evaluation — the submissions received are assessed to decide who progresses further.
• Founder–Co-Founder Matchmaking — participants who clear evaluation are matched with potential co-founders.
• Startup Mentorship — mentoring support for the ventures that come through.
• Investor Pitch for Funding — the closing stage, where the strongest participants present to investors.

No stage durations or detailed evaluation criteria are published in the programme information available.