Mutual Fund Simulation by Doon Business School — ₹10L Prize Pool — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a finance competition organised by Doon Business School (DBS) in Dehradun. Teams take on the role of a fund management company, select an investment objective, construct a mutual fund portfolio that suits it, and then justify their stock picks with supporting analysis. It is designed to test investment acumen and strategic thinking in a realistic portfolio management setting.

The competition has a total cash prize pool of ₹10,00,000 (Ten Lakhs INR). This amount is awarded to the top three winning teams. The prize is cash, not a grant, loan or equity investment.

Teams must register by 16 April 2026. The simulation itself runs from 14 April to 17 April 2026, so the registration window closes while the competition dates are underway.

Entry is open to teams of 1 to 3 members. The organisers do not specify any restriction by industry, state or entity type, so the competition is effectively open to anyone ready to demonstrate investment analysis and portfolio construction skills.

You can do either. Teams may consist of 1 to 3 members, which means a solo entry is permitted, as is collaborating with one or two other participants.

Teams pick their own investment objective for the fund they design. The options available are Growth Fund, Value Fund, Sectoral Fund, Balanced Equity Fund, High-Risk High-Return Fund and Dividend Fund. The chosen objective shapes the stock selection, weightage and risk-return profile of the portfolio.

A portfolio can contain a maximum of 10 stocks, and each selection needs a clear rationale grounded in financial and market-related factors. Teams must also present comprehensive financial analysis covering metrics such as Alpha, Beta, Sharpe Ratio and Expected Return.

Judging looks at the relevance and quality of the stocks selected, how clearly the fund objective is stated, the depth of the justification, the accuracy of the calculations, the team's grasp of risk-return relationships, the quality of the presentation and the originality of the work.

Teams are expected to cite their data sources properly and clearly disclose any assumptions they make. Plagiarism results in immediate disqualification from the competition.

No. This is a competition with a cash prize pool awarded to the top three teams; it is not an investment programme, so there is no equity, stake or repayment involved. All submissions and presentations are handled through the official competition platform.

Register through the official competition platform before the 16 April 2026 deadline. The platform is also where submissions and presentations are managed, so all team material should be uploaded there.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Mutual Fund Simulation by Doon Business School — ₹10L Prize Pool, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Mutual Fund Simulation by Doon Business School — ₹10L Prize Pool is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.