OptimizeIT — IIT Kharagpur Fugacity 2026 Case Competition — Frequently Asked Questions

It is the flagship industrial process optimisation case study competition run by the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Kharagpur, held as part of Fugacity 2026. Teams receive engineering problem statements modelled on complex industrial systems such as unit operations, reactor systems, and oil and utility pipelines, and then work up a consulting-style solution to them.

Any undergraduate or postgraduate engineering student and any MBA student studying in India can take part. There is no restriction by state, branch or institution — what matters is that you are enrolled in one of those programmes.

Teams may have between 1 and 4 members. Inter-college, inter-departmental and cross-year teams are all allowed, so you are free to build a mixed group drawn from different institutions, departments or batches.

Registration takes place on Unstop, and the last date to register is August 10, 2026. The case submission itself has to be uploaded by the team leader through the same Unstop listing.

A professional pitch deck, uploaded in PDF format via Unstop. It can be a maximum of 12 slides, including the title slide and any appendix. The online qualifier submission window is open from July 20 to August 16, 2026.

Shortlisted teams present in person at the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur. Each team gets 10 minutes to walk the panel through its consulting framework, followed by an intensive Q&A session. Finalists are announced on August 19, 2026, and the grand finale takes place on August 30, 2026.

The published rewards are cash prizes plus merit certificates for the winners and runners-up, and a finalist certificate for every team that reaches the offline finals. The exact prize amounts are not disclosed in the programme details.

Round 1 entries are assessed on technical accuracy, economic viability and feasibility, and data presentation. Pitching and defence are added as an evaluation criterion in Round 2 only.

Neither. This is a case study competition for students, so there is no equity stake, investment or repayment involved — the rewards are cash prizes and certificates. DPIIT recognition or MSME registration is not part of the eligibility criteria either.

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