RASTA — National Level Startup and Innovation Challenge (WIF)

RASTA — National Level Startup and Innovation Challenge is a national pitch competition organised by Wainganga Incubation Foundation (WIF) at Wainganga College of Engineering and Management (WCEM), Nagpur. The challenge celebrates the birthday of Hon'ble Nitin Gadkari Ji and invites innovators and startups from all over India to showcase their ideas. No registration fee is charged. Teams can have up to 4 members, and solo founders are welcome.

The competition offers a total cash prize pool of ₹3,50,000 distributed among winners. The top prize is ₹1,50,000, followed by ₹1,00,000 for second place and ₹50,000 for third place. Special awards include Best Defence Innovation (₹25,000) and Best Deep-Tech Innovation (₹25,000). Additionally, the top 10 startups (including all prize winners) will receive a two-year incubation opportunity at Wainganga Incubation Foundation (WIF), which includes mentorship, infrastructure, and ecosystem support at WCEM, Nagpur.

Applications are submitted online via Google Form from 4 May 2026 to 18 May 2026. Shortlisted applicants are notified by email on 22 May 2026 and invited to pitch at the finale held in Nagpur. Participants must arrange their own travel and accommodation for the finale. The award ceremony date is to be announced.

• ₹3.5L cash pool + 2-year WIF incubation for top 10
• Dedicated Best Defence + Best Deep-Tech awards
• Solo or teams of up to 4, no registration fee
• Finale in Nagpur; travel/stay self-funded

Open to Indian innovators and startups. Teams may consist of up to 4 members, and single-founder entries are also accepted. There is no registration fee. Neither DPIIT nor MSME registration is required. There are no restrictions on industry, stage, or state.

RASTA — National Level Startup and Innovation Challenge (WIF) is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

The most recent application window for RASTA — National Level Startup and Innovation Challenge (WIF) closed on 18 May 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.

• Cash prize pool of ₹3,50,000:
  • 1st Prize: ₹1,50,000
  • 2nd Prize: ₹1,00,000
  • 3rd Prize: ₹50,000
  • Best Defence Innovation: ₹25,000
  • Best Deep-Tech Innovation: ₹25,000
• Two-year incubation at Wainganga Incubation Foundation (WIF) for the top 10 startups, including mentorship, infrastructure, and ecosystem support.

RASTA — National Level Startup and Innovation Challenge (WIF) is offered by Wainganga College of Engineering and Management, an academic institution. It is delivered directly by Wainganga College of Engineering and Management as a competition. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Applications are submitted online via Google Form. After the application deadline (18 May 2026), a shortlist is announced on 22 May 2026 via email. Shortlisted teams are invited to pitch at the finale event in Nagpur (date TBD). Winners and the top 10 startups are selected based on their pitch and innovation; they then receive incubation offers.

Before you apply to RASTA — National Level Startup and Innovation Challenge (WIF), 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.

RASTA — National Level Startup and Innovation Challenge (WIF) is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹3.5L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.