Opportunity brief
Overview:
Where Innovation Meets Sustainability
Arambh'26 is the flagship entrepreneurship event of the Nirmiti Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, College of Social Work (Empowered Autonomous), Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai. It brings together young innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to develop sustainable solutions for real-world challenges. This year's theme is Circular Economy and Marine Debris Management, and participants are encouraged to turn environmental challenges into scalable business opportunities.
Competitions:
- Business Pitch: pitch an innovative business idea rooted in Circular Economy principles (recycling, reuse, upcycling, resource efficiency, waste reduction) that creates social and economic value.
- Idea Hackathon: develop innovative, scalable, and sustainable solutions for marine debris (especially plastic litter) through better collection, segregation, recycling, upcycling, circular economy approaches, and community participation.
Eligibility:
- Any student enrolled in a certificate, diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral program at any university or college in India or abroad.
- Individual and team participation are both allowed.
- Team size: maximum 4 members.
- Inter-college teams: allowed
- Inter-specialization teams: allowed
Number of Problem Statements:
- Idea Hackathon: 1 problem statement (marine debris management).
- Business Pitch: open format within the Circular Economy theme.
Rounds and Format:
Round 1: Concept Paper (online submission)
- Submit a 1–2 page concept paper to poonam@cswnn.edu.in by 30th September 2026.
- It must clearly describe the problem, the proposed innovative solution, the implementation strategy, the expected social and environmental impact, and feasibility.
- Format:
- Title page: title (max 20 words), participant name(s), institution, email, and contact number
- Executive summary (max 300 words)
- Proposed solution (max 2,500 words): background, problem statement, solution and implementation, impact, scalability, and sustainability
- References in a consistent citation style
- The Top 15% of candidates/teams will be shortlisted and notified by email or phone.
Round 2: Grand Finale, 10 October 2026 (offline)
- Venue: College of Social Work (Empowered Autonomous), Nirmala Niketan Extension Centre, St. Pius College Campus Gate No. 3, Goregaon (East), Mumbai – 400 063.
- Shortlisted teams present to a jury as a PPT or creative poster. The presentation should cover the problem, solution, target market, business model, revenue model, and expected social and environmental impact.
- Duration: 3 minutes per team to pitch to the judges.
- A table or easel is provided for posters, and props may be used for visual aid.
- Final presentations run from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, followed by jury deliberation and the award ceremony at 2:00 PM.
Rules:
- One student or team can submit only one entry.
- A team can have a maximum of 4 members.
- The idea must be based on Circular Economy principles.
- Submissions must follow the concept paper format and word limits above.
- Only shortlisted teams will be invited to the final round.
- The decision of the jury is final and binding in all matters.
- The jury, appointed by the organisers, is the final authority for settling any disputes.
Judging Criteria (20% each):
- Creativity & Innovation
- Circular Economy Integration & Sustainability
- Scalability of Solution
- Ability to Articulate the Idea Based on Evidence
- Interdisciplinary Approach
Prizes:
- First Prize: ₹5000 + certificate
- Second Prize: ₹4,000 cash + certificate
- Third prize: ₹3000 cash + certificate
- Participation certificates for all final contestants