Opportunity brief
Guidelines:
- Eligibility: Open to college/university students interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, technology, business development, and solving real-world problems.
- Team Size: Each team must consist of 2–4 members.
- Inter-College Teams: Inter-college teams are allowed, subject to registration and approval by the organizers.
- Inter-Specialization Teams: Inter-specialization teams are allowed and encouraged. Students from different engineering, technology, management, design, and other relevant disciplines may form a team.
- Event Type: SDG Pitching Challenge focused on identifying real-world problems and developing feasible technological or business solutions.
- Number of Rounds: The competition consists of 2 rounds:
- SDG Problem Scouting & Solution Blueprint
- Live Venture Pitch
- Round 1 Format: Teams will be assigned an SDG track at random. Examples include Affordable Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities, Industry & Innovation, Responsible Consumption, and Good Health.
- Problem Identification: Teams must conduct rapid campus/regional field exploration and identify a specific operational bottleneck or real-world problem related to their assigned SDG track.
- Solution Development: Teams must propose a feasible technological or business solution addressing the identified problem.
- Round 1 Submission: Teams must submit a structured 2-page executive summary by the deadline specified by the organizers.
- Shortlisting: The top 10 teams from Round 1 will qualify for the Live Venture Pitch.
- Round 2 Format: Shortlisted teams will present their solution before an industry and academic jury.
- Pitch Duration: Each shortlisted team receives 5 minutes for the presentation, followed by 3 minutes of Q&A.
- Presentation Limit: The pitch must contain a maximum of 7 slides.
- Duration: The event format lists a 3-hour duration, while Round 1 includes an online submission deadline. Teams must follow the specific timings communicated by the organizers.
- Capacity: Maximum 60 teams.
- Registration: Registration requires organizer approval. The registration fee is ₹200 per team, paid online by the team lead.
- Venue: Ramaiah Technology Campus, Bengaluru.
- Event Dates: 14–16 October 2026.
- Prizes: 1st – ₹5,000; 2nd – ₹3,000; 3rd – ₹2,000.
Rules:
- Each team must consist of 2–4 registered members.
- Team members must remain the same throughout the competition unless a change is specifically approved by the organizers.
- Each team will receive an SDG track at random for Round 1.
- Teams must identify a specific and clearly defined real-world operational problem related to the assigned SDG track.
- Teams should conduct appropriate campus or regional field exploration/research to understand the identified problem.
- The proposed solution must be feasible, relevant, and clearly connected to the identified problem.
- Teams must submit a structured 2-page executive summary within the deadline announced by the organizers.
- The executive summary should clearly communicate the problem, target users/stakeholders, proposed solution, implementation approach, and expected impact.
- The submitted work must be the original work of the participating team.
- Plagiarism, copied ideas/content, fabricated research, or misrepresentation of another person's work may result in disqualification.
- Any external sources, data, research, images, or other third-party material used in the submission should be appropriately acknowledged.
- Only the top 10 teams shortlisted by the organizers/jury will proceed to Round 2.
- Shortlisted teams must prepare a live investor-style pitch based on their Round 1 submission.
- The Round 2 presentation must contain a maximum of 7 slides.
- Each team will have 5 minutes to present its solution.
- The presentation will be followed by 3 minutes of Q&A with the jury.
- Teams must stay within their allotted presentation and Q&A time.
- All team members should be prepared to explain their proposed solution and respond to questions from the jury.
- Teams must not receive unauthorized assistance from other participating teams during the competition.
- Participants must not interfere with another team's submission, presentation, files, or equipment.
- Any attempt to manipulate the evaluation process, impersonate a participant, or engage in unfair practices may result in disqualification.
- Participants must maintain professional conduct toward the jury, organizers, volunteers, and other participants.
- Any intentional damage to venue property or event equipment may result in penalties and/or recovery of the associated cost.
- In case of a tie, the organizers/jury may conduct an additional evaluation or use the applicable judging criteria as a tie-breaker.
- The jury's decision regarding shortlisting, evaluation, penalties, and final results will be final and binding.
- Participants must follow any additional instructions provided by the organizers regarding submission format, presentation, timings, and venue arrangements.
- The organizers reserve the right to modify the event procedure if required for smooth and fair conduct of the competition.
Event Format:
Team Size: 2–4 members Duration: 3 hours Maximum Capacity: 60 teams
Event Type: SDG Pitching & Innovation Challenge
Round 1 — SDG Problem Scouting & Solution Blueprint:
- Teams are assigned an SDG track at random.
- Teams conduct rapid campus/regional field exploration.
- Teams identify a specific operational bottleneck or real-world problem.
- Teams develop a feasible technological or business solution.
- Teams submit a 2-page executive summary by the specified deadline.
Round 2 — Live Venture Pitch:
The top 10 teams from Round 1 qualify.
Each shortlisted team must:
- Present an investor-style pitch.
- Use a maximum of 7 slides.
- Present for 5 minutes.
- Answer jury questions for 3 minutes.
Competition Flow:
Team Registration → Random SDG Track → Problem Scouting → Solution Blueprint → 2-Page Executive Summary → Top 10 Shortlist → Live Venture Pitch → 3-Minute Q&A → Final Results
- Venue: Ramaiah Technology Campus, Bengaluru
- Event Dates: 14–16 October 2026
- Registration Fee: ₹200 per team
- Prizes: ₹5,000 (1st) | ₹3,000 (2nd) | ₹2,000 (3rd)