BusinessWire India
Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], August 27: Amazon Web Services (AWS), IDFC FIRST Bank and Campus Fund today announced the seventh edition of Grand Challenge, a flagship nationwide initiative that continues to recognize and support India's most innovative student-led startups. This edition is powered once again by 360 ONE.
Building on the momentum of previous editions, Grand Challenge 2026 invites student entrepreneurs from across the country to apply by October 10, 2026. The challenge is open to current students, recent graduates who graduated in or after 2023, and dropouts from the 2023 graduating cohort onwards, across all sectors.
Since its inception in 2020, Grand Challenge has evolved into a movement, celebrating the entrepreneurial potential of India's youth. The sixth edition received over 1,500 applications from student-led startups across the country, further cementing Grand Challenge as a leading national platform for young entrepreneurs.
"India's campuses are home to some of the most ambitious young founders we meet. With every edition of the Grand Challenge, we see students starting earlier, thinking bigger and building solutions for increasingly complex problems. As we enter our seventh edition, our goal remains to identify these founders early and give them the capital, mentorship, network and platform they need to build enduring companies," said Richa Bajpai, Founder, Campus Fund.
About Grand Challenge 2026
The mission is clear - Empowering India's Student Innovators and bringing them to the fore. With a robust format that combines mentorship, national exposure, direct access to investors and the Who's Who of India Inc, Grand Challenge offers a unique platform for young founders to scale.
The jury this year comprises veterans and stalwarts of India Inc:
Amishi Dhanuka: Creative Director, Amishi London
Ashwini Tewari: MD of State Bank of India
Bharat Shah: Co-Founder, HDFC Bank
Hrishit Shroff: Executive Director, Excel Industries Ltd.
Phanindra Sama: Founder, redBus
Sasha Mirchandani: Founder & Managing Director, Kae Capital
Ullas Kamath: Former Joint MD, Jyothy Labs Limited
Varun Vakil: Chief Manager, New Initiatives, Asian Paints
Vineet Agarwal: Managing Director, Transport Corporation of India
Yatin Shah: Co-Founder, 360 ONE and CEO, 360 ONE Wealth
More industry leaders will be announced.
Timelines
- Deadline for Applications - October 10, 2026
- Evaluation Rounds - October 2026
- Top 15 Startups Announced - November 2026
- Grand Finale - December 10, 2026 (Mumbai)
Eligibility
- Open to all sectors
- Current students and students who graduated or dropped out in 2023 or later
Format & Journey
- Online Application
- Shortlisting & Evaluation Rounds
- Top 15 Startups
- Grand Finale in Mumbai: Top 15 present live to the Grand Jury
Benefits & Support
- Up to Rs. 8 Crores (~USD 1M) in potential funding for winners
- AWS Activate Credits for the finalists
- Access to top tools including Notion, DocSend, ClickUp, Freshworks, Webflow and Typeform
Past editions of the Grand Challenge have produced notable winners, including Paradyes - a hair-color startup (University of Arts, London) and Digantara - the space-cartography startup from Lovely Professional University & RV College of Engineering.
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AWS, IDFC FIRST Bank and Campus Fund Announce Seventh Edition of Grand Challenge
