The Idea Challenge was designed as a yearly flagship event for the Social Enterprise Cell with the following objectives:

• To provide students from all parts of the country an opportunity to explore social entrepreneurship and share their innovative ideas in a rigorous and competitive manner.
• To provide a platform for students to shape their ideas through mentorship support and networking with other budding entrepreneurs in the social entrepreneurial circuit.

Each year, we receive about 100 entries for the Idea Challenge. The entries are first shortlisted to 10 – 15 by the Social Enterpise Cell by a panel of University members. 

The shortlisted teams are then invited to the final event in Bangalore. They present to a panel of three-member jury consisting of one internal and two external panelists who select the final winners: three winners and sometimes a special category or mention. 

Of 18 winners from the past five years, nine teams have gone on to pursue their ideas ahead. The ones who do pursue the idea benefit from the media coverage and the award resulting from the competition and most have gone on to receive additional financial or mentoring support from incubators and other organisations such as IIT Kanpur, IIM Bangalore, YCombinator.

For more details on the last 7 years of the Idea challenge, please read this report and check this page.