Startup Odisha
Innovation Ecosystem Partner
ΚΑΙΝΟΣ
National Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship Challenge 2026–27
Registrations open: [Date to be announced]
Bring a real problem. Leave with a validated, pitch-ready solution.
A national journey for undergraduates across India, from November 2026 to March 2027. Spot a problem that matters, test it with real users, build it with expert mentors, and pitch it on the national stage at KIIT Bhubaneswar.
November 2026 – March 2027
SPARK · BUILD · RISE
One registration covers all three phases.
Awards & recognition
₹5 lakh in awards, 24 winners.
Recognition at every stage: SPARK participation certificate → BUILD completion certificate → National finalist certificate.
₹5 lakh
In awards
Across 24 winners24
Winners
₹5 lakh in awardsCategory awards: Best Problem Insight · Best Innovation/Technology · Best Social/Environmental Impact · Best Business/Implementation Potential.
National Champion
1 award · ₹1,20,000
National Runner-up
1 award · ₹80,000
National Second Runner-up
1 award · ₹40,000
Zonal Build Excellence Award
10 awards · ₹15,000 each
Category Awards
10 awards · ₹10,000 each
Finalist / Impact Recognition Award
1 award · ₹10,000
How it works
Three phases. One journey. Every step builds your idea.
Everyone starts in SPARK. The strongest teams move to BUILD for mentoring, and the best 50 reach RISE, the national finale. One registration covers all three phases.
Phase 1 · SPARK
SPARK: National Opportunity Hunt
SPARK is where it starts. You don’t need a startup or a prototype. What matters is how well you understand a real problem and how strong your first idea for solving it is.
What you submit
Problem Card: Problem statement · Users and stakeholders affected · Evidence supporting the problem · Proposed solution · Initial value proposition
Video: A 90-second video pitch
How you are judged
Significance of the problem · Understanding of users · Evidence · Originality · Feasibility · Clarity of communication
Register Your Team: FreeWhat your team will do
- Pick a real-world problem and identify the people affected by it
- Research the problem and gather evidence that it matters
- Understand the user need, the pain point and the gap in existing solutions
- Frame a first solution concept, its first user and its intended impact
What you get
- A digital participation certificate for every complete, eligible entry
- A chance to be among the 500 teams shortlisted for BUILD
Phase 2 · BUILD
BUILD: Six Zonal Build Labs
BUILD is the heart of KAINOS. Over several weeks, your team turns a promising idea into a tested, well-structured solution through masterclasses, mentor clinics and guided assignments. You finish with a 3-minute pitch to a zonal jury.
Master mentoring: who guides you
Every zone has its own mentor pool, coordinated by KSIEL. Mentors include:
- KIIT faculty and domain experts
- KIIT alumni entrepreneurs and startup founders
- Industry professionals and ecosystem partners
Mentoring happens through group masterclasses, small-group mentor clinics and guided reviews. Every session and milestone review is tracked, so your team gets structured feedback, not just a one-off chat.
What you get
- Masterclasses and tracked mentoring from your zone’s mentor pool
- Jury and mentor feedback on your solution
- Certificate of BUILD completion for teams that meet the mentoring and milestone requirements
- Where relevant and with prior approval, access to KIIT/KSIEL/KIIT-NEST technical facilities, prototyping resources or expert consultations
- A chance at the Zonal Build Excellence Award (₹15,000, 10 awards)
What happens next: 8 to 10 teams from each zone (50 in total) are selected for RISE.
The BUILD masterclass track
- 1. Design Thinking & Problem Validation: Sharpen your problem statement, map stakeholders, run user discovery, test assumptions and reframe if needed
- 2. Solution Design & Value Proposition: Refine the solution, define what makes it unique and compare it with existing alternatives
- 3. Business Model & Market: Target customers, competitors, Business Model Canvas, revenue logic, go-to-market and early adopters
- 4. Technology & Product (MVP/PoC): Solution architecture, MVP/PoC planning, technical feasibility, and building an early version where possible
- 5. IP & Regulatory Awareness: What can be protected, basic IP strategy, prior art, and the ethics, safety or compliance rules for your domain
- 6. Impact, Scale & Sustainability: Define measurable social, economic or environmental impact and plan how the solution can grow and last
- 7. Pitch Development: Turn all of this into a structured, jury-ready 3-minute pitch
- 8. Mentor & Expert Review: Mentors challenge your assumptions and find gaps before the zonal jury
Phase 3 · RISE
RISE: National Finale at KIIT Bhubaneswar
The 50 strongest teams from across India come together at KIIT-NEST for an intensive finale, where KIIT alumni entrepreneurs play a key role.
What you get
- Travel assistance, accommodation, meals and local transport for the approved number of members per team
- National finalist certificate for all 50 teams
- A shot at National Champion (₹1.2 lakh) and the other national and category awards
- Selection of high-potential teams for continued validation, incubation and mentoring with KIIT-NEST
- A participant kit, schedules and a help desk for travel, stay and coordination
What happens at RISE
- Finalist orientation and immersion at KIIT-NEST
- Advanced one-on-one or small-group mentoring and venture/solution clinics: pitch, market and user validation, business model, technology, IP, funding readiness and implementation planning
- Venture gallery to showcase your solution
- Interactions with founders, industry leaders, innovators and experts
- Pitch refinement and rehearsal, then the final national pitch to the jury
- A rapid challenge on a brand-new problem, to test how your team thinks on its feet
- Awards ceremony
At a glance
Everything you need to know in 30 seconds.
Programme window: November 2026 to March 2027
What do I need to start?
A real problem you care about. No prototype or startup needed.
Free
No registration fee at any stage
Who can join?
Any undergraduate student enrolled at a recognised Indian college or university, from any discipline
Team size
2 to 4 students, with one Team Lead, 50% of female participants are encouraged
Programme window
November 2026 to March 2027
Where?
SPARK online · BUILD online or hybrid · RISE in person at KIIT Bhubaneswar
First submission
A Problem Card and a 90-second video pitch
What can I win?
₹5 lakh in awards across 24 winners, certificates at every stage, and a path to incubation
Why KAINOS
Not a weekend hackathon.
Everyone starts in SPARK. The strongest teams move to BUILD for mentoring, and the best 50 reach RISE, the national finale.
Duration
Typical hackathon: One to two days
ΚΑΙΝΟΣ: November 2026 to March 2027
Starting point
Typical hackathon: A given theme; build fast
ΚΑΙΝΟΣ: Discover and evidence a real problem first
Who joins
Typical hackathon: Mostly coders and tech students
ΚΑΙΝΟΣ: Any discipline; mixed teams encouraged
Support
Typical hackathon: Brief mentor drop-ins
ΚΑΙΝΟΣ: Masterclasses and tracked mentoring with milestone reviews
Judged on
Typical hackathon: The demo on the day
ΚΑΙΝΟΣ: Problem, user evidence, validation, business logic and impact
Afterwards
Typical hackathon: Prizes, then it ends
ΚΑΙΝΟΣ: A pathway into validation and incubation with KIIT-NEST
Themes
Pick a problem that matters to you
KAINOS is open innovation. Choose from these indicative themes, or bring your own:
- 01Health, Life Sciences & Well-being
- 02AgriTech, Food Systems & Blue Economy
- 03Climate, Environment & Circular Economy
- 04AI, Digital Technologies & Cyber-enabled Solutions
- 05Education, Skills & Future of Work
- 06Mobility, Smart Cities & Infrastructure
- 07Financial Inclusion, Social Innovation & Community Solutions
- 08Open Innovation: any problem outside these themes, where the problem, users and impact are clearly shown
Who can apply
Check if you’re eligible.
- I am currently enrolled in an undergraduate programme at a recognised higher-education institution in India (any discipline)
- My team has 2 to 4 undergraduate students, with one Team Lead
- Our team members come from one institution, or at most two
- I am not part of any other KAINOS team
- If we are entering an existing project, prototype or student-led startup, we will disclose prior incubation, grants, awards, IP or funding
Prior awards give no scoring advantage. Mature ventures that are no longer student-led may be excluded at screening.
Register once.
Go all the way.ΚΑΙΝΟΣ 2026–27
Go all the way.ΚΑΙΝΟΣ 2026–27
How to register
Register once. Go all the way.
One registration covers all three phases. Shortlisted teams get an email confirmation for BUILD, then RISE. No fresh registration is needed.
Register Your Team: Free- Step 1
Form your team
Bring together 2 to 4 undergraduates and choose a Team Lead.
- Step 2
Register on the portal
The Team Lead registers the team with institution and enrolment details for verification.
- Step 3
Submit your SPARK entry
Upload your Problem Card and 90-second video pitch before the deadline.
- Step 4
Watch your inbox
Shortlisted teams get an email confirmation for BUILD, then RISE. No fresh registration is needed.
How to register
Key dates
- 01Registrations open: [Date to be announced]
- 02SPARK submission deadline: [Date to be announced]
- 03BUILD shortlist announced: [Date to be announced]
- 04Zonal pitches: [Date to be announced]
- 05RISE finalists announced: [Date to be announced]
- 06National Finale, KIIT Bhubaneswar: [Date to be announced]
Find your zone
Six zones, one nation.
Every zone has its own mentor pool, coordinated by KSIEL.
200+ institutions
First-edition target
10,000+ students
First-edition target
30+ States/UTs
First-edition target
North
Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi
West
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
Central
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
East
Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
South
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep
Northeast
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura
FAQ
Questions students ask.
No. KAINOS is free at every stage. Any optional expense not covered for finalists will be communicated in advance.
Yes. KAINOS is open to undergraduates from every discipline, and mixed teams are encouraged.
No. SPARK is about the problem and your first solution idea. You work towards an MVP or proof of concept in BUILD, with mentors.
Yes, if the team is student-led and the work fits the challenge. Disclose prior incubation, funding, awards or IP. Prior recognition gives no scoring advantage.
Yes. A team can include students from up to two institutions.
SPARK needs time for research, your Problem Card and a 90-second video. BUILD runs over several weeks with masterclasses, mentor sessions and assignments. The detailed schedule will be shared at registration.
SPARK is online. BUILD is online or hybrid. RISE is in person at KIIT Bhubaneswar.
KIIT faculty, KIIT alumni entrepreneurs, startup founders, industry professionals and domain experts, organised into a mentor pool for each zone.
No. One registration covers everything. Shortlisted teams receive a confirmation and fill in only the extra details needed.
Yes. Travel assistance, accommodation, meals and local transport are provided for the approved number of members per finalist team.
Your idea stays yours. BUILD includes guidance on how to identify and protect your IP.
High-potential teams can continue with KIIT-NEST for validation, incubation and mentoring.
Organisers & partners
Organised by KSIEL, KIIT Alumni Cell and KIIT-NEST.
Ecosystem partners
TiE Bhubaneswar
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Partner
India Accelerator
Investment Partner
Sponsors and more partners
Sponsors and more partners
To be announced soon.
- 01Title Sponsor: To be announced soon
- 02Awards Sponsor: To be announced soon
- 03Knowledge Partner: To be announced soon
- 04Industry / CSR Partners: To be announced soon
- 05Media & Outreach Partners: To be announced soon
- 06Academic & Institutional Partners: To be announced soon
For mentors, institutions and sponsors
Build India’s next generation of innovators with us.
Share KAINOS with your students and E-Cells/IICs, mentor or judge teams, contribute a real problem statement, offer pilots, internships or incubation to promising teams, or sponsor awards and the finale.
Still have questions?
Contact- Phone/email
I’d like to connect as a…
Still have questions?
Contact- Phone/email
Register Your Team: Free One registration covers all three phases.