THE 2026 EDITION • 160 TRIAL CONTENDERS

IPL — INNOVATION PITCH LEAGUE

2-DAY STUDENT CHAMPIONSHIP

A premier talent scout, live draft, and rapid building hackathon. 160 contenders enter individual trials, the top 48 qualify, and 8 appointed captains bid to assemble balanced 6-member teams mentored by alumni.

REGISTRATION COUNTDOWN

DAYS

REMAINING

HOURS

MINS

MINUTES

SECS

SECONDS

DATES

9–10 OCT

2026

PRIZE

₹30,000

Cash Pool

TOTAL

160

Contenders

TEAMS

8 SQUADS

6 Per Team

EVENT STRUCTURE

HOW THE LEAGUE WORKS

IPL follows a three-step tournament model. You enter individually for ₹100, qualify through the trials, get drafted into a balanced squad, and pitch your prototype to corporate judges.

PHASE 1 SELECTION TRIALS

APTITUDE & GROUP EVALUATION

All 160 candidates take an aptitude test followed by group discussions. The top 48 candidates qualify for the draft, with the top 8 earning team captain roles.

160 → 48 QUALIFIERS DAY 1 MORNING

PHASE 2 LIVE AUCTION

THE TALENT DRAFT

The 8 captains use their allotted points to bid for the 40 qualified candidates in a live draft. Every candidate is guaranteed a squad spot, and each team is paired with an alumni mentor.

8 SQUADS OF 6 ASSEMBLED DAY 1 AFTERNOON

PHASE 3 FINALE

HACKATHON & PITCH

Teams build solutions for problem statements during an intensive 6-hour session, followed by a 7-minute pitch and 3-minute Q&A before industry judges.

₹30,000 PRIZE POOL DAY 2

TOURNAMENT TIMELINE 9 STAGES • 2 DAYS

EVENT PIPELINE

DAY 1 MORNING: SELECTION TRIALS

STAGE 01 08:00 AM

REGISTRATION & SQUAD CHECK-IN

Verification of participants, badge allotment, and orientation briefing for all 160 contenders.

STAGE 02 09:00 AM

APTITUDE ASSESSMENT

Individual problem-solving and analytical logic evaluation under restricted time conditions.

STAGE 03 10:30 AM

GROUP DISCUSSION ROUNDS

Communication, structured reasoning, and collaborative thinking evaluated by judges.

Qualification Cutoff Top 48 Advance

TOP 48 QUALIFY FOR LIVE AUCTION ↓

DAY 1 AFTERNOON: CAPTAINS & TALENT AUCTION

STAGE 04 ROSTER ANNOUNCEMENT

THE ROSTER OF 48

The top 48 qualifiers from the morning trials are announced on the draft board.

STAGE 05 LEADERSHIP

8 TEAM CAPTAINS APPOINTED

The top 8 scorers receive captain credentials and an equal budget of 1,000 points for the auction.

LIVE

STAGE 06 02:15 PM

THE LIVE TALENT DRAFT

Captains bid using their point purses to recruit 40 candidates into complete 6-member teams.

DAY 2: HACKATHON & PITCH FINALE

STAGE 07 08:30 AM

PROBLEM STATEMENTS & MENTORSHIP

Teams receive problem statements and strategize with assigned SIES GST alumni mentors.

STAGE 08 09:00 AM – 03:15 PM

RAPID HACKATHON SPRINTS

Sprint sessions covering architecture, code prototyping, integration, and slide deck polishing.

STAGE 09 🏆 GRAND FINALE

FINAL PITCH & AWARDS

7-minute prototype presentation followed by 3-minute Q&A to decide the ₹30,000 prize pool and trophies.

🏏 AUCTION ARENA • LIVE MECHANICS

THE CAPTAINS' DRAFT SYSTEM

A live bidding format where point budgets, skill domains, and team balance decide the roster.

LIVE STAGE TELEMETRY

8 TEAMS ACTIVE

CAPTAIN BUDGET PURSE

1,000 PTS

BASE BIDDING RANGE

20–100 PTS

CANDIDATE ON STAGE

#042 ALL-ROUNDER

Alex Sharma

ROLE: FULL-STACK & PRODUCT DESIGN

TOP BID 180 PTS (TEAM BETA)

OVERALL SCORE 84 / 100

APTITUDE 91 / 100

GD 88 / 100

SQUAD ROSTER 1 CAPTAIN + 5 DRAFTED + 1 MENTOR

CPT P1 P2 P3 P4 P5

Status: Bidding Open GAVEL TIMER: 00:14

01 MERIT-BASED BASE VALUATIONS

Opening bids (20–100 points) are calibrated directly from candidates' combined Aptitude and Group Discussion trial scores.

02 PURSE RESERVE GUARDS

Captains cannot spend all points on initial picks; minimum point balances are locked to guarantee every captain fills all 5 squad seats.

03 GUARANTEED SELECTION

All 40 qualified trialists are guaranteed selection into an 8-team roster through systematic priority bidding rounds.

OFFICIAL PROGRAM

SCHEDULE & TIMINGS

2 DAYS

DAY 1: TRIALS & TALENT AUCTION 08:45 AM – 05:45 PM

ACTIVITY	VENUE	TIMING
Inauguration Opening ceremony, lamp lighting & tournament orientation	GST Audi	08:45 – 09:00 AM
Aptitude & GD Rounds Aptitude assessment test & Group Discussion qualification rounds (held in batches)	Labs	09:00 AM – 01:00 PM
Evaluation Time Performance evaluation, score compilation & top 48 qualification cut	Labs	01:00 – 02:00 PM
INTERVAL Lunch 🍱 Dining hall open for all participants & mentors	Seminar Hall	01:00 – 02:15 PM
Auction 8 captains bid using 1,000 pts purse to recruit 40 contenders into squads	MBA Audi	02:15 – 05:30 PM
Short closing and team Forming Day 1 wrap-up, squad alignment, mentor introductions & Day 2 prep	MBA Audi	05:30 – 05:45 PM

DAY 2: HACKATHON & PITCH FINALE 08:30 AM – 06:15 PM

ACTIVITY	VENUE	TIMING
Short Opening & Rules Day 2 morning assembly, problem domains release & guidelines	GST Audi	08:30 – 09:00 AM
Hackathon Sprint 1: Architecture, coding & prototype building with alumni mentors	Labs	09:00 AM – 12:00 PM
INTERVAL Lunch 🍱 Dining hall open • Recharge before Sprint 2 & deck preparation	Seminar Hall	12:00 – 01:00 PM
Hackathon Sprint 2: Final integration, testing & slide deck preparation	Labs	01:00 – 03:15 PM
Judging Round Live evaluation, prototype demo & Q&A before the expert jury panel	Labs / GST Audi	03:20 – 05:20 PM
Decide Winners Jury score tallying, deliberation & final podium ranking	GST Audi	05:20 – 05:45 PM
Tea Break ☕ Refreshments, high tea & networking for all participants	GST Audi	05:20 – 05:45 PM
FINALE & AWARDS Closing & Winner Announcement 🏆 Valedictory ceremony, trophy presentation & ₹30,000 cash prize awards	GST Audi	05:45 – 06:15 PM

CHAMPIONSHIP PURSE & REWARDS

THE PRIZE POOL

WINNER

1ST PLACE

CHAMPION TEAM

₹15,000

Championship trophy, gold medals, winner certificates, and direct industry recognition.

2ND PLACE

RUNNER-UP TEAM

₹10,000

Silver medals, runner-up trophy, and achievement citations.

3RD PLACE

THIRD PLACE TEAM

₹5,000

Bronze medals and official excellence certificates.

🎖️ Best Team Skipper receives the Leadership Distinction Trophy.

All 160 trial participants receive verified Certificates of Participation. Total prize purse: ₹30,000.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

RULES

Who is eligible to participate in the trial?

All enrolled engineering and undergraduate college students across any discipline or year are eligible. No prior hackathon experience is required to enter the selection trials.

What is the registration fee and what does it include?

The registration fee is ₹100 per participant via Unstop. It covers meals, refreshment intervals, participation kit, event ID credentials, and access to all mentoring sessions.

Do I need to assemble a team before registering?

No. Every participant registers individually. Squads of 6 are formed during the live auction on Day 1, ensuring balanced skill distributions across technology, design, and management.

How are Team Captains appointed?

The top 8 scorers across the combined Aptitude Evaluation and Group Discussion rounds on Day 1 earn captain honors, 1,000 auction bidding points, and squad-building responsibilities.

What happens if I don't qualify for the top 48?

All 160 participants receive official Certificates of Participation, access to the live auction hall, lunch intervals, and open networking with alumni mentors.

STUDENT COORDINATORS